Zekrit - Ras Abaruk
	Zekrit is situated in the peninsula of Ras Abaruk, north of Dukhan on the west coast of Qatar. It is decorated by gleaming white cliffs of Miocene limestone which looks like free-standing mushroom-shaped pillars. Numerous remains left by ancient inhabitants of Qatar have been found throughout the Abaruk peninsula. Between about 5,000 and 3,500 BC, a semi-nomadic population survived here by hunting, fishing and gathering shell fish and wild grains and fruits, as well as herding sheep and cattle. Today, their flint tools litter the ground, and dark, ashy patches on the plateaux mark the remains of cooking fires. In October 1939, the discovery of oil gave rise to the little village of Bir Zekrit, which stands at the entrance to Ras Abaruk. The Gulf War gave rise to some temporary military installations, and a coast guard station was erected some years ago near the northern end of the peninsula. Besides this, there is not much else in the line of permanent housing. Suddenly, everything changed. In 2000, hordes of warriors charged across the landscape. A village came under attack, and before long the palm-thatched roofs of the huts were set ablaze. QTV was making a film. A QTV project brought attention to a neglected part of Qatar. The film, which was eventually broadcast as a long-running series, was entitled Eial al-deeb: The Sons of the Wolf. It was by far the most ambitious project undertaken by QTV, and the budget was more than twice as high as for any other previously made films. Actors, actresses, camera-men and technicians were drawn not only from Qatar but also Kuwait, Jordan and Syria. The expert horsemen were from Bahrain as well as Qatar, and several hundred soldiers were drafted in to take part in the battle scenes! The idea originated from the imagination of Ahmed al-Misnad, an established poet. The story was set in Qatar some 400-500 years ago. As well as breathtaking action scenes, much of the plot centred on the inter-relationships of the families within a little town, soap opera style. Three film sets were carefully constructed - a group of circular thatched stone huts in a ravine encircled by a horseshoe of steep limestone cliffs; a tented encampment on the coast and a superb 'mini-town' on the northern side of the Abaruk oasis. The effect of this rich collection of traditional Gulf architecture, painted a honey-colour, in an arid landscape that has never before seen any construction at all, is surreal. Universal Studios has come to Qatar! The set is designed to last ten years, as QTV intend to make further films in the Abaruk area. Meanwhile, the set makes a pleasant outing for visitors to Ras Abaruk. The tented village is gone and the thatched huts were set alight during the filming of an attack; all that remains are the curious round stone-walled structures around the ravine, one of them perched high on a giant mushroom of limestone. But the traditional min-town still stands and is kept under repair. The Sudanese caretaker is always willing to allow visitors through the gate to take a look around. Every effort is made to keep the environment in tact. Removing the thick, black carbon deposits from the limestone cliffs behind the fired village was a major exercise. One major advantage of the filming was the cleaning up of the oasis. The area was full of litter and tyre tracks. No only the delicate tracks of the delicate hoof prints of the gazelle that wander to and from the drinking pool is now visible. Certainly worth a visit! - 'From a feature by Fran Gillespie in the Gulf Times of 21 March 2005.' -
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•	Question: What type of activities can one get into - out of working hours?
	Answer: Buying a boat and/or quad bikes are the most sought after activities. People enjoy the outdoors, sand and sea. Clubbing is not big but there is a little of that. Camping, shopping and that is about it. Of course traveling, because everything is close by and the airlines often offer promotions to take advantage of. To give you some idea of costs: The zoo costs 5 Riyals, bowling 10 Riyals/game, ice-skating 35 Riyals including skate hire, watching a film about 30 Riyals. Swimming at the Oasis Hotel costs 25 Riyals or 40 Riyals on Fridays.
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