Emergency numbers and help in Qatar

The number

• 999 is police, ambulance and fire. One number, free, answered in Arabic and English.
• It works from a locked phone with no SIM.
• Say where you are first. Doha addressing works by district and landmark rather than street number, so name the nearest tower, mall or metro station.
• Ambulance response in Doha is fast and the service is run by Hamad Medical Corporation.

After a road accident

• Any accident needs a police report, however small, before an insurer or hire company will act.
• Do not move the vehicles unless the police tell you to.
• Stay at the scene. Leaving is a serious offence.
• Photograph everything while you wait.

If you are arrested or detained

• Ask to contact your embassy immediately.
• Do not sign anything you cannot read. Documents are in Arabic and signing one can amount to a confession.
• Most minor matters end when a complaint is withdrawn, so an apology early is worth more than an argument.
• Travel bans are real. An unresolved case or an unpaid fine can prevent you leaving the country, which is why Metrash2 is worth checking before a flight.

Losing things

• Report a theft to the police and get the written report for your insurer.
• A lost passport means your embassy in Doha, and the police report first.
• Lost property at the airport and on the metro is well organised and things genuinely turn up.

Weather and other alerts

• Sandstorms arrive quickly in spring, closing roads and grounding flights.
• Flash flooding fills underpasses during the rare heavy rain, within an hour.
• Heatstroke is the emergency most likely to affect a visitor. Dry skin and confusion in the heat means 999, shade and cold water, now.