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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
As Indonesia commemorated its 76th Independence Day on Tuesday, the Indonesian Embassy in Doha paid tribute to its dynamic community in Qatar which has significantly grown over the years not only in number but also in their role in the country’s development.
“Indonesian diasporas in Qatar are also known to be very active and dynamic. This can be seen, among others, from the many Indonesian community groups formed in Qatar,” said Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar HE Ridwan Hassan.
Sixty-year-old Hermansyah Muhammad Arsyad was one of the first generations of Indonesians to set foot in Qatar in 1996. Along with 22 other people, they were sent to Qatar to assist the government in conducting gas exploration in the Al Khor region.
From this small number, the latest data from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) records 16,960 Indonesian expats as of September 2020, more than half of who are professional workers in various fields who have lived in Qatar for decades.
To date, there are 68 Indonesian community groups in Qatar generally formed because of their similarity in hobbies, professions, alma maters, regional origins, and so on. In 2001, the Indonesian Community Association in Qatar or PERMIQA was formed as an umbrella organisation.
Among the active Indonesian community groups in Qatar is the NusaQ Dive Community. The group formed was formed in 2013 by several Indonesian nationals residing in Qatar who share the love for scuba diving. They routinely dive every week at the Old Club Reef dive site at Golden Beach, in the Sealine beach area in Messaieed, the southern part of Qatar.
Currently, the group is comprised of more than 30 divers and growing. NusaQ also has two members at the instructor level, who can certify Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certificate for non-divers who want to learn to dive.
Another group is the Komunitas Pesepeda Indonesia (KOPI) or Indonesia Cyclist Community – Qatar. It was founded last year to become the unifying organisation for Indonesian cycling groups and communities in Qatar.
The cycling clubs and communities affiliated with KOPI are Indonesian Fun Mountain Bike Community in Middle East (IFME), Raurus Cycling Club (RCC), Pesepeda Qatar (PQ), Komiq Gowes Bareng (KGB), SeLi IndoQatar, Gowes Santuy Mesaied and Fun Fatbikers Al Khor.
In its relatively short journey, KOPI has held successful events such as Virtual Race in November 2020 and the recent Fun Individual Time Trial as part of the commemoration of the 76th Indonesian Independence Day on August 13.
The Sanggar Tari Mesaieed (Mesaieed Traditional Dance Club), which was established in 2015, is also a pride of the Indonesian community in Qatar.
Before the pandemic time, they were doing dance practice in Al Banush Club House, Mesaieed which is under the management of QAFCO (Qatar Fertilizer Company).
After receiving full support from QP Mesaieed International School, the club opened its membership to Indonesian children in Mesaieed.
Starting only with dance club that only accommodates girls in the year of 2017, the club began offering Angklung, one of Indonesia traditional musical instruments to girls and boys. This programme has been welcomed enthusiastically by the students and the club subsequently changed the name to Sanggar Seni Mesaieed (Mesaieed Cultural Club).
Currently, the club has two classes - Dance Class for kids 7-9 years old and Angklung Class for children 10 years old and above.
Aside from the dynamic community groups, there are currently eight Indonesian restaurants and four Indonesian groceries which are jointly owned by Indonesian and Qatari citizens. These businesses play a big role in promoting Indonesian products in Qatar.
DOHA
As Indonesia commemorated its 76th Independence Day on Tuesday, the Indonesian Embassy in Doha paid tribute to its dynamic community in Qatar which has significantly grown over the years not only in number but also in their role in the country’s development.
“Indonesian diasporas in Qatar are also known to be very active and dynamic. This can be seen, among others, from the many Indonesian community groups formed in Qatar,” said Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar HE Ridwan Hassan.
Sixty-year-old Hermansyah Muhammad Arsyad was one of the first generations of Indonesians to set foot in Qatar in 1996. Along with 22 other people, they were sent to Qatar to assist the government in conducting gas exploration in the Al Khor region.
From this small number, the latest data from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) records 16,960 Indonesian expats as of September 2020, more than half of who are professional workers in various fields who have lived in Qatar for decades.
To date, there are 68 Indonesian community groups in Qatar generally formed because of their similarity in hobbies, professions, alma maters, regional origins, and so on. In 2001, the Indonesian Community Association in Qatar or PERMIQA was formed as an umbrella organisation.
Among the active Indonesian community groups in Qatar is the NusaQ Dive Community. The group formed was formed in 2013 by several Indonesian nationals residing in Qatar who share the love for scuba diving. They routinely dive every week at the Old Club Reef dive site at Golden Beach, in the Sealine beach area in Messaieed, the southern part of Qatar.
Currently, the group is comprised of more than 30 divers and growing. NusaQ also has two members at the instructor level, who can certify Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certificate for non-divers who want to learn to dive.
Another group is the Komunitas Pesepeda Indonesia (KOPI) or Indonesia Cyclist Community – Qatar. It was founded last year to become the unifying organisation for Indonesian cycling groups and communities in Qatar.
The cycling clubs and communities affiliated with KOPI are Indonesian Fun Mountain Bike Community in Middle East (IFME), Raurus Cycling Club (RCC), Pesepeda Qatar (PQ), Komiq Gowes Bareng (KGB), SeLi IndoQatar, Gowes Santuy Mesaied and Fun Fatbikers Al Khor.
In its relatively short journey, KOPI has held successful events such as Virtual Race in November 2020 and the recent Fun Individual Time Trial as part of the commemoration of the 76th Indonesian Independence Day on August 13.
The Sanggar Tari Mesaieed (Mesaieed Traditional Dance Club), which was established in 2015, is also a pride of the Indonesian community in Qatar.
Before the pandemic time, they were doing dance practice in Al Banush Club House, Mesaieed which is under the management of QAFCO (Qatar Fertilizer Company).
After receiving full support from QP Mesaieed International School, the club opened its membership to Indonesian children in Mesaieed.
Starting only with dance club that only accommodates girls in the year of 2017, the club began offering Angklung, one of Indonesia traditional musical instruments to girls and boys. This programme has been welcomed enthusiastically by the students and the club subsequently changed the name to Sanggar Seni Mesaieed (Mesaieed Cultural Club).
Currently, the club has two classes - Dance Class for kids 7-9 years old and Angklung Class for children 10 years old and above.
Aside from the dynamic community groups, there are currently eight Indonesian restaurants and four Indonesian groceries which are jointly owned by Indonesian and Qatari citizens. These businesses play a big role in promoting Indonesian products in Qatar.
