One of the fun parts of living in the Gulf is, the cheap price of twenty-two and eighteen carat gold sold here, in Qatar and the Arabian Gulf. In fact they do not even contemplate touching nine carats gold here in the Qatar and the Arabian Gulf. The designs and the choice you have is breath taking. In fact it is hard to believe that you could buy eighteen to twenty two carrot gold for the same price as a pair of shoes in the United Kingdom.

At first sight you may think you are being conned or start to question why things are so expensive in the United Kingdom, but there are many reasons why the price of gold here is much cheaper than in England. Gold is cheaper here partly because the labor costs are incredibly low and you do not have to pay Value Added Tax (VAT).

One of the major reasons for the diverse designs in gold jewellery has to be that the gold craftsman have a wealth of historical experience and expertise in working with gold. This skill is passed down through the family and drawn on from generation to generation. Also centuries of trading with India, China, and other Arabian Gulf states has left its mark, influencing the production of unique and varied creations of beautiful Arabian Jewellery.
Down in the souq area of Doha behind Souq Al Jaba is the Gold Souq, a treasure trove of jewellery. Here craftsman pride themselves in creating pieces that fit almost every requirement and occasions such as the birth of a child, weddings, rites of passage to adulthood or religions events. Furthermore if you have a picture of a design that you wish to copy or you have lost an earring you can have them replaced with exact replica for a fraction of the cost at the gold souq. The craftsmen are so talented and are amongst one of the hidden treasures of Qatar.
Here you do not pay for the design you just pay for the weight of gold on the day's market. Gold is significantly cheaper here than in Europe, however, living in Qatar, affords you an even cheaper rate during periods when the price of gold is low. This is advertised in the daily newspaper along with the currency exchange rates. If you are an experienced at bartering you will walk away with an even better bargain.
In any jewelry shop in Qatar there is a huge selection of earrings and eardrops. Some beautiful examples of eardrops are called Dalayah, which are richly decorated with stones such as pearls or rubies. Chains can range in length from ten centimeters to a few millimeters. Also they can be very ornate or very subtle.

Necklaces from Qatar and the Gulf region are also highly decorated and very heavy in weight. Some are tight like chokers and others can full to the waist. Pearl necklaces depending on the quality of the pearl range in price also, and are relatively cheaper in the Middle East then Europe. The very time consuming and dangerous job of diving increasingly into deeper and deeper parts of the sea due to scarcity of pearls adds to the increased cost of quality pearls.

Bracelets or bangles are called Mdhead and many are usually worn at once. These are cut and carved into the most exquisite designs that catch the light and sparkle like diamonds. These are usually about three hundred riyals depending on the price of gold.

Gold ornaments are made for the hair, the most well known in the Qatari National Costume is a headdress, which looks like a circular golden cap with chains and trinkets attached to it. The chains can be so long that they touch the shoulders and look like golden hair cascading down the back. Martina Hingis was presented along with other gifts with such a headdress for wining the Qatar TotalfinaElf Women's Tennis tournament in 2000.
It is quiet common to find trinkets in crescent shapes that usually cover the forehead. These traditional headpieces are very often bought and given as gifts during Eid and worn during the celebrations. Children during Ramadan can also be found wearing them.

Finally the rings here are fantastic and amazing in their uniqueness of design. All sizes can be purchased from very small to so big that it fits the whole hand. Some Gulf ladies like to wear rings on every finger and each ring for each finger has a different name. There is a special type of ring called quadruples. These consist of four rings each attached to chain to which in turn is fixed to a bracelet. Like the rings, the bracelets vary in shape and size, from a spiral snake shape to basic engraved band. It is part of the exciting and mysterious Arabian culture and they are given to a bride to wear on her wedding and then after that worn to the wedding of friends and other family members over the years.

Reading this you may think that this love of gold is a bit excessive. You have to remember that historically when the Arabian Gulf was in its infancy many decades ago before the electric light bulb women did not have their own back accounts, neither did they have jobs. Also traveling from one oasis to another, gold was seen as a movable asset. Further more any gold given to the women under Muslim Law in either a nuptial settlement or as a gift becomes her own property and insurance in times of need.
Apart from gold, you will find silver, white gold, platinum, diamond etc at the gold souq
So if you are thinking about coming to the Qatar either for a holiday or to live and work, you can be assured that the lifestyle here is fantastic. You will never regret coming to this beautiful country with all its traditions and customs.