Coffee is extremely important in Qatari culture. Arabian coffee is of a very high quality and made from a lightly roasted bean spiced with cardamom and either sweetened or served with dates. It is drunk in small, thimble-like cups in homes and offices.
The tentative beginnings of education in Qatar were in the first half of the twentieth century when boys and girls were taught in the traditional ‘katateeb’ schools. They were taught many subjects but without a formal system.
Qatar's currency (QAR or QR) is the riyal. The riyal is found in denominations of 1, 10, 50, 100 and 500 notes.