Only one in five inhabitants is native-born. Most are guest workers from the Indian subcontinent, Iran and the northern African countries.
Western expatriates enjoy a high standard of living and take no part in politics.
Qataris are followers of the Wahhabi interpretation of Sunni Islam and espouse conservative religious views. However, women are not obliged to take the veil and can hold a driving license. Expatriate Christians are allowed freedom to worship but not to promote Christianity. Since the advent of oil wealth, the Qataris, who were formerly nomadic Bedouins, have become a nation of city-dwellers. As a result, northern Qatar is dotted with depopulated and abandoned villages.