Working for a royal family: The Al Thani family of Qatar
(Piece written for The Guardian)
When Majid El Marzouki was 24 years old, he saw the opportunity of a lifetime and he took it. Majid found a job as general supervisor, but not just for anyone. He works for a family who is probably London’s biggest landlords. It is not the Windsor’s but the Al Thani’s, the Royal family of Qatar.
Behind the walls of the palace or one of the dozen houses owned by the family here is what it’s really like to work for one of the most powerful family in the world. Majid and Jean-Baptiste Picard a summer worker of the family have accepted to share their experience.
Since 2017 Qatar has been experiencing a Blockade from countries such as Saudi Arabia or the UAE due to its relationship with Iran, but Qatar doesn’t seem to be bothered by those accusations and claims in an article written by the independent, “we have too much money to worry about what Saudi Arabia does to us.” Qatar is about 195 times smaller than Saudi Arabia but due to its stocks of gas and petrol it made the country incredibly rich. They showed their power by purchasing The Shard, and Harrod’s in London, or the Paris Saint Germain football club in France. Here is what it is like to live and work in a country at the center of global political and financial issues.
Majid is originally from Morocco and found his job as general supervisor through a friend already working for the family 6 years ago. It wasn’t surprising to learn that the main difference between working in Qatar and working in Morocco is the difference in salary. “The salaries are much higher in Qatar” says Majid, but it also compensates for the fact that the cost of life is also higher compared to Morocco. He also describes Qatar as “very safe and modern”, but it still remains a conservative Muslim country. Even if both Qatar and Morocco and Muslim countries he says he finds “Morocco to be more open minded due to its proximity to Europe.”
Both Majid and Jean-Baptiste have described their experience as a “great and unique”. Even with different job levels the rules remain the same for everyone, they are not allowed to talk about things that happen inside the house or the palace, they are not allowed to take pictures and they must deliver a VIP service at all times. The rules are very straight forward and easy to follow but if you don’t it can easily cost you your job. Jean-Baptiste says, “There is no room for second chances, if your boss is not happy with your work then it’s over for you.” If both Majid and Jean-Baptiste described said that their daily tasks were quite repetitive you need to be able to adapt and willing to help a colleague in need even if it is not part of the job description. Jean-Baptiste remembers a time where he was asked to go pick up some cilantro in the garden. “It should’ve been an easy task but try finding such a small plant in a garden that is bigger than anything I’d ever seen before.” After running around the garden for about 15 minutes he finally found where the cilantro was planted and had to rush back to the kitchen. He expected the chefs to be annoyed at the time it took him to come back but he said they simply thanked him and didn’t say anything else about it. For Majid the pressure is slightly different, since he is the one coordinating everything when it comes to food or housekeeping any mistake, even a small one, is on him. He says he works well under pressure and has developed very strong organizational skills.
Majid is not the only men who left his home country to find a job in Qatar. Since 2016 and especially since Qatar knew they would be hosting the 2022 world cup many immigrants came in Qatar in hope to find a job and help build the infrastructures needed for the event the BBC explains. Qatar, unlike other countries, like the UAE who’s on the verge of bankruptcy, is financially independent and doesn’t need the support of Saudi Arabia. Adding on to this the fact that they support Iran is not seen well by other countries of the middle east. There is no evidence that the Saudi and Qatari conflict could impact the safety of people in Qatar and if anything, they are working on a way to solve this problem.
Working for the royal family of Qatar is a unique experience, it is a stressful job, but it also offers work opportunities for people not just in Qatar but also around the world. The country is opening up a little bit more each year while keeping the importance of their culture. Doha might soon become a very touristy destination, with its pleasant winter weather and modern infrastructure.
