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 is a peninsula in the east of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, in a strategic location near major petroleum deposits. Qatar occupies 11,437 km2 (4,416 sq mi) on a peninsula that extends approximately 160 km (99 mi) north into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula.
Since 2004, Qatar has been divided into seven municipalities (Arabic: baladiyah).