Qatari families are facing various challenges in view of social and other changes taking place in the country, local Arabic daily Al Sharq has reported.

Recently, Gulf Times carried an article on the findings of the 11th annual Arab Network for NGOs report, highlighting the main risks facing the Arab family entity. These included spinsterhood, early marriage of girls, widespread violence, drug abuse, dropouts from school, street children and child labour,
 according to the study.

In this connection, Dr Wissam Othman of Qatar University - while presenting a report specific to Qatar - observed that the skewed male-female ratio in the country caused by the influx of a large number of male expatriate workers was a major cause for concern among Qatari families, according to the Al Sharq report.

The other key challenges pertained to the “negative” cultural influences of expatriate house workers, proliferation of foreign schools and use of social networking sites, among other factors, and how these raised concerns over the cultural identity of Qatari families and had an impact on lifestyle and behaviour, it was noted.

The findings of the study were recently released at the conclusion of an international seminar hosted by Doha International Family Institute, a member of Qatar Foundation.