This essay examines the differences in social life and culture between the sovereign Arab state of Qatar and the United Kingdom. Geographically, Qatar occupies a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf with a land border with Saudi Arabia. The United Kingdom (UK) is a sovereign state, composed mainly of two islands and numerous smaller islands. The United Kingdom is surrounded by the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland, located on the smaller of the two main islands, shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland. Fromherz A. (2011) describes Doha as the capital of Qatar going from the status of an "overgrown fishing village" to a state of poverty. becoming the capital of one of the most economically successful countries in the world. The United Kingdom, whose influence has waned since the reign of Queen Victoria, when it ruled over 25% of the world's population, is still a powerful economic player on the world stage, being a member of the European Union, the British Commonwealth and NATO . Clapson, M. (2009) states that by the end of Victoria's reign, Britain had become the world's leading industrial nation. Qatar is a small oil-rich state with immense natural gas reserves. The state religion is Islam and the majority of Qatar's residents are Sunni Muslims. The actual population of the country is approximately 600,000, of which approximately 150,000 are citizens. The remaining 450,000 non-citizens are mostly foreign workers and their families from other Arab countries and South Asia. State rights and benefits afforded to Qatari citizens, such as free healthcare and education, are not extended to these non-citizens. Chaddock D. (2006) reports that the International Arab and Islamic Committee… middle of paper…. .. the emir with only limited power devolved to an elected legislative advisory council. There are certainly similarities between the social life and cultures of both Qatar and the UK. However the UK has a much more diverse history to look back on and learn from. The country is transforming into a multiracial and multicultural society with substantial freedom of expression, despite the occasional hiccup. Orr T. (2008) describes Qatar as a country that has 6000 years of history to look back on and which was once rich thanks to the pearling industry and which then developed new social and cultural freedoms thanks to the wealth generated by gas and from oil under careful control. of the emir. However, Freedom in the World magazine (2011) states that the country is still enforcing restrictions and bias against non-citizens who would not be accepted into the UK.