One the things I enjoy about living in a warm country is not having to wear shoes and socks. At weekends I wear sandals. For much of the year Qatari men also wear sandals.

The traditional thobe, as worn by Qatari and Gulf men reaches down to just above the ground.  Sometimes, particularly in the colder weather, a pair of black shoes and socks can be seen protruding from beneath the white. This is not a good look. But mostly the men wear sandals beneath their thobes.

Most shoe shops sell a fairly universal wide range of shoes, but there are also shops which specialise only in sandals.

The popular style is completely open toed and slightly wedge shaped. White shiny leather is favoured and blingy gold buckles are also essential. By comparison, my sandals are much more practical and understated.

A lifetime of wearing sandals must be good for the feet of Qatari men, unlike many younger women in Qatar who squeeze their feet into precipitous designer heels and will probably all have foot problems in later life.