Residents across Qatar received an unexpected emergency alert today, but there is no cause for concern. The notification was a planned nationwide test conducted under Watan Exercise 2025, according to the National Command Center (NCC).

The NCC confirmed that the alert was only a drill, and no action was required from the public.

What Was Today’s Emergency Alert?

Qatar’s National Command Center (NCC) issued a test emergency notification to all mobile phones in the country as part of annual preparedness activities.
The message clearly stated:

• It is specifically for “Watan Exercise 2025”
• It is a test, not a real emergency
• No public action is needed

This test ensures that the emergency communication system is ready in case of any real national emergency.

What Is Watan Exercise?

Watan Exercise is Qatar’s largest nationwide safety and security drill, conducted annually by key government bodies.
Its main purpose is to enhance readiness for potential crises by testing:

• Emergency alert broadcast systems
• National disaster response
• Communication and coordination between authorities

The drill involves several major entities, including:

• Ministry of Interior
• National Command Center (NCC)
• Civil Defense
• Police and security forces
• Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
• Health, transportation, and municipal authorities

This multi-agency exercise ensures Qatar maintains a high level of preparedness and public safety.

Why Did the Alert Appear on Your Phone?

The emergency alert system in Qatar is designed to send automatic notifications to all mobile devices within the country.

This means:

• You receive it even if your phone is on silent mode
• It appears instantly across all networks
• No app or subscription is required

These alerts help ensure that critical information can reach residents quickly during real emergencies.

Is There Any Danger?

No, this was only a test.
The government confirmed that there is no real threat, and the alert was part of a scheduled national drill.

Such tests help ensure that Qatar remains fully prepared and that residents can be reached swiftly if any urgent situation ever occurs.

Why These Drills Matter

Watan Exercise enhances Qatar’s ability to respond efficiently to:

• Natural disasters
• Security incidents
• Medical emergencies
• Community-level risks

By testing systems and improving coordination each year, the authorities ensure that residents are protected with the highest safety standards.

If you received today’s emergency alert from the NCC, rest assured it was only a test under Watan Exercise 2025.
These drills are essential to maintaining Qatar’s readiness and keeping the community safe.

Stay informed, stay prepared, and remember, no action was required today.

talabat, the leading on-demand delivery platform in the MENA region, reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability during Qatar Sustainability Week 2025 by engaging employees and customers through a series of impactful, eco-friendly initiatives. The activities aimed to inspire long-term environmental responsibility and reinforce talabat’s role in driving positive change across the community.

Throughout the week, talabat employees participated in initiatives designed to promote sustainable habits and reduce daily environmental impact – from adopting simple, mindful actions to contributing to community-led projects.

One of the key highlights was Tree Planting Day, where talabat employees came together to plant fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and to water and maintain the garden beds. Alongside other activities such as No Printing Day and Encouraging Refillable Bottles, this hands-on initiative reflects talabat’s belief that collective action drives meaningful environmental impact.

To further extend its social and environmental footprint, talabat also organized a donation drive, placing boxes across its offices to collect gently used clothes, toys, and bags. The donated items were distributed to local communities in need, reinforcing the company’s values of reuse, sharing, and community care.

Beyond workplace initiatives, talabat continues to extend sustainability efforts through its platform. The cutlery opt-out feature on the talabat app empowers customers to make environmentally conscious choices by opting out of disposable cutlery, significantly reducing plastic waste across thousands of orders and promoting more sustainable dining behaviors.

Francisco Miguel de Sousa, Managing Director of talabat Qatar, stated: 

“Qatar Sustainability Week is a valuable opportunity to encourage small but impactful actions, not just within our teams, but across communities we serve.  We are proud to see our teams and customers come together to make a real difference for the environment.”

talabat continues to align its initiatives with Qatar National Vision 2030, promoting sustainability, environmental stewardship, and innovation as part of its long-term strategy to create positive impact in the communities it serves. 

Customers can download the talabat app via the IOS App Store, Google Play Store, or Huawei App Gallery.