Because of the need by Qatar's Centre for Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) to include precise geographic names and locations in its national GIS database, CGIS embarked on a comprehensive research program to determine exact placenames by tracing their origins through on-site visits, meetings with municipal officials, interviewing aging Bedouin herdsmen, and attending communal majlis.  Due to foreign mis-pronunciation and phonetic misspelling, original placename errors became fact when recorded on early maps.

Findings by the research teams have been nothing short of amazing.  For example, the country's major port city, Umm Said was originally known as "Mesaieed."  Mesaieed is a derivative form of the word "massad," which refers to a soil type where the shrub known as "seid" grows.  Seid once commonly grew in the area around Mesaieed.  Over the years, the original name was unintentionally transformed into Umm Said, which means "Mother of Happy."  An interesting folklore story grew around this.

Long ago, a slave and his master lived in what is now known as Mesaieed. Because the slave was habitually good-natured, saieed, which in Arabic means "happy" came to mind whenever the master saw him. Due to his circumstances, however, the master decided that a diminutive form of the word would be more appropriate for the slave and so named him, Mesaieed.

Due to the CGIS research, this error has been rectified and Mesaieed is again the official name of the port.  Data collected for the Geographic Names Project is included in the national GIS database, which will help the country correct existing maps and other geographically referenced materials.

Courtesy of the CGIS Web site http://www.gisqatar.org.qa/