We arrived in Doha quite late in the evening. We'd heard that Qatar had plenty of oil money but our first impressions had us wondering where it was being spent. Certainly not at the airport which seemed devoid of jetways and straining with the longest lines at the immigration counters that we have encountered anywhere. But things got a lot better after that (and we found that Qatar is building a new airport anyway).
Unlike Dubai and even Abu Dhabi, Doha is quite a compact city. Yet it is growing at an astonishing pace. We took an evening walk along the corniche (entirely man-made from reclaimed land) and marvelled at a skyline of high rise buildings which showed the latest and most exotic architectural designs. Just ten years ago, there was no skyline. True, many of these buildings are still under construction - but, with the construction sites all operating in 3 shifts 24/7, and a ruler with a policy of doing whatever it takes to enhance Doha's standing, there is no doubt that this is a city on the move.
The next day we explored one of the most dramatic of all the new buildings, the Museum of Islamic Art. This is not on the skyline but isolated on its own promontory further down the corniche. Almost like a fort on the exterior, it makes fantastic use of space and light inside, and offers great views of the city. Like so many of the buildings, its design is the work of one of a number of the world's most prestigious big-name architects (this one by IM Pei). And then there are the contents - exhibits of Islamic calligraphy, textiles, carpets, ceramics, jewellery and other artistic pieces. All of them in exceptional condition and beautifully displayed. No expense has been spared in assembling the collection. But the Museum is so big that there is still plenty of room for more.
After the Museum, we walked around the souq area. Not at its best in the searing daytime heat, but another example of how progress is achieved here. As the story goes, the emir visited the souq a few years ago and didn't like the random way in which it had developed, apparently not true to its heritage. So he paid for the entire souq to be torn down and rebuilt in traditional style. In fact, demolition is part of the emir's development blueprint. The entire embassy district, only recently built, is being demolished and re-established elsewhere because it is too close to the expanding city center. A high rise hotel, less than 5 years old, is being demolished because it is too close to the emir's palace. The list goes on. Conclusion - nothing here is more than a few years old. The souqs really bustle in the cooler evening temperatures. Surprisingly to us, it seemed to be mostly locals who were hanging out in the many trendy restaurants (but no bars - this is Islamic, after all) or buying fabrics for their "designer" dishdashes and burkahs.
On our final day, we joined a tour in order to see what lay on the outskirts of the city. A big new hotel and residential development in the West Bay area comprising a man-made lagoon and islands, a leisure area with facilities which emulated historic monuments such as the Coliseum, a massive sports complex dedicated to fostering new local sporting talent in football and gymnastics, as well as various remnants of Doha's role as the host city of the 2006 Asian Games. A bonus for us was a visit to a huge equestrian center where all types of horses (not just Arabian) are trained for racing and endurance. Horses are popular in Qatar, and especially with the royal family. They certainly enjoy luxurious conditions at the equestrian center - plunge pool, air-conditioned stables and better showers than Mercedes and I have experienced in some places we've traveled.
We'll spend our last evening in Doha and the Gulf region tonight. Then tomorrow we farewell them both as we move on to Central Asia - we won't miss the oppressive heat but we'll leave with tremendous memories, ranging from the antiquity of Egypt's pyramids and Jordan's Petra to the vibrant and feverishly paced new development of UAE's Dubai and, now, Qatar's Doha.
Next stop Kyrgyzstan.
Simon
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