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DOHA, QATAR

JANUARY 2008


Unique skyscrapers are a common sight in Doha.

QATAR: is an oil-rich, friendly nation on the Arabian Peninsula bordered on the south by Saudi Arabia. I was able to spend a full day here thanks to the generous layover policy of Qatar Airways. They threw in a night at a high-end hotel in the city center, and included all meals and transfers. Although the visit was short, it was certainly enough time to get a general overview of its capital city, Doha.

As I arrived in the city center, I realized I had never seen any place quite like this, and I didn't have anything to compare it to. I guessed it might be a smaller version of Dubai.

Here is Doha boiled down to the most basic observations:

  • The entire country is a desert, but Doha is situated on the beautiful Persian Gulf.

  • In the newer part of Doha are dozens of brand new, shiny skyscrapers, all with their own unique sense of style, half of which were still under construction.

  • All of these skyscrapers are separated by short distances, yet they have nothing between them except the roads connecting them. The impression it left was that Qatar appears to be showing off its wealth, but put little thought into aesthetic design. Shiny skyscrapers alone do not automatically make a city a tourist destination.

  • There was a healthy amount of traffic but few pedestrians. Those on foot weren't walking the streets, but could only be found on the seaside walkway adjacent to the main road that hugs the waterfront (Corniche). Too bad for them, because the weather was absolutely perfect.

  • I used to play a computer game called SimCity. When I walked around Doha, I truly felt like a Sim walking around somebody's digital creation. The constant sight of cranes enhanced this experience.

  • In January 2007, Wikipedia temporarily banned anonymous posts to its site from people in Qatar after repeated reports of net vandalism. The 12-hour ban hit large numbers of people in the country, because all web traffic in Qatar is routed through a single net address. Wikipedia said pages about the United States, sex, and the birthday of the prophet Muhammad were vandalized. -- BBC

  • Did you know Al Jazeera's headquarters are in Doha, Qatar?

    A walk along...

    The photos below are from Doha's City Center Mall


    Signs and stuff around Doha




















    Light blue taxis wait for passengers at Doha International Airport.