Doha
- Waqar Katib
- Jun 13, 2019
- 4 min read
Fresh out of my bachelors, I had the opportunity to work in Doha, the capital of tiny country of Qatar. Infamous for its alleged misappropriations in hosting the World Cup and an ongoing political feud with its neighbours, one would imagine this oil rich country with the world's highest per capita income to be all camels and caravans (I did picture myself with some camels on a work trip though).
On the contrary, I would describe Qatar to be a modern country with state-of-the-art facilities, tall towering skyline and endless luxury on display.
From Bidda tower, Burj Doha, World Trade centre and others, you will find yourself lost in a maze of rather impressive skyscrapers along the Doha bayside.
It is also an absolute pleasure working in Doha as these buildings often house the various ministries, banks, headquarters and business centres; thereby enabling for meetings with a pleasant view. The Qatar Investment Authority (one of the biggest and prolific sovereign wealth funds), Qatar Petroleum (world's largest LNG producer) and Qatar Airways are some of the companies that find their offices along the bay.
Since public transport is almost non-existent in Qatar yet, the vast majority of the country is to be covered in a car (camels are for the deserts when the Landcruisers are in trouble).
Once you see the splendour of the Hamad International Airport and the doha bayside and head towards the centre, you are bound to be mind blown by the beautiful Imam Muhammad bin Abdulwahhab Mosque (جامع الإمام مُحمَّد بن عبد الوهاب), the largest mosque in the country.
It is truly a splendid affair, a large white-marbled mosque atop a raised-platform enable a good view for anyone driving past by. It boasts a huge built area, a massive lawn and an enormous parking lot.
The mosque itself is an example of the ultra-luxury that Qataris indulge in and share with its visitors. It is also known that the famed Qatar Shura Council (religious authority in the country) also sits in this mosque for some of their meetings. I had the pleasure of attending the prayers here on Fridays and in Ramadan, and it was truly a wonderful experience.
Next, I give you small peak into the man-made island of Pearl Qatar. It was constructed on an area of 4 sq. km at a cost of $15 billion next to the bay.
The island has ultra modern apartments, luxury hotels, mega-malls, docks, restaurants, schools, hospitals and other attractions. They have residential neighbourhoods with architecture adapted from different parts of the world and styled to reflect them in Qatari splendour.
The streets are lined with fancy supercars and SUVs and the malls boasts the biggest in fashion couture. One of the malls, Villagio Mall boasts Venice-styled Gondola rides inside the malls.
An evening spent walking around the malls, one would love to head to the dock to watch the sunset. The dock has a series of high-rises whose lower floors are lined with restaurants, cafes, fashion boutiques among other things.
It is also very common to spot several luxury yachts lining up the harbour. On a lucky day, clients welcome us on their yachts for business discussions.
The country is quite crazy about football, and it is evident with the numerous stadiums right across the city. The stadium pictured below is home to Al Sadd FC, where one of the world's best central midfielders, Xavi Hernandez plays and now coaches. I had the opportunity to meet the legend himself, and I immediately felt like an ecstatic 5-year old meeting an idol.
A part of my work also took me to some conferences that addressed the planning, execution and human rights surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Pictured in the conference are Federico Addiechi (Head of Sustainability of FIFA), H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani (Managing Director of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy) and Dante Pesce (Chair, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights).
Katara Cultural Village is another interesting place to visit in qatar. A series of museums and exhibitions tucked in between theatres and restaurants, the Katara is famous for hosting cultural events around the year apart from the year round display of Qatari history over the ages. Its amphitheatre hosts several drama, music, stand-up comedy and dance performances and provide a wonderful view to the Arabian gulf.
The entire cultural village is lit well into the night and has a beach where one can relax at. I couldn't get a good snap of the Katara Masjid, but it was one of the most beautiful mosques I had visited and you can google it here.
Talking about culture, the Fanar Cultural Centre is home to social, religious and educational activities. The center's most distinguished feature is its mosque which has a unique spiral minaret. It houses a magnificent mosque and multi level theatre-styled hall.
Right across the road is the ancient Souq Waqif, famous for its spice and clothes markets. It is also popular for its sheesha cafes house inside building in the traditional Qatari architectural style.
The best time to catch a sheesha would be early evening or post-midnight. The shops selling souvenirs are also open late into the night and you can find traditional mats, rugs, flasks, coasters and sheeshas (might be pricey though).
There are several other monuments, attractions and activities in Qatar but I chose to show the best moments from my year there.That apart, the working conditions are overdue for a major regulational overhaul, the sizeable expatriate population could use for public transport and the real estate could be a bit more affordable.
On the plus side, qatar has a lot to offer as a workplace, a tourist attraction or simply a stop over in the form of an excellent airport, affordable food prices, super-fast wifi speeds, endless attractions and activities; and definitely a peek into luxury.
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