Seeing a mini Manhattan was the first thing that I was shocked when I returned to Doha, without the history or the effervescence of the other, of course, but this one doesn’t seem to want to fall asleep either: with surreal brushstrokes, brand new constructions, very photographic and, curiously, quite pristine, as if the desert itself fueled the impetus of its development. A curious version of a city invented at meteoric speed like so many others, but in this one the architects shine, the professors of renowned universities such as Georgetown, Weill Cornell, HEC Paris, Texas A&M and the crème de la crème of various specialists contribute their knowledge by dint of petrodollars.
It looks so overgrown and different compared to the timid three or four towers that loomed in the desert when I visited it for the first time in 2004. At that time it was evident that the dunes danced to the beat of the wind, that the sand was determined to cover the few streets and asphalt lines towards a nothing with the desire to grow. It was easy to guess that there was no fresh water around. Now it is common knowledge that its consumption is one of the highest in the world: 500 liters per capita per day according to the Qatar Tribune newspaper.
At that time, almost 20 years ago, on a business trip, I felt fascinated to be able to exchange a word with a Qatari. Curious exchange of words, a formality of “good morning” and little else, which left an incomprehensible feeling of emptiness engraved in my memory and spirit, without any connection despite the fact that my Qatari interlocutor had studied at a university in London for several years. years. Without a doubt, it was a hardly identifiable crossing of a cultural barrier. Was it male-female tension? Local-foreign? My lack of hijab? Customs not shared? I knew how to greet as expected, with a right handshake and a “salam alaykum”, literally “peace be with you”, which non-Muslims usually use. He knew about never showing the sole of the shoe and that kisses are also informal, only between known friends (usually three on the cheek) and that relatives or loved ones brush the tip of their noses twice.
You also have to be careful never to go straight to the point in any talk (much less a business meeting), be patient in trivial conversation, and that the use of hands and gestures can become a matter of maximum seriousness, fines or prison: thumbs up so OK in America, equals using the middle finger, utter rudeness, as much as crossing your legs. Raising the eyebrows is a sign that something is wrong, raising the chin can be a resounding “no”… The unwritten manual is very extensive regarding body language.
The cultural and the legal form a complex tangle, a patriarchy, although women can drive, work outside the home, vote, study and travel abroad. Divorce is legal, in crescendo among the young. The crime rate is practically non-existent but -I attest- the looks are intimidating. Men can “wear you” like inadvertently on the street. The anecdote does not make me proud, but it is true and it even gave me some peace of mind poking a stranger with a pin who, with the street empty and at his beck and call, pretended to bump into me in his eagerness to show his power.
Arabic is taught in schools, English is commonly used in the capital, although the Qataris prefer the dialect, they are very conservative in various aspects: carpets, tents and camels everywhere, the image of the Emir even on the labels next to the name from the restaurant waiter. The image of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is very important and ubiquitous. Also admirable from his place, opening up to the challenge of putting himself before the eyes of the world with this football festival and its horde of visitors.
LUXURY. The other thing that is really surprising is to see the city in photos… so bright and clean: live they have a layer of sand dust despite the effort to keep them impeccable. The cars (what a display of luxury on wheels!) never have a speck of dust. They are always ready to break out on Instagram.
It is curious that the most authentic is far from what is officially promoted: walking through La Perla, also known as the “Arabian Riviera”, an artificial island with boutiques and restaurants; have tea at the Four Seasons, or drinks at the Ritz Carlton. Going shopping, even if it’s just not to see, it’s also interesting to go into a place to see the variety of abayas that Qatari women prefer as a sign of dignity and modesty, even if they pay more than 10,000 dollars for one of those black tunics and despite the fact that underneath they display the maximum in luxury accessories and top-of-the-line brands, as is discovered indoors and in women’s circles. They, the Qatari men, are not far behind when it comes to treating themselves: in the middle of the pandemic they made very long lines at the door of Cartier (Doha branch) to buy a limited edition of Santos Dumont, a pen that was only launched in the Gulf countries.
Unlike Disney, where ten years is almost nothing, in these latitudes that period translates into a whole: what was sand before is no longer. I remember that on my first trip I was impressed by the number of places with “Family friendly” signs that restricted the entry of single men… Will they still be there? With or without posters, with more or less alcohol restrictions, you have to see what will happen to the people, the star ingredient for the party atmosphere that surrounds the World Cups. And it is that no matter how organized Qatar may be, it will undoubtedly lack the touch of color of the popular tourist. Doha has no cheap hotel infrastructure, nor reasonable Airbnb apartments. What will become of the street atmosphere, without the tourist middle class, without their songs and their improvised merriment, without the shirt furiously tossed in front of a camera and that infects those who watch the World Cup on television from home, something that is not Can you buy it with all the money in the world?
Bordering the water and passing by the skyscrapers, the six-kilometre extension of the Corniche was until a few years ago the pure color of sand: now there is green, with grass!, and it is planned as the epicenter of parades and street performances, food stalls, water, light and sound show. Private neighborhoods on artificial islands, movie marinas, floating hotels, much has changed… The impressive metro network was put into operation immediately after it became known that Qatar would host the World Cup, and the consequent flood of a million tourists.
PLEASURES. It is worth stopping by to see the design of the National Library and dedicating a few hours to the Islamic Museum of Art (MIA), which is reopening these days after a year of closure with internal repairs and restructuring of the rooms. Impressive building, curatorship and exhibition of objects from different continents and historical periods.
Among the must-see classic programs, especially due to the offer of nearby restaurants, is going to haggle for gold, spices and textiles in Souq Waqif. Although the souk dates from the 19th century, it was renovated in 2006 maintaining the original spirit for locals and tourists (they say that you have to offer half of what they ask for and leave if they don’t accept the price: they will surely call you to make a counter offer). Among its alleys, the Fanar mosque looks its best at sunset, with its illuminated spiral-shaped minaret it has become an emblem of the capital. Beyond, the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital, with the sale and intensive care of these birds, protagonists of the national sport.
In Al Shahaniya camel racing (dromedaries actually –a hump–, originally from Arabia) is another tradition and sport of sheikhs, which were professionalized in 1972, with tournaments on Fridays from October to February, and practices on Saturdays. It’s a bizarre schedule, about 50 minutes from Doha. The locals follow the races driving their SUVs around the track, haranguing their animals at 40 kilometers per hour, from the car window. Most of them with robot jockeys, little gadgets 20 or 30 centimeters on their backs, which whip regularly. In a mini-tourism plan, with a private driver or excursion, they offer a trip through the desert passing through the camel sales market and following the road to the Al Zubarah fort (Unesco heritage) that was built in 1938 and used as a detachment military until 1986, next to the ruins of what was an important center for pearl divers between 1766 and 1850.
Created naturally in oysters, pearls were most sought after in the Persian Gulf. Jacques Cartier also went there, in search of the perfect pearl at the height of his success, as personal jeweler to Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Ford, the King of Siam and King Edward VII of Great Britain.
We will have to wait and see what happens, because, as the Arabic saying goes, “good things must be written on the stone of the heart, where they will never be erased, while bad things must be written in sand, where the winds of oblivion and forgiveness will take care of erasing”. Be that as it may, Doha has already made history as one of the fastest developments ever seen.
by Carolina Robbiano (from Doha)
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