Postcards from the Past: Qatar

February 12, 2023

Heart of the Middle East

When and Where: 01/2020 – Doha

55^th Country Visited; 5th Asian Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

· Qatar has the highest per capita GDP of any country.

· Qatar Airlines flies from Doha non-stop flight to Philadelphia; the longest flight daily to/from Philadelphia.

· Qatar is the first Middle Eastern or Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup.

· Over 78% of Qatar’s population are immigrants.

On Christmas Eve in 2019, I booked a Middle Eastern cruise for Aaron and myself. After booking the trip, I immediately had this overwhelming feeling I had made a mistake. Fast forward to January, Aaron and I took a non-stop flight from Newark to Dubai and headed right for the ship. Qatar was the one country on the cruise itinerary I most wanted to visit. Given they have the longest non-stop daily flight from Philadelphia and given their hosting of the World Cup in 2022, I wanted to learn about this mysterious country. During this week, I first learned of COVID. I was nervous flying home without masks through Dubai, one of the busiest airports in Asia.

Upon arrival in the port, we were greeted by a Qatari band playing traditional music. We were whisked away by our tour guide to the center of town to the Souk Waqif, the downtown central business market. Before we were set free to go shopping, we went to a Falcon Hospital. Falconry is a popular sport in the Middle East and wealthy families (aka most Qatari families) own falcons. At the hospital, we saw a few dozen injured falcons undergoing different stages of rehab. In the hospital, and when not flying, falcons wear blinders as their eyes are light sensitive and they are quick to react to sudden movement. After the hospital, we walked about the souk in and out of souvenir shops. The street is lined with outdoor cafes and hookah shops. Men walk arm in arm together strolling down the street, which is socially appropriate. A man walking arm in arm with a woman is frowned upon, and if the couple is unmarried, it’s a crime. Traditionally, women walk behind their husbands as is customary in the Middle East and men determine how their wives and/or daughter(s) dress. Alcohol isn’t illegal in Qatar, but public consumption of alcohol is.

After our visit to the souk, we went to the Qatari Museum of Islamic Art. The views of the city from the museum were stunning. The circular swirled Al Fanar Mosque is one of the most fascinating architectural buildings I’ve ever seen. The city of Doha has one of the most amazing skylines of any city I’ve ever seen. At night, the skyline lights up brilliantly, more so than any other city I have visited. After some pictures of the dhow boats afloat in the colorful harbor, we went into the museum to look at the vibrant Islamic art. Aaron and I toured the museum which had unique sculptures, oil paintings and fancy pottery. We spent a few hours touring and shopping. As we left Doha for the ship, the weather changed and it began raining. The temperature dipped into the 50’s which is unusual for Qatar.

At night, before we departed Doha, I went to the back of the cruise ship to take photos of the colorful skyline. Of all the cities I’ve seen lit at night, Doha is my favorite. My pictures didn’t do the city justice as it was raining. Nonetheless, I was fascinated by the city and country.

The downside of Qatar is their abysmal record on human rights which came to light during the construction of the football stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Basically, the Qatari government made promises of good paying jobs to immigrants mainly from east Asia. Upon arrival in Doha, passports were confiscated and the immigrants were forced to work long days in the extreme heat. It is estimated that 6,500 immigrants died during this time and the families of the deceased weren’t given any compensation. While I think Doha is an amazing city, I am not sure I can support a government that is so horrible to immigrants.