Letter from Bhutan

by August Cosentino

Letter from Qatar

by August Cosentino

If you think about Qatar at all these days, you may tend to focus on the World Cup, which the country hosted in late 2022. But as we learned during our recent two-day stopover, Qatar was around long before Neymar and Mesi were on the pitch.

The country emerged as a political entity in 1868, after Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani signed a protection treaty with the British Political Resident in the Gulf. Over the next 80 years, it frequently changed hands between the Ottoman Turks and the British. Qatar initially benefited from a flourishing pearl industry, which was destroyed by mass production of the cultured pearl after 1921 and by the arrival of the Great Depression. Understandable: who buys pearls during a depression?

The first exports from Qatar's oil industry began in 1949. The nation’s wealth grew quickly and its character changed dramatically with the introduction of cars, electricity, and the use of cement, all within a short time. But the country was ripe for political change. In 1971, Qatar declared its independence from Britain.

All this background may help you understand what a miracle in the desert Qatar has become in short order. Doha, the capital city, is a model of urban efficiency. A metro system connects all the various parts of this geographically dispersed city in minutes. Rather not take the train? Call Uber. The drivers are prompt, courteous, and inexpensive.

Now for the all-important question: what’s the food like there? Qatari cuisine is similar to most other Middle Eastern cuisines. But you’ll also find everything from Thai and Indian to Italian and French in Doha. If the variety of restaurants doesn’t surprise you, the price of dinner will. The bill is so low, you’ll think the server made a mistake. Conversely, there are high prices for booze which you can find only in top-brand hotels like the Mandarin Oriental.

Besides great food and modern transportation. Qatar also has soul. Architects from I.M. Pei to Zada Hadid have left their design imprint on Qatar’s global banks, gleaming office buildings, and the soccer stadiums they designed for the World Cup. Museums too: Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art in Doha sets the standard for what a museum should look like and how it should be curated. For look at traditional culture in modern-day Qatar, visit the Souq Waqif, an ancient Middle Eastern marketplace you can wander for hours. Don’t miss the Bird Market; try not to think about what would happened if they somehow escaped from their cages.

Here’s some intel regarding the people you’re going to see in Qatar. Yes, they come from all over the Middle East. Yes, many women are veiled and covered from head to toe in black. Yes, many businessmen wear the ghutra (headdress) and thube (long white robe). But frankly, as an American, you’re more likely to be the object of curiosity in your Lacoste golf shirt, Bermuda shorts, or ripped-in-the-knee jeans.

So is Qatar worth more than a brief stopover en route to points east? Sure. Two or three days there will demonstrate how a country can be modern, efficient and chill. On that last subject, residents from chilly weather climates will be quick to point out that Doha’s 80-degree dry heat is nothing to skip over. So don’t.