On these business trips to "exotic" locations, myriad thoughts keep crossing my mind at any given point in time. There are things that strike me as odd or unusual or different and i try to make a mental note of it but more often than not, they slip out of the mind when i actually sit down to describe a place i have just been to.
But as i circled over Doha in Qatar, my imaginary visualization of the cityscape was instantly shattered. Having been to and transited Dubai quite frequently, the opulence has somehow become a benchmark within the middle eastern region but Doha set the image straight in an instant. From no angle, except maybe looking at the high-rises in the Business district or some of the Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley showrooms aside, you cannot make out that this is the country with the world's highest GDP per capita and the residents are supposed to be pretty affluent.
Its all constructed in the same sandy color buildings and there is nothing beyond 6-7 KMs in any direction. Doha has been the hotseat for many a sporting activities including the Doha Open, The Asian Games of 2006 and more recently winning the bid to host the World Cup Soccer in 2022. But looking at the condition of the country at the moment, it poses a big question mark.
The Olympic stadium built for the Asian games now hosts other events but over the dusty skyline of the city and its remote location, it resembles an eerie building on some faraway distant planet shrouded in reddish brown sand. The architecture is marvelous and most probably the country would be able to construct a new stadium for soccer fans but then it really needs to overhaul itself completely from the perspective of town planning.
Doha reminded me of Cinderella, a beautiful girl whose beauty was under wraps for most part of her life, compared to her more glamorous cousins (read: Dubai). Doha appears just like Cinderella, plain, simple, contended and having the potential to outshine itself but then the world has already started equating the middle eastern opulence to that of Dubai and Doha would have to keep up.
The buildings, specially in the center of the town, are old and creaky. They reek of neglect. There is ample construction going on all around and these dwellings are being razed and most probably a glitzy structure would develop but i dont know in what time. Another dire need of the city is the development of the Public transport. You cannot expect tourists to be familiar with bus numbers and utilize them for commutation. Getting taxis was a big headache, they have won the bid for the cup but if these things are not rectified, they are in for some major grilling. i am not too sure but maybe for them its just a matter of throwing some more Oil money and getting it renovated in a jiffy. I hope they have something up their sleeves to improve it.
The airport is functional. They have just recently started to modernize and expand it. Considering the Qatar Airways premium image being flashed on the TV screens, i had imagined its base to be something out of this world!! but sadly as of now, i would say that probably Jaipur airport is also better in terms of designing and handling the flow of passengers. Doha became my first international airport where i had to board a bus to be taken to the aircraft and then use a stepladder to reach the aircraft. A definite first for me, but am sure things are about to change.
Also, while i was mentioning money being thrown around, from my seat in the aircraft i saw couple of 7-series Beamers stopping right by the aircraft and some local families getting down to board the looong 50 minute flight to Dubai in a first class cabin. Price discrimination at its best.
But in the end, even for Dubai, the opulence seems to be a facade. We all know how the emirate trembled after the recession of 2008. New buildings and construction and glitz is just fine....but its still a desert beyond the city limits.
All the best Doha! Hope to see you in your overhauled look sometime.
But as i circled over Doha in Qatar, my imaginary visualization of the cityscape was instantly shattered. Having been to and transited Dubai quite frequently, the opulence has somehow become a benchmark within the middle eastern region but Doha set the image straight in an instant. From no angle, except maybe looking at the high-rises in the Business district or some of the Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley showrooms aside, you cannot make out that this is the country with the world's highest GDP per capita and the residents are supposed to be pretty affluent.
Its all constructed in the same sandy color buildings and there is nothing beyond 6-7 KMs in any direction. Doha has been the hotseat for many a sporting activities including the Doha Open, The Asian Games of 2006 and more recently winning the bid to host the World Cup Soccer in 2022. But looking at the condition of the country at the moment, it poses a big question mark.
The Olympic stadium built for the Asian games now hosts other events but over the dusty skyline of the city and its remote location, it resembles an eerie building on some faraway distant planet shrouded in reddish brown sand. The architecture is marvelous and most probably the country would be able to construct a new stadium for soccer fans but then it really needs to overhaul itself completely from the perspective of town planning.
Doha reminded me of Cinderella, a beautiful girl whose beauty was under wraps for most part of her life, compared to her more glamorous cousins (read: Dubai). Doha appears just like Cinderella, plain, simple, contended and having the potential to outshine itself but then the world has already started equating the middle eastern opulence to that of Dubai and Doha would have to keep up.
The buildings, specially in the center of the town, are old and creaky. They reek of neglect. There is ample construction going on all around and these dwellings are being razed and most probably a glitzy structure would develop but i dont know in what time. Another dire need of the city is the development of the Public transport. You cannot expect tourists to be familiar with bus numbers and utilize them for commutation. Getting taxis was a big headache, they have won the bid for the cup but if these things are not rectified, they are in for some major grilling. i am not too sure but maybe for them its just a matter of throwing some more Oil money and getting it renovated in a jiffy. I hope they have something up their sleeves to improve it.
The airport is functional. They have just recently started to modernize and expand it. Considering the Qatar Airways premium image being flashed on the TV screens, i had imagined its base to be something out of this world!! but sadly as of now, i would say that probably Jaipur airport is also better in terms of designing and handling the flow of passengers. Doha became my first international airport where i had to board a bus to be taken to the aircraft and then use a stepladder to reach the aircraft. A definite first for me, but am sure things are about to change.
Also, while i was mentioning money being thrown around, from my seat in the aircraft i saw couple of 7-series Beamers stopping right by the aircraft and some local families getting down to board the looong 50 minute flight to Dubai in a first class cabin. Price discrimination at its best.
But in the end, even for Dubai, the opulence seems to be a facade. We all know how the emirate trembled after the recession of 2008. New buildings and construction and glitz is just fine....but its still a desert beyond the city limits.
All the best Doha! Hope to see you in your overhauled look sometime.
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