In June, it will be my 9th anniversary living in the GCC (which stands for the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates), aka the “Persian Gulf” (or “Arabian Gulf”, depending on who you’re talking to). In February, I passed my 2nd anniversary living in Doha (before that I lived in Bahrain, a country that is very dear to my heart and about which I will write in another post, for nearly seven years). Despite the scary and ever-increasing traffic, the scorching hot, impossible-to-go-out summers and being far, far – nearly 7,000 miles/11,000 kilometers away from home (home being the Upper West Side of Manhattan), I love living in Doha for one thousand and one reasons. But I will only be listing 10 of those reasons here.
Reason No. 1: The Weather.
This says it all.
When I wrote the first draft of this blog post, I was lounging on a chaise lounge on the beach of the Four Seasons Doha in my bikini sipping cappuccino…in March. Although it was a bit blustery, sand-stormy even, on Friday (and these past few days – that is Sunday and Monday – there was a sudden thunder shower that briefly drenched Doha on Sunday night), I managed to comfortably sit, swim in the sea and hang out at the beach from 8:30am to 5pm, even managing to get a slight sunburn. There are seasons in Qatar and it can get bone-chillingly cold (like the other night when I went out with some friends and sat outside for a few hours at night and nearly froze), but there is no snow, no long periods of dreary, short dark, wet, impossibly miserable days like I endured when I was a student in London and plenty of air conditioning to make the infernal summers bearable. For example, on March 11th, the high was 82 degrees Farenheit / 28 degrees Celsius and the low was about 70 degrees Farenheit / 21 degrees Celsius. Winds were at 29 kph, making Doha an ideal place to go sailing if so inclinded
Reason No. 2 – Katara.
Words cannot do justice to Katara’s beauty and what it adds to the quality of life in Doha. Its website describes it this way: “The Cultural Village Foundation is an exceptional project of hope for human interaction through art and cultural exchange – a project made possible thanks to inspired vision, solid faith and wise vision of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar.” Interestingly, the name Katara comes from “Catara”, the first name of the Qatari peninsula dating back to 150AD.
Katara, which is set on the Persian Gulf, is home to a public beach (women can go on in their one-piece bathing suits – no bikinis allowed!), an array of international restaurants and cafes (including one extremely popular cafe called “Karak” that sells Indian spicy tea and sweet or salty pancake-like chappatis for the equivalent of a few US Dollars – there is always a selection of expensive sports cars hanging out here waiting for car service), art galleries, an opera house (home to the Qatar Philharmonic), a drama theater, mosques (including a gold one) and, the jewel in the crown, the Ampitheater, a Greek-Islamic architectural hybrid that can be seen from the highway.
Check out the website: http://www.katara.net/english/
Reason No. 3 – Cosmopolitan and International.
Having grown up up in Manhattan and having lived in Italy, the UK, Egypt and Bahrain, I really appreciate living in and learning about different cultures. Doha is melting pot. At Al Jazeera, I work with people from literally all four corners of the world. Not only do people hail from all around the world, most people have been expatriates for a while and have amazing experiences to share about past expatriate experiences. Because Doha is booming and gearing up to the World Cup 2022, there is an increased demand for all manner of skilled and non-skilled workers. An 80+ page report published by the Permanent Population Committee of Qatar breaks down the population of Qatar in great detail (http://www.gsdp.gov.qa under Population Status 2012). One of the most interesting facts in the report is that the population of Qatar has multiplied 15-fold in the last forty years, growing from about 111,000 in 1970 to a bit more than 1.7 million in 2011. Statistics about the actual number of Qataris vary. Wikipedia reports the Qatari population is 250,000.
In addition to the sheer diversity, despite being a relatively small country, there are so many activities, sophisticated world-class restaurants and interesting places to visit and amazing five-star hotels in which to hang out. In particular, I love going to Souq Waqif and checking out the new boutique hotels there (they also deserve another post after I have stayed a weekend in one of the lovely new spots, but here’s a link anyway: http://www.swbh.com/ ) and visiting the various sites around Qatar (Zubara Fort, the Inland Sea – a body of water in the desert between Qatar and Saudi Arabia).
Reason No. 4 – Education City / Qatar Foundation.
Home to American universities like Georgetown, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Qatar, Northwestern, Cornell Weill and Texas A & M University, Education City is a microcosm of educational opportunities for students and community members alike. HEC Paris opened its doors in Doha recently as has UCL London. Harvard Law School also has a presence in Doha and held a conference for lawyers in Doha in early 2013 (http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2012/06/18_iglp-collaborates-with-qatar-foundation.html).
Personally, a glutton for liberal arts education, I love the fact that I can indulge my inner artist by taking community classes at VCU Qatar and borrow books from the Georgetown library.
Check out the educational opportunities offered by Qatar Foundation: http://www.qf.org.qa/
Reason No. 5 – Al Shaqab Riding Academy
Despite the fact that I grew up in Manhattan, I started riding horses when I was eight on Long Island and have always been in love with the sport and horses. One of the things I appreciate about living in the Gulf is the tradition of horsemanship and the love of horses, particularly Arabian horses. Al Shaqab is a world-class equestrian center, also a part of Qatar Foundation, and offers reasonably priced lessons in a pristine environment from excellent instructors. It is not only a privilege to ride at Al Shaqab, it is a vital part of my weekly schedule.
Check out the website: http://www.alshaqab.com/
Reason No. 6 – Doha Film Institute (“DFI”)
Six months after my arrival in Doha, my friend and I had dinner and she told me about the amazing educational opportunities available at Doha Film Institute. “Look at the website, ” she said. I went hom that night and did just that, having applied for a workshop called Acting for Camera with Ashraf Farah (Ashraf Farah is a Palestinian actor). I applied and got in and then spent an entire week after work learning how to act for camera in July, 2011. That was the beginning of my love affair and involvement with the DFI, which included another acting workshop, Improvisation and Movement taught by Tunisian actress, Afef Ben Mahmoud, Maisha Lab (an intensive week-long screenwriting course created by Mira Nair and taught by three renowned scriptwriters), a six-month long scriptwriting course taught by Christian Routh and Ziad Doueiri (director of West Beirut and The Attack) and, most recently, a cinematography course. All of the courses were on the DFI’s dime and, having written a first draft of my screenplay, I am already drafting my Oscar acceptance speech thanking the powers that be for making such opportunities possible.
Aside from funding and otherwise supporting the next wave of Arab film makers and actors, the DFI also facilitates the Doha Tribeca Film Festival once a year in November. The Doha Tribeca Film Festival (http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival) is one of the many highlights of the Doha. Not only is it a glamorous affair that brings people of all walks of life out – both film professionals and the public, Doha becomes a mini-Hollywood for a week, it becomes possible to watch Arab and international films, to hear greats like Robert De Niro and Mira Nair speak in person and catch glimpses of the likes of Antonio Banderas . It is literally a slice of Tribeca in the middle of the desert and it is a fun, interesting and lively week.
Reason No. 7 – Museum of Islamic Art and Mathaf
When people ask me, as they frequently do, whether I miss New York, I really have a hard time answering. Although clearly not like New York in so many ways, the spirit of diversity, sophistication and striving is there. Ever since I arrived in the GCC, I have watched in fascination as buildings sprouted like mushrooms in the desert practically overnight.
Two thrilling features of Doha are the Museum of Islamic Art (http://www.mia.org.qa/en/), which an iconic sandstone building on the Corniche that looks like a veiled lady, and the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the Arabic word for “museum” – although grammarians say it’s actually supposed to be pronounced “muthaf”, but I digress, (http://www.mathaf.org.qa/) are microcosms of art, culture, education and pleasurable experience, such as IDAM, Alain Ducasse’s new restaurant in the Museum of Islamic Art. How can I miss NYC when the best of NYC is sprouting up in Doha on a regular basis and countless not-to-be-missed opportunities to learn and experience something new constantly arise?!
For more about the Qatar art scene, read this NY Time article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/world/middleeast/in-qatar-artists-and-collectors-find-a-new-market.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Reason No. 8 – Arabic Language and Culture
I am half Egyptian but my father, who moved to NYC from Egypt when he was 29 in 1969, could not get me to speak Arabic after I was six years old and in first grade. Nonetheless, I decided to learn Arabic at SOAS, the University of London college renowned for teaching languages, which turned out to be the best decision I ever made (my father thought I should enrol in Chinese classes). I love being in the middle of the desert, hearing different dialects of Arabic being spoken all around me and having the opportunity to learn about the Arabic culture and way of life first hand.
Not only do I get to continue to improve my work-in-progress Arabic (I take Arabic classes at Berlitz and have joined a free Diwani Arabic Calligraphy class at the Museum of Islamic Art), I have had many opportunities to travel around and explore different parts of the MENA region like Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt, where I still have a lot of family.
Reason No. 9 – Ikea!
When Ikea opens in your city, you know it’s arrived. Ikea opened in Doha’s Festival City this week and, according to the word on the street, Qatar has swooped upon it.
Reason No. 10 – Witnessing the Birth of a SuperNation
Perhaps the most fascinating part of living in Doha and in the GCC in particular is having the opportunity to watch first-hand as a nation reinvents itself. The push to prepare Qatar for the World Cup in 2022 is full speed ahead and is likely to be so until the event itself. Everywhere one turns in this burgeoning metropolis that is Doha is development, building and all the trappings of a supernation in the making.
What does this mean in practical terms? What it means is that, as Qatar opens its doors to the rest of the world, is full of opportunities for the rest of the world to come to Qatar to do business. Opportunities abound to do business, not only business related to construction, but to bring franchises, to distribute products, open restaurants, clothing stores, schools or whatever services, amenities or products one might find in other bustling and booming metropoli.
Watch this space, as I will be spelling out some vital considerations before setting up shop in Doha.
Doing Business in the Middle East & Doing Business in the Middle East Boot Camp™ 