My first impressions of Qatar

I arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday, January 6, 2011. And my first impressions of the city and the country after a full week are quite mixed. Lets start with something which came as a surprise to me. I had expected Doha to be more developed, further advanced while life seems to be slower then in other cities in the Gulf.

First when you land at the Doha International Airport you realise this city isn't simply a smaller version of Dubai and things aren't as perfect as they are in Dubai. Doha and the whole of Qatar seem to be one major construction site with the city growing in all possible directions even into the sea with the new international airport coming-up on reclaimed land.

When you go to the main Khalifa Stadium and the Aspire Zone you realise what impressive sports complex had been build ahead of the 2006 Asian Games. But traffic is a major issue across Doha with roads on work days often chocked with a mass transport system the need of the hour. In that sense the country desperately needed to get the 2022 FIFA World Cup so its overall infrastructure would get a boast. The envisaged mass transport system with metro and rail services could do wonders.

Though Qatar is working to develop itself as a global centre of business and sports in certain things it remains a different world altogether. Alcohol is not freely available, driving on the streets of Doha is a challenge as many do not follow rules and regulations, and then there are the cars left abandoned road side damaged after accidents. Why? The joke is the locals can buy a brand new car the next morning until they crash that too plus the low price of petrol which stands at 0,15 Euros (10 Rupees) per litre. A reason why most people drive heavy S.U.V.s instead of more eco-friendly vehicles.

But there are positives too. Security isn't an issue here as Qatar is one of the safest countries on the planet. You often do not see police around, but everyone tells you if you have problems or create trouble then the police would be there in 120 seconds. Another positive is the influence of immigrants on the country, then speaking Hindi or Malayalam could help you get around easier.

Then there are also the curiousities. Take e.g. inside one of the countries biggest shopping malls the Villagio Doha there is an ice skating ring where the Qatar Raiders ice hockey team are based. Everyday you see kids training there and on weekends there are matches played.

And then there is the cool weather. No I am not joking, over the last few days the night time temperatures have gone down considerably plus cool winds out of the desert forcing one to wear jackets and sweaters to watch evening matches in the stadium.

Overall it is an interesting experience, but I would still say a lot of work to do for Qatar ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.