Doha booming. by lightmediation

Everyone is speaking of Dubai, but who knows Doha? The capital of Qatar is booming. Constantly under construction, Doha is flirting with the inordinate madness of Dubai... all while juggling with the conservatism of its neighbor, Saudi Arabia. A shopping paradise and financial stronghold, the future megalopolis is on its way to becoming an Eldorado of culture, sport and tourism, a Silicon Valley of the Gulf, still proudly attached to its traditions. It took centuries to build the megalopoles of today. It will have taken only a few years for Doha to become a leading player. It is here that tomorrow's world is being built.

Doha booming. Photos ÂŠPascal Meunier/LightMediation Text ÂŽEve Gandossi Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LigthMediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

1932-02: Doha. Modern bedouins. In this Wahhabit country, the inhabitants take the good sides of modernity (malls or mobile phones which facilitated the life) but turn their backs to the excesses of

1932-04: QATAR. Doha. Studio photo. Photocall of a Qatari, in a Bedouin decorum and beside the Emir, Cheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his son, the crown prince Cheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

1932-05: QATAR. Doha. Villaggio mall. Venice scenery in the new shopping mall, Villaggio. Gondoliers carry families, while the girls spend some time amongst themselves.

1932-07: QATAR. Doha. City Centre mall. The City Centre mall is one of the largest of the Gulf. It has also become a new meeting place...

1932-06: QATAR. Doha. Al Jazeera channel for children. Created in 2005 with the input of the wife of the Emir, Cheikha Mouza, Al Jazeera Children aims to become the most watched Arab TV channel by the 5 to 15 years old. Cartoons, documentaries, shows or plays, all with a very colourful background.

1932-09: QATAR. Doha. University. Future engineers of the Gulf. In the cafeteria, while some relax others work hard. These students of the Texas A&M University plan to be the future oil or gas engineers of the

1932-10: QATAR. Doha. Layout The Pearl. Qatar is building its own artificial island, The Pearl, in tribute of the country's past with pearl fishermen. In

1932-12: QATAR. Doha. Hall design hotel La Cigale. Just opened, La Cigale is part of the new luxury hotels just opened in the city. Attended during the day by Qataris for its restaurant, it is taken by storm in

1932-03: QATAR. Doha. Islamic arts centre and national Qatari bank. Built on the model of the most famous mosque of Samara in Iraq, this mosque shelters the islamic art centre, in which anyone, even non moslems, can come to get information on the religion. Beside it, in the modern building, the national Qatari bank.

1932-13: QATAR. Doha. Esplanade of the Education City. While the students attend American universities established on the campus, the Nepalese, Indiens or Bangladeshi clean the premises. Here, the

1932-14: QATAR. Doha. Private orientalist museum. The private orientalist museum, under the management of Qatar, holds some 700 works, having belonged to the collection of Sheik Hassan Al

1932-15: QATAR. Doha. Luxury cars shop. Almost all Qataris have 4 wheel drives, the rich also like luxury cars. Here, a Syrian saleswoman with a

1932-16: QATAR. Doha. University of arts Virginia Commonwealth. Since 1998, the Virginia Commonwealth University , school of arts, welcomes mainly girls who wish to work in design or fashion. In

1932-28: QATAR. Doha. City Centre. Escalators. The City Centre is one of the largest malls of the Gulf. During rush hour, the escalators become places of flirting.

1932-17: QATAR. Doha. Friends on the Cornice. At sundown, Qataris make way to the Cornice. While some have fun on jet-skis, in fashion in the capital, others study their English courses before the following

1932-18: QATAR. Doha. House of the Tradition. Not to forget their Bedouin origins, the government made a point of opening a House of the Tradition. Inside, a typical room, clothing. Every day, women make

1932-19: QATAR. Doha. Workmen. In the business district, some building sites are never ending. The workmen, often Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi, live here alone and try to send a little money to their

1932-20: QATAR. Doha. University of arts Virginia Commonwealth. Since 1998, the Virginia Commonwealth University , school of arts, welcomes mainly girls who wish to work in design or fashion. In

1932-43: QATAR. Doha. Henna. During festivities, the women cover their hands, their feet and sometimes their legs with painted henna drawings.

1932-21: QATAR. Doha. Cornice. Fishing. At the weekends, the cornice is a favourite outing for families, local and immigrant. Walks, picnics, and

1932-22: QATAR. Doha. Public writer. Souk Waqif. District of the public writers in the Waqif souk. Here, the Sudanese, Pakistani or Afghans write administrative letters in English or in Arabic, or give access to

1932-23: QATAR. Doha. Clinic for falcons. Before the opening of the private clinic for falcons seven years ago, Qataris had to go to Dubai. Today, it

1932-24: QATAR. Doha. Traditional coffee shop. In addition to the new web bars of the souk, Qataris also like to go in more traditional places. Here, a coffee held by Iranians for more than 40 years and where one

1932-44: QATAR. Doha. Robots, new jockeys. Previously, the jockeys were African children, "abandoned" once they were too tall thus mobilizing NGOs. To regulate the problem, the Emir replaced them by robots, connected to the trainer by a walkie talkie to hurl at the camel. A robot costs only 475 euros, but a race camel around 600.000 euros.

1932-25: QATAR. Doha. Khalifa tower and stadium. Sports city. Built in stainless steel for the Asian Games of 2006, the tower of the City of the sports now welcomes a luxury hotel, with a view on the

1932-26: QATAR. Doha. Orientalist museum. The private orientalist museum, under the management of Qatar, holds some 700 works, having belonged

1932-27: QATAR. Doha. Waqif souk. Because the inhabitants frequented more and more often the malls, the Emir choose to restore the old Waqif souk. Built with traditional materials, it shelters stores,

1932-28: QATAR. Doha. City Centre. Escalators. The City Centre is one of the largest malls of the Gulf. During rush hour, the escalators become places of

1932-02: Doha. Modern bedouins. In this Wahhabit country, the inhabitants take the good sides of modernity (malls or mobile phones which facilitated the life) but turn their backs to the excesses of Occident. Here one remains attached to Bedouin roots and the precepts of Islam.

1932-29: QATAR. Doha. Waqif souk. Foreign workers. To restore the old Waqif souk, the country brings in foreign labour who rebuilds the souk with traditional materials. Soon, the modern souk of gold will be

1932-30: QATAR. Doha. Weill Cornell medical school. Courses. At the Weill Cornell medical school, the courses are mixed and are held in English. Here, Qatari follow their schooling with students of many

1932-31: QATAR. Doha. Camels races. Robots. Previously, the jockeys were African children, "abandoned" once they were too tall thus mobilizing NGOs.

1932-32: QATAR. Doha. Weill Cornell medical school. Until late in the evening, the students stay in the asepticized corridors of the Weill Cornell medical school, drawn by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.

1932-04: QATAR. Doha. Studio photo. Photocall of a Qatari, in a Bedouin decorum and beside the Emir, Cheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his son, the crown prince Cheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

1932-33: QATAR. Doha. Building site. Having come alone to work and to send money to their families, the workmen, often Indian, Nepalese or

1932-34: QATAR. Doha. Waqif souk. Spice shop. Like in the traditional souks, you can find in the Waqif souk spice shops. But the American standards of hygiene are in force and from now on the spices are

1932-35: QATAR. Doha. Villaggio mall. Villaggio mall. Venice scenery in the new shopping mall, Villaggio. Gondoliers carry families, while the

1932-36: QATAR. Doha. Cheikha Mouza mosque. Located near from the Waqif souk, this mosque has the name of the wife of the Emir, Cheikha Mouza. In Doha, all the Moslems, they be Egyptian, Afghan, Syrian

1932-26: QATAR. Doha. Orientalist museum. The private orientalist museum, under the management of Qatar, holds some 700 works, having belonged to the collection of Sheik Hassan Al Thani, cousin of the Emir. You can see paintings by Cordier, Delacroix, Girardet, Fromentin

1932-37: QATAR. Doha. Al Bidda park and mosque. Woman. Although very attached to wahhabism, the hard branch of Islam, the qatari women are very autonomous. In the evenings, they go out alone or

1932-38: QATAR. Doha. Aerial view on the island The Pearl. Aerial view on the artificial island The Pearl, which will be finished in 2011. Here, view on part of the private islands which will belong to the royal

1932-39: QATAR. Doha. Cornice. Doha is articulated around a bay. On one side, the old city which only attracts for its souk. On the other, a bay where the towers are growing. The two worlds do not seem meet.

1932-40: QATAR. Doha. La Cigale. Delicatessen. A luxurious delicatessen in La Cigale. Just open, La Cigale belongs to the new hotels luxates city. Attended the day by the Qataris rich person for his

1932-41: QATAR. Doha. Al Jazeera. Presenter. In 1996, the Emir launched the first arabic channel costing millions, Al Jazeera. Made famous during the

1932-42: QATAR. Doha. Pearl. Symbol. In spite of the ceaseless constructions of buildings which recall the business districts of Western

1932-43: QATAR. Doha. Henna. During festivities, the women cover their hands, their feet and sometimes their legs with painted henna

1932-44: QATAR. Doha. Robots, new jockeys. Previously, the jockeys were African children, "abandoned" once they were too tall thus mobilizing NGOs.

1932-11: QATAR. Doha. Break at the university Weill Cornell. After class, girls come to chat on the windy esplanade of the Weill Cornell Medical school, drawn by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. At this time, a course is surely given in these strange bubbles which are in fact lecture halls.

1932-45: QATAR. Doha. Nada Zeidan. Icon of Qatar for sport. In 2002, Nada Zeidan was the first Qatari, Arabic and Moslem woman to take part in the Asian Games, in the arc shooting category. Nurse by day,

1932-46: QATAR. Doha. Old town. Bangladeshi barber. In the Valley Hamran salon, the owner is Bangladeshi. Here, one takes care of the Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi. But it is also a place where the

1932-47: QATAR. Doha. Workman. Building site. In the business district, towers pop up one after the other. The workmen, often Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi, live here alone and try to send a little money

1932-48: QATAR. Doha. Heritage village. Basket making. Each Friday evening in the Heritage village, Brahim practises the ancestral art of basket making before the amazed eyes of the natives, now

1932-49: QATAR. Doha. Boat and 4 wheel drive. According to the inhabitants a true Qatari owns a 4 wheel drive. A little spare time, and these Bedouins of modernity go to the desert. Others remain attached

1932-50: QATAR. Doha. Workmen. Break. In Doha, 80% of the population are composed of immigrants. For the majority, they are workmen who

1932-51: QATAR. Doha. Building. Traditional and modern architecture. Sheltering the Ministry of Work and social issues, the Barzan tower combines traditional brick architecture with the modernity of glass.

1932-52: QATAR. Doha. Clinic for falcons. Waiting room. Falcon hunting is still a vivacious tradition. A private clinic for falcons opened a few years ago. The waiting room is always busy.

1932-42: QATAR. Doha. Pearl. Symbol. In spite of the ceaseless constructions of buildings which recall the business districts of Western countries, Doha always underlines its past at a street corner, often with fountains in the shape of a pearl.

Doha, miracle or mirage? Wedged into the pearl-colored leather seat, one hand on the wheel, the other resting conspicuously on the open window to show off his diamond watch, the handless telephone's wire wound under his chin and sporting large black sunglasses, Prada of course! Such is the image that many Westerners have of the Qataris: immaculately white traditional dress, foulard blowing in the wind and happy owner of a gleaming Maserati convertible, red for Thursday, yellow for Friday, black on Saturdays... Not far off, you'd say at first glance, except that four-wheel drives have replaced the coupĂŠs. "If you don't have your Land Cruiser, you're not a Qatari", joke the recycled nomads. It's been seven year since the face of Doha the younger has taken on the airs of Dubai the mad. Seven years, the age of reason... But actually, hasn't Doha lost it? worry the elderly. The old pearl fishermen live their retirement on land while their grandchildren take to the sky at the amusement parks. Others repair relentlessly their nets every Friday evening at the Village of Tradition. Close-up on them for a moment to see what Qatar was before. Before becoming a petrol exporting country and the third biggest gas reserve in the world. Before the coup d'ĂŠtat against his father in 1995 by the very reforming Emir Cheikh Hamad Al Thani, a sort of modern day Janus, faced turned to the future and the past, towards the East and the West. Before this sudden - but not necessarily uncontrolled! - modernization. "Dubai is our model, but we don't want

their excesses. We also remain the closest friend of Saudi Arabia", explains Ali, member of the very select Diplomatic Club. And the United States, he forgets to specify: because, since 2003, the country houses American military bases on its soil. This while also being the home to Al Jazira, "the news channel that upsets". Which upsets the Americans for sure, but also the Arabs! "What headaches that has given me!" recalled the Emir during an interview in 2003. "Those who protest against the channel are also the ones that watch it. When I have a headache I take an aspirin and pay it no more attention". The head of one of the smallest countries in the world well intends to steer the ship as he sees fit. And up until now, the waters are choppy but not murky. In the city, to each his occupation, his mission. Egyptians, Syrians and Palestinians as administrative officers, Americans, British and French as employees of the gas and petrol industries, Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese as taxi drivers, restaurateurs or manual workers. Here, the capital was built thanks to foreign labor... 80% of the population! Day and night, Doha is a permanent construction site. In the business district, the diggers shrilly beep, the cranes creak painfully and the workers, who take their work to heart, maintain a conscientious silence. After all, aren't they the new builders of the 21st century? 3:30, the shift is over for some, its starts for others. Old American school busses wait in the rare free spaces. On the windshields hang flags of Sudan, Nepal, Iran and a poster for all to see: "Accidents can cost lives. Your family is waiting for you at home. Drive carefully. Better late than never". They don't play with safety, even less on the worksites. Because it's best to take care of these bees that build the hive! No less than 18,000 work on "the"

construction site in Doha: The Pearl, an artificial island inspired by those of Dubai and maybe already a new world wonder... On this 400-hectare sand pearl stand shimmering skyscrapers, villas, hotels, a marina, beaches, shops in abundance and one mosque. Only one. So it goes, evenings and weekends, direction the shopping malls. At the City Center, children have fun on the skating rink, while parents fill to overflowing their shopping carts at Carrefour. Roquefort, tapas and Nutella: what bliss to finally taste all this! As for the older sister, she buys out Cartier or bats her fake eyelashes on the escalator, the new pick-up place. And it's Mandolin music at the Villaggio, where people shop in gondolas. Electric, of course, but each with its own gondolier! In Qatar, they do not trifle with their image. The car full and maybe a future husband in the bag, the families return home. Beverly Hills Garden, Samriya Gardens, Riviera Gardens... No verdant mirages in this former desert; the ochre buildings are well and truly lined up in military precision. From being Bedouins or fishermen, the Qataris have become the VIPs of the desert, penned up in luxurious villas. "They prefer to buy a watch, a car or an enormous house, that is, everything showy, rather than books", bitterly remarks a Syrian woman, doctor in history, but sales clerk while waiting to find something better. But nevertheless, for several years now, the Emir wants to change this image, starting with the City of Education. On this immense, very designer university campus, research, scientific and technological centers and American universities flourish. Here, it's a bit "The World", not the glittery People version, but four-eyes, bookish types. In the sterile corridors, you hear conversation in English

or in "anglarabe", the language of the younger generation, and sometimes joking between boys and girls. Modernity compels the mixing of the sexes. A complete novelty... particularly appreciated by the young ladies! Grandmothers, at one time married at 16, are proud of their student granddaughters. But out of the question to have the slightest passing love affair! Another one of the Emir's ambitions: make Doha a cultural capital of international renown. 2008 marks the kick off for a series of inaugurations: National Library, museums of photography, natural sciences, childhood... Doha is today the biggest museum building site in the world; and a gathering place for the most illustrious architects! Take, for example, the Chinaman Pey for the Museum of Islamic Arts, a floating fortress of arts, heritage and knowledge. Not far from there, another beacon of erudition, a copy of the Samara Mosque in Iraq, houses the Islamic Cultural Center. And then, there is also the Orientalist Museum. Hidden in a discreet building, it brings together some 700 works by Cordier, Delacroix, Girardet, Fromentin... bought at Christie's or Drouot auctions. Bedouin raids have most decidedly changed in nature! Qatar's new leitmotiv? "A healthy spirit in a healthy body". So, make room for sports... Particularly since Doha organized the Asian games in 2006. International Formula 1 competitions offshore, golf courses, sailboat races, pirouettes on jet-skis: you would almost think you were in Florida. Sun, palm trees, beautiful cars, but none of the women in bikinis on rollerblades. On the coast road or on the esplanade of the City of Sports, the women jog in local dress: wide abaya (black robe), hijab (veil) and white Nike tennies. Who knows, one of these Sunday athletes could become the future Nada

Zeidan, the country's new icon, who is now campaigning to house the Olympic Games in 2016. Head and hair uncovered, this official and charming ambassadress for the Doha Olympic Bid aims for the sky. Who sets one's sights high, succeeds. So, Qatar, first Arab country to organize the Olympic Games? Quite symbolic! But in this frenetic spiral, what to do with traditions? The majority say preserve them, the more hurried want to forget them. "Hey man, we're going to make this archaic country move. It's not with traditions that we'll get anywhere", asserts Hamad, square mug Ă la Stallone and ethnic tattoos on his arms. For others, customs are an asset and should be perpetuated. Weekends, they head to Sealine, the only place, with the exception of the expanses in Namibia, where immense dunes roll into the sea. The rudimentary Bedouin houses have disappeared, making place for synthetic tents with aluminum doors and windows... and air-conditioning! And then, there is still falcon hunting, those birds tamed and adulated by the Qataris. In the clinic's waiting room, worry can be read on the owners' faces. It's plume, can it be repaired?? Will the operation succeed? Here, they do not hesitate to shell out wads of riyals to treat a bird's broken foot. As to camel races, they are still highly popular, even if now and henceforth minuscule robots serve as jockeys. The prize for the winner is a Land Cruiser, to become a true Qatari. We are far from the Hyundais of the immigrants living in the old city. A forgotten Doha made of bric-a-brac and populated above all with Indians, Bangladeshis, Nepalese and Pakistanis.

On the ground floor of old buildings, shops selling fabrics, electronics and Teflon casters multiply. Upstairs, the men cram into miniscule rooms, their suitcases never really unpacked. Their family having stayed behind, they take refuge in the bosom of their community and on weekends most of all. On "the" square, the men gather in packs, standing, sitting, playing cards, drinking tea. And so it goes, Thursdays, it's Pakistanis' Square; Fridays, Nepalese Square and the rest of the week, Abdullah Bin Thani Square as known by its true name... Bridge between East and West, between the Mid-East and the Far East, Doha has been a small port of importation and exportation. Merchandise, most certainly, but also people: Persians, Indians and Africans, whom the reigning families have wiped from the national history. Out of the question to evoke possible foreign ancestors in the families of the sheikhs! Here, they Arabize. Say that the Waqif souk is Iranian, and the curses will rain down on the thoughtless chatterbox. And yet, before its restoration, the main owners came from Persia. Today, they are Qataris, but in the midst of these buildings, whitewashed and delicately sculpted with arabesques, the Syrian tradesmen still sell their spices: cinnamon, curry, cloves, cumin... The Sudanese or Afghan public letter writers tap away at their typewriters. The Pakistani jewelers create their jewelry in religious silence. The old Iranian porters push their wheelbarrows overflowing with their customers' purchases. An Egyptian still treats his patients with leeches. A Nepalese has just sold in royal fashion three falcons. And in this manicured but still cosmopolitan souk, even the Hotel Bismillah has had a facelift. Inside, only tourists stay here. Gone are the traveling merchants who came to lay down their

gaiters, their lice and their fatigue on the lumpy beds of this famous haunt. Today, the people of Doha live their Thousand and One Nights fairytale. The Genie in the lamp seems to have granted them their dearest wishes. Still, beware of speculative bubbles, squeak some economists. "So what", retort the Qataris. "Seven years ago, there was only sand. From now on, it's here that the future is happening". Decidedly nothing will disturb their incredible optimism. In this respect, here, the evil eye averts its gaze.

1932-01: Doha. Business District. Miracle or mirage ? "Seven years ago, there was no tower in this part of the city", the inhabitants tell us. Today, this district is rapidly expanding with towers higher and higher. 1932-02: Doha. Modern bedouins. In this Wahhabit country, the inhabitants take the good sides of modernity (malls or mobile phones which facilitated the life) but turn their backs to the excesses of Occident. Here one remains attached to Bedouin roots and the precepts of Islam. 1932-03: QATAR. Doha. Islamic arts centre and national Qatari bank. Built on the model of the most famous mosque of Samara in Iraq, this mosque shelters the islamic art centre, in which anyone, even non moslems, can come to get information on the religion. Beside it, in the modern building, the national Qatari bank. 1932-04: QATAR. Doha. Studio photo. Photocall of a Qatari, in a Bedouin decorum and beside the Emir, Cheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his son, the crown prince Cheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. 1932-05: QATAR. Doha. Villaggio mall. Venice scenery in the new shopping mall, Villaggio. Gondoliers carry families, while the girls spend some time amongst themselves. 1932-06: QATAR. Doha. Al Jazeera channel for children. Created in 2005 with the input of the wife of the Emir, Cheikha Mouza, Al Jazeera Children aims to become the most watched Arab TV

channel by the 5 to 15 years old. Cartoons, documentaries, shows or plays, all with a very colourful background.

evenings by the Lebanese community for its club. This hotel is inspired by the La Cigale of Beyrouth.

1932-07: QATAR. Doha. City Centre mall. The City Centre mall is one of the largest of the Gulf. It has also become a new meeting place...

1932-13: QATAR. Doha. Esplanade of the Education City. While the students attend American universities established on the campus, the Nepalese, Indiens or Bangladeshi clean the premises. Here, the esplanade of the ceremonies of the Education City, drawn by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.

1932-08: QATAR. Doha. Museum of Islamic Arts from a boat. Across from the port where the boats lign up, stands the Museum of Islamic Arts, which is to make Qatar a major cultural spot of the Arabic world. The building was drawn by the famous Chinese architect Pei. 1932-09: QATAR. Doha. University. Future engineers of the Gulf. In the cafeteria, while some relax others work hard. These students of the Texas A&M University plan to be the future oil or gas engineers of the Gulf. 1932-10: QATAR. Doha. Layout The Pearl. Qatar is building its own artificial island, The Pearl, in tribute of the country's past with pearl fishermen. In 2011, 40 000 inhabitants will reside on this island of 400 hectares. 1932-11: QATAR. Doha. Break at the university Weill Cornell. After class, girls come to chat on the windy esplanade of the Weill Cornell Medical school, drawn by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. At this time, a course is surely given in these strange bubbles which are in fact lecture halls. 1932-12: QATAR. Doha. Hall design hotel La Cigale. Just opened, La Cigale is part of the new luxury hotels just opened in the city. Attended during the day by Qataris for its restaurant, it is taken by storm in the

1932-14: QATAR. Doha. Private orientalist museum. The private orientalist museum, under the management of Qatar, holds some 700 works, having belonged to the collection of Sheik Hassan Al Thani, cousin of the Emir. You can see paintings by Cordier, Delacroix, Girardet, Fromentin. 1932-15: QATAR. Doha. Luxury cars shop. Almost all Qataris have 4 wheel drives, the rich also like luxury cars. Here, a Syrian saleswoman with a purchaser in the Bentley store. A new car costs at least 330.000 euros 1932-16: QATAR. Doha. University of arts Virginia Commonwealth. Since 1998, the Virginia Commonwealth University , school of arts, welcomes mainly girls who wish to work in design or fashion. In the corridors, the students always move around with their laptops. 1932-17: QATAR. Doha. Friends on the Cornice. At sundown, Qataris make way to the Cornice. While some have fun on jet-skis, in fashion in the capital, others study their English courses before the following day exam. 1932-18: QATAR. Doha. House of the Tradition. Not to forget their Bedouin

origins, the government made a point of opening a House of the Tradition. Inside, a typical room, clothing. Every day, women make traditional objects. 1932-19: QATAR. Doha. Workmen. In the business district, some building sites are never ending. The workmen, often Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi, live here alone and try to send a little money to their families back home. 1932-20: QATAR. Doha. University of arts Virginia Commonwealth. Since 1998, the Virginia Commonwealth University , school of arts, welcomes mainly girls who wish to work in design or fashion. In the corridors, the students always move around with their laptops. 1932-21: QATAR. Doha. Cornice. Fishing. At the weekends, the cornice is a favourite outing for families, local and immigrant. Walks, picnics, and even fishing are on agenda. 1932-22: QATAR. Doha. Public writer. Souk Waqif. District of the public writers in the Waqif souk. Here, the Sudanese, Pakistani or Afghans write administrative letters in English or in Arabic, or give access to Internet... 1932-23: QATAR. Doha. Clinic for falcons. Before the opening of the private clinic for falcons seven years ago, Qataris had to go to Dubai. Today, it welcomes 30 to 40 customers a day. Falcon hunting is a Bedouin tradition and is still widely practised. 1932-24: QATAR. Doha. Traditional coffee shop. In addition to the new web bars of the souk, Qataris also like to go in more traditional places. Here, a coffee held by Iranians for more than 40 years and where

one can smoke the guedou (kind of chicha). 1932-25: QATAR. Doha. Khalifa tower and stadium. Sports city. Built in stainless steel for the Asian Games of 2006, the tower of the City of the sports now welcomes a luxury hotel, with a view on the international stadium of Khalifa. 1932-26: QATAR. Doha. Orientalist museum. The private orientalist museum, under the management of Qatar, holds some 700 works, having belonged to the collection of Sheik Hassan Al Thani, cousin of the Emir. You can see paintings by Cordier, Delacroix, Girardet, Fromentin 1932-27: QATAR. Doha. Waqif souk. Because the inhabitants frequented more and more often the malls, the Emir choose to restore the old Waqif souk. Built with traditional materials, it shelters stores, restaurants, merchants who revive the souk again. 1932-28: QATAR. Doha. City Centre. Escalators. The City Centre is one of the largest malls of the Gulf. During rush hour, the escalators become places of flirting. 1932-29: QATAR. Doha. Waqif souk. Foreign workers. To restore the old Waqif souk, the country brings in foreign labour who rebuilds the souk with traditional materials. Soon, the modern souk of gold will be destroyed to be rebuilt in the traditional way. 1932-30: QATAR. Doha. Weill Cornell

medical school. Courses. At the Weill Cornell medical school, the courses are mixed and are held in English. Here, Qatari follow their schooling with students of many nationality: Egyptians, Iraqis, Palestinians. 1932-31: QATAR. Doha. Camels races. Robots. Previously, the jockeys were African children, "abandoned" once they were too tall thus mobilizing NGOs. To regulate the problem, the Emir replaced them by robots, connected to the trainer by a walkie talkie to hurl at the camel. A robot costs only 475 euros, but a race camel around 600.000 euros. 1932-32: QATAR. Doha. Weill Cornell medical school. Until late in the evening, the students stay in the asepticized corridors of the Weill Cornell medical school, drawn by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Here, Iraqi, Egyptians, Qatari, Palestinians mix and many wish to then go to the United States. 1932-33: QATAR. Doha. Building site. Having come alone to work and to send money to their families, the workmen, often Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi, return home in the evenings in old American school buses. They are dropped near their houses paid by their employers.

amongst themselves. 1932-36: QATAR. Doha. Cheikha Mouza mosque. Located near from the Waqif souk, this mosque has the name of the wife of the Emir, Cheikha Mouza. In Doha, all the Moslems, they be Egyptian, Afghan, Syrian or Indian join together to pray. 1932-37: QATAR. Doha. Al Bidda park and mosque. Woman. Although very attached to wahhabism, the hard branch of Islam, the qatari women are very autonomous. In the evenings, they go out alone or between friends. Here, in the park Al Bidda. 1932-38: QATAR. Doha. Aerial view on the island The Pearl. Aerial view on the artificial island The Pearl, which will be finished in 2011. Here, view on part of the private islands which will belong to the royal family. 1932-39: QATAR. Doha. Cornice. Doha is articulated around a bay. On one side, the old city which only attracts for its souk. On the other, a bay where the towers are growing. The two worlds do not seem meet.

1932-40: QATAR. Doha. La Cigale. Delicatessen. A luxurious delicatessen in La Cigale. Just open, La Cigale belongs to the new hotels luxates city. Attended the day by the Qataris rich person for his restaurant, it is the evening taken by storm by the Lebanese community for its club. This hotel takes as a starting point La Cigale of Beyrouth.

1932-35: QATAR. Doha. Villaggio mall. Villaggio mall. Venice scenery in the new shopping mall, Villaggio. Gondoliers carry families, while the girls spend some time

1932-41: QATAR. Doha. Al Jazeera. Presenter. In 1996, the Emir launched the first arabic channel costing millions, Al Jazeera. Made

famous during the screenings of the speeches of Bin Laden, Ă&#x2019;the channel which disturbsĂ&#x201C; is part today of the most important medias. 1.500 people of all nationalities, like this Lebanese presenter, Elsy Abi ESA, work here. 1932-42: QATAR. Doha. Pearl. Symbol. In spite of the ceaseless constructions of buildings which recall the business districts of Western countries, Doha always underlines its past at a street corner, often with fountains in the shape of a pearl. 1932-43: QATAR. Doha. Henna. During festivities, the women cover their hands, their feet and sometimes their legs with painted henna drawings. 1932-44: QATAR. Doha. Robots, new jockeys. Previously, the jockeys were African children, "abandoned" once they were too tall thus mobilizing NGOs. To regulate the problem, the Emir replaced them by robots, connected to the trainer by a walkie talkie to hurl at the camel. A robot costs only 475 euros, but a race camel around 600.000 euros. 1932-45: QATAR. Doha. Nada Zeidan. Icon of Qatar for sport. In 2002, Nada Zeidan was the first Qatari, Arabic and Moslem woman to take part in the Asian Games, in the arc shooting category. Nurse by day, she is also a rally pilot. She is today an icon of Qatar for the campaigning of the country for the Olympic Games of 2016 and an ambassadress to women for the access to sport at a great level. 1932-46: QATAR. Doha. Old town. Bangladeshi barber. In the Valley Hamran salon, the owner is Bangladeshi. Here,

one takes care of the Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi. But it is also a place where the community meets to comment the country's news. 1932-47: QATAR. Doha. Workman. Building site. In the business district, towers pop up one after the other. The workmen, often Indian, Nepalese or Bangladeshi, live here alone and try to send a little money to their families back home. 1932-48: QATAR. Doha. Heritage village. Basket making. Each Friday evening in the Heritage village, Brahim practises the ancestral art of basket making before the amazed eyes of the natives, now accustomed to the towers and the malls. 1932-49: QATAR. Doha. Boat and 4 wheel drive. According to the inhabitants a true Qatari owns a 4 wheel drive. A little spare time, and these Bedouins of modernity go to the desert. Others remain attached to their pearl fishermen past by sailing on their boat, a wooden one which originates from India. 1932-50: QATAR. Doha. Workmen. Break. In Doha, 80% of the population are composed of immigrants. For the majority, they are workmen who work on the building sites of the business district. 1932-51: QATAR. Doha. Building. Traditional and modern architecture. Sheltering the Ministry of Work and social issues, the Barzan tower combines traditional brick architecture with the modernity of glass. 1932-52: QATAR. Doha. Clinic for falcons. Waiting room. Falcon hunting is still a vivacious tradition. A private clinic for falcons opened a few years ago. The waiting room is always busy.