Dinner at Arab Restaurant with my Hosts
This is my 3rd trip to Doha in about one and a half years, and it is one which I am looking forward to. My partner there has been in the Middle East for almost 20 years and he has had his hands full with projects in the construction sector which has seen them grow exponentially in the last 5 years. This trip in July was just to renew relationship ties and see for myself what other possibilities there are in the furture in the region. I am pleased to report that even though there is some political problems with their neighbours, life goes on as normal and the resilience of the people and expatriates is impressive.
At traffic intersection ; buildings are brown or beige in colour
Doha is in the upswing in the years leading to the 2022 World Cup. The first ever in the Middle East region, there is construction in full swing. My customer is a sports hospital in the Aspire Zone catering to the rehabilitation of athletes and people with orthopaedic injuries.
This trip, the weather was treacherous, sometimes reaching 48 C in the day and 40 at night. It feels like a furnace and only the mentally impaired would do any exercise ! Fortunately the invention of airconditioning and mega shopping malls such as the Villagio shopping mall along Al Waab Street next to the Torch hotel gives many locals and foreigners some respite.
The main stadium photo taken from the nearby hospital
Food and transport is not cheap by any means. Most of their foodstuffs are imported and while there are many top class dining establisments in the malls, a meal like a sandwich and coffee would set you back US$ 20. No small sum indeed !
No comments:
Post a Comment