A few months ago, I was invited by the Qatar Foundation to come to Qatar for a few days to take a closer look at Education City, a collaboration of American universities who have realized that this Gulf state is an excellent place to set up shop. Apparently Qatar is the richest country in the world, not only having the black gold (oil) but newly discovered natural gas reserves. All-expense trip to a neighboring country? Absolutely. It came at a good time too; it was really hectic at work and I could use a few days away from the students.
Qatar Airlines doesn't earn the title of World's five star airline by chance. The hour long trip was comfortable and the service was great. I met a counselor from another Kuwaiti school and we compared notes. The weather in Doha was significantly warmer than the freezing temperatures I left in Kuwait. After settling in to the hotel room and having some lunch, a few of us took a taxi down to the waterfront to admire the Museum of Islamic Art (which unfortunately was closed). The building was designed by IM Pei, who also created the pyramid at the Louvre. Qatar is bubbling over with cutting-edge architecture which is well-done, tasteful, and frankly amazing.
We walked through the Waqik Souk, a busting center of old-world styled storefronts and charming cafes. Later in the evening, I met more "counselors"; to be honest I was surprised at how many were not actually counselors but have been handed the role and trying to manage it. Sheesh.
The hotel food was surprisingly good with lots of fresh produce and fruits, although focusing mostly on artisanal desserts which is never a bad thing. There was a wide array of fish too which I loved (however one morning there was sushi and mackerel, which was too much to stomach at 6 am even for me).
Some of my first impressions of Qatar: Greener and cleaner than Kuwait. Fewer honking cars. Many more Africans from the Horn of Africa. Fewer abaya-clad women. It's easy to see that there is money here, but the buildings are incredibly tasteful and well-constructed. The Qatari government seems to highly value the arts with a new opera house, theater, museums, and live music venues. In fact, Doha is on track to be a major tourist destination. On our last morning, we listened to a practice session of the Qatar Philharmonic, and it could have been anywhere in the world.
Another place in which the ruling family is investing is in the realm education. Education City is comprised of six different universities: Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Northwestern, Georgetown, Virginia Commonwealth, and Texas A&M. Stunning architecture, state-of-the-art facilities, and beautiful grounds made this sprawling campus a remarkable place. I felt fortunate to see it for myself and for our top students, it's a phenomenal option.
It was a pleasant surprise to watch the State of the Union address early one morning on Al Jazeera, and have always appreciated their straightforward and inquisitive reporting.
Only an hour away, Doha was a delightful world away from Kuwait. The pint I ordered in the nearby hotel bar cemented the deal.
I enjoyed your post. It’s a lot like college – we should absorb everything we can but ultimately you need to take what you’ve learned and apply it.
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