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The desert before us seems endless, a sea of off-white sand dunes and a brilliantly blue sky clashing at the horizon. No sooner does the Toyota Land Cruiser we’re following slip and slide its way down another dune, than the desert wind removes any evidence of its passing. In the distance, across a body of steel-coloured water, purple-hued mountains mark the border with Saudi Arabia. Text by Nick Walton
I’m spending an afternoon with the young men of the Qatari Peninsula. Once an obscure if not immensely wealthy Gulf state, Qatar is on the up and up. Recently awarded the football World Cup in 2022, the people of this pint-sized peninsula are already gearing up for the event, with massive development pegged for the next decade.
After racing, tumbling, bouncing and sliding our way through the dunes of the Khor al Adaid, Qatar’s inland sea, which juts into the desert from the Persian Gulf, we cruise around the base of one spectacularly-sized sand mountain and stumble across a distinctly more modern side to desert life. More than 300 SUVs, mostly the iconic Land Cruiser so popular in the Middle East, are fanned out around a flat plain of hard packed sand, their occupants having spilled out, dishdashes and all, onto the sand to watch crews rev their souped-up 4x4s and gallop towards the steep incline of the largest dune. Some fair better than others, climbing two thirds of the way up the slope before having to turn and surf the sand back down. One 4×4 rolls several times before coming to a stop, the right way up, at the base of the dune. Its occupants grin and wave to the crowd.At the other end of the Corniche, residing over a marina packed with traditional dhows, is the stunning Museum of Islamic Art, created by influential Chinese American architect I. M. Pei. Although the geometric design was said to play with the shapes and shadows of the passing sun, I’m told by my hotel doorman to look for the eyes of a Muslim woman peering out from her veil. Located on its own man-made island, the museum is a stunning showcase of Islamic art from the 7th to 19th centuries, it’s elegant exhibits including ancient swords, delicate potteries and ornate tapestries.
The desert before us seems endless, a sea of off-white sand dunes and a brilliantly blue sky clashing at the horizon. No sooner does the Toyota Land Cruiser we’re following slip and slide its way down another dune, than the desert wind removes any evidence of its passing. In the distance, across a body of steel-coloured water, purple-hued mountains mark the border with Saudi Arabia. Text by Nick Walton
I’m spending an afternoon with the young men of the Qatari Peninsula. Once an obscure if not immensely wealthy Gulf state, Qatar is on the up and up. Recently awarded the football World Cup in 2022, the people of this pint-sized peninsula are already gearing up for the event, with massive development pegged for the next decade.
After racing, tumbling, bouncing and sliding our way through the dunes of the Khor al Adaid, Qatar’s inland sea, which juts into the desert from the Persian Gulf, we cruise around the base of one spectacularly-sized sand mountain and stumble across a distinctly more modern side to desert life. More than 300 SUVs, mostly the iconic Land Cruiser so popular in the Middle East, are fanned out around a flat plain of hard packed sand, their occupants having spilled out, dishdashes and all, onto the sand to watch crews rev their souped-up 4x4s and gallop towards the steep incline of the largest dune. Some fair better than others, climbing two thirds of the way up the slope before having to turn and surf the sand back down. One 4×4 rolls several times before coming to a stop, the right way up, at the base of the dune. Its occupants grin and wave to the crowd.At the other end of the Corniche, residing over a marina packed with traditional dhows, is the stunning Museum of Islamic Art, created by influential Chinese American architect I. M. Pei. Although the geometric design was said to play with the shapes and shadows of the passing sun, I’m told by my hotel doorman to look for the eyes of a Muslim woman peering out from her veil. Located on its own man-made island, the museum is a stunning showcase of Islamic art from the 7th to 19th centuries, it’s elegant exhibits including ancient swords, delicate potteries and ornate tapestries.
