Watch Out for Doha!

Doha, Qatar is known as an employment center for many Filipinos in the Middle East. I should say that it is one fast-rising cities that part of the globe. I, together with fashion designer Renee Salud, production staff, models and dancers, were part of the B2B event in Doha sponsored by the Department of Tourism last April 30, 2017.

The city has two sides...the old city and the modern one. The old city consists of buildings that have almost the same color - beige. It is in this side that traditional way of business is being conducted. The new city has numerous modern buildings of different shapes and colors. With those alone, one can tell that Doha is going to become an important city.

As in any other developing city, Doha has its share of shopping areas. The good old souk is where you can buy items which are undoubtedly Arabian. Gold is cheap. Haggling can also be practiced. But in the new city, malls already abound. I was brought by my friend, Naj Raymundo, to the Villaggio Mall where the high end brands are housed. The floor of a certain portion of the mall have gold chunks encrusted on it.

Buildings and roads are being constructed in time for the 2022 World Cup which the city will host. There are edifices that were constructed for the Asian Games held there. The building that was the cauldron during the games now has a revolving restaurant and is home to many offices. The construction of the train system is now in full swing.

Doha, despite the seeming movement towards the future, has maintained its own Arabic charm. The preservation of its architecture and arts makes it a suitable destination for art lovers.

Watch out for Doha! It is beckoning to be the next important destination in the Middle East.