Land of Big Ambition

Per capita, it’s the wealthiest nation on Earth. But it’s been a lengthy tale of survival against all odds; the 12 000km2 peninsula in the Persian Gulf long languished as one of the Middle East’s poorest places until oil and gas altered fortunes in the last century.

Before then, fishing and pearling were its sole sources of income and, until untethering from Britain in 1971, it had been a strife-torn enclave, too.

Woven into its convoluted history are tales of pirateering, coups, succession feuds, bitter rivalry with Abu Dhabi, and brow-furrowing statistics about the staggering wealth of the royal family whose path to leadership is a source of debate. The Ottomans essentially handed power to the ruling Al Thani family in 1825; 200 years later, Qatar remains an absolute monarchy under the Al Thanis, albeit with promises of democracy.

Current ruler, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is banking on global investments, tourism, and nation building to ensure that Qatar doesn’t end up another fast-burning star. Money’s gone into everything from Harrods to large swathes of London real estate, gargantuan wealth funds and Doha-based powerhouses such as Al Jazeera and Qatar Airways.

Hosting World Cup 2022 is perhaps Qatar’s ultimate PR opportunity. And a huge boost for the entire Middle East.