Inside Qatar

Author: John McManus
Publisher: Icon Books
ISBN: 1785788221
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
'A wonderful and sometimes devastating book ... sophisticated, nuanced, fair-minded and yet very hard hitting' SIMON KUPER, author of SOCCERNOMICS 'This will transport you to Qatar and teach you with humanity and empathy some of the dark truths about globalisation' BEN JUDAH, author of THIS IS LONDON 'John McManus is a remarkable, compelling writer' RORY STEWART, author of THE PLACES IN BETWEEN 'Wise, well informed, fair-minded and honest' PETER OBORNE, author of THE ASSAULT ON TRUTH AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF LIFE IN ONE OF THE WORLD'S RICHEST NATIONS AHEAD OF THE FIFA 2022 WORLD CUP Just 75 years ago, the Gulf nation of Qatar was a backwater, reliant on pearl diving. Today it is a gas-laden parvenu with seemingly limitless wealth and ambition. Skyscrapers, museums and futuristic football stadiums rise out of the desert and Ferraris race through the streets. But in the shadows, migrant workers toil in the heat for risible amounts. Inside Qatar reveals how real people live in this surreal place, a land of both great opportunity and great iniquity. Ahead of Qatar's time in the limelight as host of the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, anthropologist John McManus lifts a lid on the hidden worlds of its gilded elite, its spin doctors and thrill seekers, its manual labourers and domestic workers. The sum of their tales is not some exotic cabinet of curiosities. Instead, Inside Qatar opens a window onto the global problems - of unfettered capitalism, growing inequality and climate change - that concern us all.

Changing Qatar

Author: Geoff Harkness
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 1479894656
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Book Description
A cultural study of modern Qatar and how it navigates change and tradition Qatar, an ambitious country in the Arabian Gulf, grabbed headlines as the first Middle Eastern nation selected to host the FIFA World Cup. As the wealthiest country in the world—and one of the fastest-growing—it is known for its capital, Doha, which boasts a striking, futuristic skyline. In Changing Qatar, Geoff Harkness takes us beyond the headlines, providing a fresh perspective on modern-day life in the increasingly visible Gulf. Drawing on three years of immersive fieldwork and more than a hundred interviews, he describes a country in transition, one struggling to negotiate the fluid boundaries of culture, tradition, and modernity. Harkness shows how Qataris reaffirm—and challenge—traditions in many areas of everyday life, from dating and marriage, to clothing and humor, to gender and sports. A cultural study of citizenship in modern Qatar, this book offers an illuminating portrait that cannot be found elsewhere.

Qatar

Author: Allen J. Fromherz
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
ISBN: 1626164908
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Book Description
What role does Qatar play in the Middle East, and how does it differ from the other Gulf states? How has the ruling Al-Thani family shaped Qatar from a traditional tribal society and British protectorate to a modern state? How has Qatar become an economic superpower with one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world? What are the social, political, and economic consequences of Qatar’s extremely rapid development? In this groundbreaking history of modern Qatar, Allen J. Fromherz analyzes the country’s crucial role in the Middle East and its growing regional influence within a broader historical context. Drawing on original sources in Arabic, English, and French as well as his own fieldwork in the Middle East, the author deftly traces the influence of the Ottoman and British Empires and Qatar’s Gulf neighbors prior to Qatar’s meteoric rise in the post-independence era. Fromherz gives particular weight to the nation’s economic and social history, from its modest origins in the pearling and fishing industries to the considerable economic clout it exerts today, a clout that comes from having the region’s second-highest natural gas reserves. He also looks at what the future holds for Qatar’s economy as the country tries to diversify beyond oil and gas. The book further examines the paradox of Qatar where monarchy, traditional tribal culture, and conservative Islamic values appear to coexist with ultramodern development and a large population of foreign workers who outnumber Qatari citizens. This book is as unique as the country it documents—a multifaceted picture of the political, cultural, religious, social, and economic makeup of modern Qatar and its significance within the Gulf Cooperation Council and the wider region.

Media in Qatar

Author: Dr. Khalid Al-Jaber
Publisher: Gulf International Forum
ISBN:
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Book Description

Qatar

Author: Mehran Kamrava
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 0801454301
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 295

Book Description
The Persian Gulf state of Qatar has fewer than 2 million inhabitants, virtually no potable water, and has been an independent nation only since 1971. Yet its enormous oil and gas wealth has permitted the ruling al Thani family to exert a disproportionately large influence on regional and even international politics. Qatar is, as Mehran Kamrava explains in this knowledgeable and incisive account of the emirate, a "tiny giant": although severely lacking in most measures of state power, it is highly influential in diplomatic, cultural, and economic spheres. Kamrava presents Qatar as an experimental country, building a new society while exerting what he calls "subtle power." It is both the headquarters of the global media network Al Jazeera and the site of the U.S. Central Command's Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center. Qatar has been a major player during the European financial crisis, it has become a showplace for renowned architects, several U.S. universities have established campuses there, and it will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar's effective use of its subtle power, Kamrava argues, challenges how we understand the role of small states in the global system. Given the Gulf state's outsized influence on regional and international affairs, this book is a critical and timely account of contemporary Qatari politics and society.

Does Skill Make Us Human?

Author: Natasha Iskander
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691217572
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

Book Description
Regulation : how the politics of skill become law -- Production : how skill makes cities -- Skill : how skill is embodied and what it means for the control of bodies -- Protest : how skillful practice becomes resistance -- Body : how definitions of skill cause injury -- Earth : how the politics of skill shape responses to climate change.

Qatar Papers

Author: Christian Chesnot
Publisher: Averroes & Cie
ISBN: 2914057008
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Book Description
The “Qatar papers” reveal the mapping of proselytism in France and Europe led by Qatar Charity, the most powerful Qatari NGO. These confidential documents, disclosed for the first time, detail most of the 140 projects to finance mosques, schools and Islamic centres, for the benefit of associations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. They reveal the salary paid to Tariq Ramadan, a figure of political Islam that Doha sponsors outside its borders. At the end of a survey in six European countries and a dozen cities in France, the authors expose the concealment, sometimes the double language, of Muslim associations on their foreign funding, as well as the ostrich policy followed by many mayors, out of electoralism or ignorance. They point out the absurdity of the situation: with the faithful's money alone as a subsidy, how could mosques in France deprive themselves of aid from abroad? A journey behind-the-scenes of a wealthy and opaque NGO linked to the top of the Qatari state, as revealed by its funding by several members of the ruling family, the Al Thani.

Qatar

Author: Tamra Orr
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
ISBN: 9780761425663
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 156

Book Description
This book provides comprehensive information on the geography, history, governmental structure, economy, cultural diversity, peoples, religion, and culture of Qatar. All books of the critically-acclaimed Cultures of the World(R) series ensure an immersive experience by offering vibrant photographs with descriptive nonfiction narratives, and interactive activities such as creating an authentic traditional dish from an easy-to-follow recipe. Copious maps and detailed timelines present the past and present of the country, while exploration of the art and architecture help your readers to understand why diversity is the spice of Life.

Qatar

Author: Diana Untermeyer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781936474042
Category : Qatar
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Qatar occupies a thumb of land that extends off the Arabian Peninsula into the Persian Gulf. This nation, though small in size, represents more than a strategic geographical location-it is uniquely beautiful and culturally rich. Qatar: Sand, Sea and Sky is an overview of the country and its journey into modernity while it preserves the duality of its culture as a desert by the sea. Stunning photography pairs with informative and personal text by the wife of the most recent United States ambassador to Qatar to give Westerners traveling to Qatar on business or for World Cup preparations an inside understanding of this moderate Muslim country and the way it attempts to become modern and engaged with the world without losing its heritage. It includes an introduction by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, current chair of the Qatari Foundation Reach Out to Asia and daughter of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the current Emir of Qatar.

Hidden in the Sands

Author: Frances Gillespie
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781909339064
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The first book of its kind to be published for a general readership from youngsters upwards, Hidden in the Sands: Uncovering Qatar's Past is the fascinating, fun and educational story of Qatar's heritage and the exciting discoveries being made by archaeologists. This informative and delightful book is designed to assist in the teaching of the new Qatari History Curriculum directive. It is published through the generosity of Maersk Oil as part of its program to support education and unlock Qatar's history and heritage. Hidden beneath the sand and sea and revealed on rocks are the clues which explain why this ancient land has been such a key region throughout history. Here you can follow the detective work of archaeologists and discover Qatar's rich past. In conjunction with a fully interactive website and also available in an Arabic edition, Hidden in the Sands describes in words and pictures the treasures uncovered by archaeologists, the methods they use, and the significance of their discoveries. Today, using state-of-the-art technology for excavation, dating and conservation, teams of experts are working all over Qatar to reconstruct its past. Fully illustrated with photographs, maps and diagrams, Hidden in the Sands is embellished by the vivid and evocative illustrations of the artist Norman MacDonald. Told simply but with in-depth and up-to-date detail, it leads readers through the fascinating world of archaeology. Like reconstructing an earthenware jar from a hundred little shards, this book pieces together the fragments of the past to produce a complete and beautiful whole. The 15 chapters include: Archaeology in Qatar; How Archaeologists Work; The First People; Early Coastal Settlements; Stone Tools; Making Tools from Stone; Colour from the Sea; The Mounds of the Dead; Rock Carvings; The Golden Age; Nomads of the Desert; Seeking the Angels' Teardrops; Al Zubara; A Lost Settlement and an Ancient Fort; and Conservation of Archaeological Finds. It also contains a comprehensive Glossary, and a map showing all the main archaeological sites, as well as maps illustrating how the shape of Qatar has changed over the last 15,000 years.