Qatar Doha

​Nowadays, sustainable mobility is a main challenge addressed by policy-makers, public managers and scholars worldwide. This research presents a set of guidelines and solutions to support the design of a more sustainable mobility plan for Qatar University. A review of literature, case-studies and research initiatives is used to derive key issues; while a multi-layered methodology (primary data analyses, direct observations, and a survey) is used to design and implement a comprehensive framework to improve the current mobility system, by introducing new services and assessing the use of services which are already in place. The proposed framework can support further investigations aimed at defining new ways to face the sustainable mobility challenge within higher education institutions.

Since the 1990s, Doha, the capital city of Qatar, has experienced rapid urban growth along with rapid motorization, which together have created new opportunities but also important challenges for the Qatari government. Urban sprawl, lack of planning strategy, harsh weather, and an absence of public transport are some of the reasons that private vehicles dominate the city. This article discusses three of the main impacts of rapid growth and motorization—environmental problems, physical fragmentation of the city, and social impact—and analyzes the Qatari government's current efforts to resolve these problems. The article concludes that local policies should focus on two main areas of intervention: first, integrating land-use and transport planning; and, second, supporting a multi-modal approach to transportation (integrating different modes) that facilitates the shift from one option to another. Findings can be applied by extension to other major Gulf cities.

The rapid diffusion of themed-sport areas as legacies of mega-sporting events
is a phenomenon gaining growing attention worldwide. An example of this is offered by the city of Doha. On the occasion of the 2006 Asian Games, the capital of Qatar faced some important urban transformations. The main legacy left after staging the event is the implementation of the Aspire Zone, Doha’s Sports City. Is this legacy beneficial in the long-term? What value is added to the city and its inhabitants? Moreover, what is the role of sports events in urban regeneration and their link with urban renewal processes? This study attempts to provide insight into the potential offered by themed-sport areas as legacies of mega-events. It aims to evaluate the rationale for the realization of sports-dedicated zones, analyzing their impact from a physical and social perspective.
Specifically, the research offers an investigation into the long-term effect of the Aspire Zone, Doha Sports City, by conducting a post-occupancy evaluation. Conclusions show that there is potential to realize sports-oriented areas that are fully integrated into cities, but the design of a comprehensive and long-term plan is needed. Moreover, providing a sports city with a variety of different activities and functions will contribute to attracting different types of users and will avoid occasional use.

في العقد الأخير (2001-2011) أصبحت قطر من أكثر الدول العربية نموا وتقدما، كما أصبحت الدولة الأغنى في العالم ، وقد ساهمت البيئة الاقتصادية والثقافية والاجتماعية والسياسية الايجابية والمستقرة في خلق تجربة تنموية واستثمارية متميزة على صعيد الشرق الأوسط بأكمله . ولا يمكن أن يتجاوز منصف النهضة العمرانية والمعمارية الغير مسبوقة التي تشهدها قطر وتلك النهضة التي توازن بين القيم التاريخية للتراث والطموحات اللامحدودة للتطور والنمو الكمي والنوعي بلورت مكانا جديدا لقطر ومدنها وخاصة الدوحة لتؤسس مكانا بارزا على المسرح العالمي للمدن الجاذبة والمشجعة على أنماط متميزة من الحياة والأكثر أهمية ان هذا الطرح يندمج مع زيادة مستمرة في الوعي البيئي وأهمية تحقيق تنمية مستدامة مبشرة للأجيال القادمة. أن قطر بصفة خاصة ودول منطقة الخليج بصفة عامة تشهد متغيرات تنموية واستثمارية ذات انعكاسات معمارية وعمرانية غير مسبوقة وتستحق يقظة الباحث والمحلل والمصمم ومتخذ القرار. والنتاج المعماري والعمراني والتخطيطي في السنوات الأخيرة يستحق التقييم والتفاعل المستمر كما أن النظرة الناضجة إلى تراث قطر التقليدي تستحق الدعم والاستمرارية ومن ثم خلق تيارات متعددة ومتنوعة للتعامل مع التحديات التنموية في قطر المعاصرة. تساؤلات شديدة الأهمية عن التحولات المعاصرة في مدن الخليج عامة وقطر خاصة مع التوجه نحو التنوع الاقتصادي وتجاوز حقبة الاعتماد الكامل على النفط كركيزة اقتصادية جوهرية وظهور تصورات جديدة في العمارة والعمران في عصر ما بعد النفط وعصر الاقتصاد المعرفي الإبداعي .

وعلى مستوى التأثير العالمي سيناقش البحث بصورة خاصة ثلاث ظواهر جوهرية وشمولية التأثير وهى بالترتيب : العولمة والتنمية المتواصلة والحقبة الرقمية الناتجة عن ثورة المعلومات التي ساهمت في ظهور تصنيف جديد من المشروعات في قطر وهي المشروعات ايقونية الطابع التي لا تؤثر فقط على التطور والتشكيل المعماري والعمراني لدولة قطر وإنما يمتد تأثيرها إقليميا وعربيا مثل مشروع اللؤلؤة العقاري ومدينة لوسيل ومشيرب قلب الدوحة. وتعتمد الرؤية البحثية على التركيز على تحليل طموحات الدوحة في تحدي النقص المعرفي وعبور الفجوة الرقمية ومحاولات إنشاء مجتمعات المعرفة Knowledge Communities التي ترتكز على أن المساهمة في إبداع مستقبل الكيان الإنساني ومستقبل البشرية هو ركيزة التطور فى الاقتصاد المعتمد على المعرفة Knowledge Economy  .
يقدم البحث تعريفا لتوجهات التنمية العمرانية والتخطيطية واليات الاستثمار في مدينة الدوحة وعلاقتها بالتصور المستقبلي لتخطيط المدينة على ركائز الاقتصاد المعرفي والإبداعي. كما يحلل البحث آليات التنمية العمرانية التي تستوعب التوجهات والرغبات الاستثمارية في إطار الخطة الشاملة لتنمية الدوحة ورؤية تنمية قطر 2030، ويهدف البحث إلى تقديم إطارا منهجيا شاملا لتقييم واحدة من أهم التجارب التنموية الاستثمارية بالمدن العربية في العقد الأخير.

The cities of today are anything but virtuous, and the majority of the population currently living in urban areas consume the majority of our planet's energy, producing the great part of greenhouse gases. These figures are sufficient to make us aware of how the quality of life of billions of people will depend upon the extent to which urban agglomerations will be capable of becoming virtuous. Transforming the cities of today into sustainable cities, therefore, has become an inevitable course of action. In this context, planning mega events can be the occasion for the transformation of large urban areas that, in the ordinary practice, they would hardly find occasion and means for their implementation. Mega events, from the Olympics to soccer World Cup, are often regarded as a key driver for the overall redevelopment of a city. Mega-events have driven the urban transformation of cities such as Barcelona, London, Rio, Beijing, and Shanghai, but while the prospect of economic growth is the driving force for hosting a major event, the legacies that follow their hosting, especially in terms of sustainability, are difficult to design and quantify. Focusing specifically on mega sports events, the paper intends to identify how they can be used as catalysts for promoting sustainability awareness, and sustainable urban regeneration and growth. This paper discusses the urban legacies from two main case studies (i.e.: 2006 South Africa World Cup and 2012 London Olympic Games), and analyses major processes involved in the design and development of a sports event. The conclusions question how an emerging global city as Doha, which will be the first Middle Eastern and Gulf city to host a soccer World Cup, will benefit by hosting this event, and indicate potential directions for further research, framed particularly around Gulf countries.

The origins of the Souk Waqif date from the time when Doha was a village and its inhabitants gathered on the banks of the wadi to buy and sell goods. The revitalisation project, a unique architectural revival of one of the most important heritage sites in Doha, was based on a thorough study of the history of the market and its buildings, and aimed to reverse the dilapidation of the historic structures and remove inappropriate alterations and additions. The architect attempted to rejuvenate the memory of the place: modern buildings were demolished; metal sheeting on roofs was replaced with traditionally built roofs of dangeal wood and bamboo with a binding layer of clay and straw, and traditional strategies to insulate the buildings against extreme heat were re-introduced. Some new features were also introduced, such as a sophisticated lighting system that illuminates the markets streets. In complete contrast to the heritage theme parks that are becoming common in the region, Souk Waqif is both a traditional open-air public space that is used by shoppers, tourists, merchants and residents alike, and a working market.

Since the 1990s, the Gulf region has experienced unprecedented economic development, along with rapid urban growth and motorisation. Together, this has created new social and business opportunities for the local populations but also important challenges for the local governments, especially with regard to sustainable development. Urban sprawl, lack of planning, harsh weather conditions, the absence of pedestrian walkways, and — until now — an absence of public transport are among the main problems that some of the major Gulf cities face. Doha, in particular, has almost quadrupled in terms of population size over the past two decades, growing from around 450,000 people in 1995 to almost 2 million today. This rapid population expansion has led to a vast urban growth, with the construction of new neighbourhoods, shopping malls, and other amenities, and completely reshaped the city.

This article aims to describe the urban planning processes and the construction sector in Qatar’s capital city. It looks at Doha’s planning management and briefly explains some of the links between the oil and gas and the real estate sectors. It highlights the lack of sustainable planning practices, noting that construction in the city is characterised by the proliferation of mega-projects and the role of sports in the planning process. The article then looks at the social and spatial fragmentation of the city and concludes with recommendations for policy changes.

With the aim of diversifying its economy and developing itself as a tourist destination, in recent years, Qatar has hosted many international sports events and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Doha, its capital city, is literally under construction, and is facing important changes in terms of transportation, infrastructure, and sports facilities. However, past experiences show that outcomes from staging major events are mostly harmful, and their legacies planned to last only for a short time. This trend is even stronger when considering how sports facilities and their surroundings are utilized after the event is over. Usually, sports venues are under-used and very costly to maintain, while their neighbourhoods are underutilized and abandoned pieces of cities. What will be left after the 2022 World Cup? How to leverage this event as a momentum of experimentation and sustainable growth of its capital city, Doha? Within this context, the aim of this research is to identify strategies to plan and maximize the post-event use of event sites and venues, and make their neighbourhoods more liveable and sustainable. The research has a specific focus on the city of Doha, which hosted the 2006 Asian Games and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The study investigates firstly its public spaces, and then analyses the government’s legacy plans for the 2022 World Cup. The research aims at deriving some of the most recurrent mistakes and malpractices by hosting cities, by defining a ‘lowest common denominator’ of key factors to consider when planning mega sports events and their legacies.

The chapter analyses an interesting case of heritage preservation which
led to creating one of the most unique and vibrant urban, public and creative spaces in the city of Doha, the Capital of the State of Qatar. The chapter focuses on the multi-layered urban condition that was generated in the city as a result of an unprecedented integration between positive public and green spaces, rehabilitated architectural heritage and public art. This trilogy as manifested in the urban fabric of Doha,
provided the city with a new interpretation of the holistic role of the public space as
magnet for people’s gathering and existential expressions if planned not as a mere
recreational space but as an opportunity to exhibit the sophistication of the community. The chapter concludes with a framework constructs a vision for public spaces in Qatar and other Gulf cities which are in dire need to revisit the concept of public spaces, urban diversity, assembling identity, particularly in such a turmoil times of uncertainty resulted from tough economic pressures due to the decreased oil prices and the COVID-19 unfolding consequences.

The ceremonial opening of London’s Shard Tower, owned by Qatar Investment
Authority, was a prime scene in the unfolding drama of Doha’s endeavor to construct
a new urban development brand within the Gulf and the Middle East. Shard Tower
was designed by prominent architect Renzo Piano to be the highest building ever
built in the capital of conservation, London city. Extending Qatar’s investment arm
outside of the Gulf and the Middle East and stretching it towards Europe and UK
was part of a well-planned process for building Qatar’s new assembled identity and
urban brand. The critical narrative of constructing such a brand is the focus of this
paper. During the last decade, Qatar has managed to carve a niche for itself on the
global stage. As a result of its position in the global energy market, the country is
going through massive expansion and has the resources to support this growth. This
paper analyzes the process of constructing such a brand: Dohaization.

follow the link,
http://www.cdmy.org/cmy/cmy27.pdf

o  News July-December 2018, p. 6
o  Articles
o  Jean-François Faü (Université Senghor, Alexandrie) 
Note sur deux manuscrits en hébreu de Zaylaʿ (Somaliland), p. 44
o  Sami Lagati (Université Paris-Sorbonne) 
Taqrīr ‘an al-Yaman de Fudayl al-Wartilani : Un papier manuscrit à l'origine de la chute du régime de l'Imam Yahyā (1947-1948), p. 55
o  Ismail K. Poonawala (UCLA, USA)
The Contribution of Ismāʿīlī Colophons to the Discussion on the Birth and Construction of the Arabic Manuscript Tradition, p. 74
o  Anne Regourd (CNRS, UMR 7192)
Note sur le marché des corans rassoulides : catalogue, p. 140.

Hosting mega-events can not only catalyse urban development, but also lead to an improvement of local planning systems and building planning capacity. Events can create knowledge transfer from one city to another, and be used as tools for experimenting new prototypes and urban templates but on a smaller scale. Within this context, this research aims at identifying strategies for leveraging mega-events to improve local planning capacity. Relevant best practices in the use of events as planning enhancers are derived from the literature, and then applied to a case study, the city of Doha. In fact, the capital of Qatar has all the characteristics for benefiting from events. Firstly, it is a city that has already and will host in the imminent future many international events. Secondly, Doha is managing with difficulties its rapid urban development, and needs to improve its planning system. Results show there is a potential for benefiting from events in two ways: they can assist knowledge transfer from international consultancy to local agencies, and vice versa. In addition, events can act as the glue for overcoming the fragmentation of Doha's planning system, by facilitating the implementation of 2030 Qatar National Vision, the country's comprehensive blueprint.

This book chapter considers how sustainable development fits in the social, political, and cultural context of contemporary Doha, Qatar. After a review of sustainable development and urban development in Qatar, this chapter makes several contentions. First, it contends that sustainable development poses a challenge to the political stability of a society that distributes state-controlled wealth to its citizenry through urban development. Second, it points to the fact that Qatar's tribal/authoritarian political regime is antithetical to some of the bottom-up democratic principles thought to underpin sustainable development. Finally, it suggest that the consignment of sustainable development efforts to the spatial discourse of urban planning in Doha and throughout the region also confounds the principles of sustainable development.

Given the mixed interpretations of the concept of “Resilient Cities”, this paper calls for a more comprehensive understanding of the concept and its holistic impact on the way cities are designed, planned and developed. By labelled as resilient, cities should transcend the limited definition of the resilient cities concept which focuses on merely environmental and readiness for climate change impact and other forms of natural disasters. Resilience as an attribute for cities and as will be shown in the case of Doha, the capital city of Qatar, should be holistic and inclusive to embrace all aspects of city development including economical base, cultural assets, social structure and urban development. Using the case of Doha, the paper illustrates a new conceptual understanding of cities’ resilience. The paper analyses the contemporary evolution in Doha and highlights the milestones in structuring the new vison for Doha’s development as a resilient city holistically. In the last decade, the city was subjected to a number of radical transformations started from winning the bid to host the 2022 FIFA world cup, decrease in oil prices and finally the sea, air and land blockade imposed on Qatar by its adjacent neighbors. The paper illustrates Doha’s model in providing an interesting case of resilience which allows the city to successfully cope with the consequences of all the major shocks, stress and unforeseen challenges, the city have faced in the last decade.

Gated communities, a recognizable form of housing developments in the Gulf region, have dramatic impact on neighborhoods and cities as well as on the quality of urban life of people. This paper attempts to understand the impact of this rapidly emerging housing typology on urban sustainability. It investigates the sustainability of gated communities and explores their perception by the society. Primary data was obtained through standardized questionnaire and personal interviews. Secondary data was obtained from publications, journals, and textbooks. The results indicated that the trend of living in gated communities is very low priority among Qataris. They do not consider gated communities suitable for their lifestyle, needs and wants. They prefer living in independent residential units which have no shared entries or staircases with others. The paper concludes that new legislation and guidelines are needed to make gated communities more socially and economically sustainable and attr...

Universities everywhere are witnessing growing numbers of students in cross-border, international, and transnational spaces. This trend has resulted in many educators revising their curricula, pedagogical approaches, and assumptions about what it means to provide a university education in the 21st century. This edited collection contributes to a growing body of research in international and transnational education by looking back and looking forward at globalization’s impact on higher education.
The authors in this volume aim to provide a solid base of theoretical knowledge and practical applications to readers in similar situations. With growing numbers of students and teachers moving – physically and virtually – across international borders, their expertise is needed. The collection contains authors from Germany, Ghana, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United States of America, and from varied disciplines such as education, English language teaching, higher education administration, indigenous studies, literature, mathematics, rhetoric and composition, and writing center studies.

Through an analysis of ethnography, material culture and the built environment, this paper elaborates experiences and aspirations of two different population groups with a common ‘temporal’ housing experience: vernacular courtyard houses of Doha.

As Qatari families, who originally built and inhabited these houses in Qatar’s pre and early oil periods, left for modern western style villas in government planned neighbourhoods, they rented their older houses to the low-income migrant workers as shared accommodations. Since 70s and 80s, ever increasing number of migrant workers have been inhabiting and adapting these houses through persisting vernacular practices. Meanwhile, they send back their remittances to their countries of origin to build new houses inspired by modern Qatari villas. While both population groups utter an attachment to these vernacular courtyard houses in various ways, their aspiration are the architect-designed modern villas.

Based on observation and photographic documentation in these houses and semi-structured interviews with both population groups, this paper seeks answers to the following questions: “what do the vernacular courtyard houses mean to their previous Qatari and current transnational inhabitants?” and “what does living in a modern house signify them?” in their particular socio-political and economic contexts. In doing so, it looks into the role of the Qatari state in shaping these meanings for both population groups.

With the aim of diversifying its economy and develop itself as a tourist destination, in recent years, Qatar has hosted many international sports events and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Doha, Qatar's capital city, is literally under construction, and is facing important changes in terms of transportation, infrastructure, and sports facilities. However, past experiences have shown that the outcomes of staging major sports events are mostly harmful, and their planned legacies last only for a short time. This trend becomes even stronger when considering how sports facilities and their surroundings are utilized after the event is over. Usually, sports venues become white elephants, and their neighborhoods islands of placelessness, underutilized and abandoned pieces of the city. What will be left after the World Cup? How to leverage this event as a moment of experimentation and sustainable growth of its capital city, Doha? In this context, the aim of this research is to identify strategies to plan and maximize the post-event usage of event sites and venues, and make their neighborhoods more livable and sustainable. The research has a specific focus on the city of Doha, which hosted the 2006 Asian Games and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It starts with a critical review of relevant precedents from the Western and the Eastern world, and then continues with an in-depth analysis of three selected case studies, namely the cities of London, Sochi, and Rio de Janeiro that recently hosted major sports events. Finally, the research focuses on the context of Doha, investigating its public spaces and planning system, and analyzing the government's legacy plans for the 2022 World Cup. The expected results include a set of guidelines and recommendations to help Doha transform its sports venues and event sites into lasting, sustainable, and livable public open spaces, and, more generally, to define strategies for achieving successful legacies from the host of mega sports events. The results of this research can also be applied to other Gulf cities that share many similarities in terms of their urban form and planning systems, and that face for the first time the challenges and opportunities offered by the host of mega events. Cite this article as: Azzali S. Qatar 2022 World Cup and its legacies: How to promote sustainable and livable open spaces in the city of Doha through mega sports events

Until few decades ago, Qatar was dominated by nomadic people whose livelihood depended on fishing, pearling, camel breeding, and dhow building. However, the discovery of oil and gas has encouraged not only socioeconomic changes, but environmental changes as well. The chapter argues that knowledge and creative cities should be perceived as the most relevant model of development for a sustainable growth of Gulf States including Qatar. A focus on Doha as an emerging knowledge and creative city amid the Middle Eastern cities will be used as the core case study to examine the main hypothesis of the chapter. The ability to analyze such an example can be of benefit to the ongoing process of development in the Gulf States. The chapter clarifies how Qatar is capturing the world's imagination by balancing global aspirations and local necessities. My account will cover the main strategies adopted by the country's leaders to create a new development brand amid Gulf States. Such a band is articulated to emphasize the distinction of the Qatari experience as oppose to creating a repetitive model in the rest of the Gulf. The chapter also analyzes the shift over the past decade which reveals how numerous cities view knowledge and creativity as essential vehicles to survive in the globalized world today.

My lecturer wishes to explore the racial formation of Israel’s Eurocentered IP settlers’ regime through the interplay between the Zionist appropriations of Arab-Jewish TK [traditional knowledge] and folklore and the proliferation of  Ashkenazi [European Jewish] academic careers. Critical studies on the structure and meaning of Israeli academe have found out that it is mainly deployed by the Ashkenazi liberal-progressive hegemony as an arm of governance over Mizrahim [Jews who immigrated to Israel mainly from the Arab World] and Palestinians.

Salvaging Mizrahi cultures, the Israeli academe-regime has established a financial monopoly over the materiality of exotic Judaica discourse not only in scholarly knowledge production but also in the expert trade of intellectual, cultural and real properties. When it comes to protecting Mizrahi TK and folklore, WIPO’s 2002 post-TRIPS forum recommendations interrelating IP and TK are yet to arrive to Israel from Oman.  As is Israel’s compliance with the 1886 Berne Convention, or with the Hague 1954 Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property, or with the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property – when these treaties are scrutinized through the optics of collective Mizrahi IP.

My talk will be very preliminary – a collection of ruminations stemming out of my archival research into the Yemeni-Jewish scriptures and ornaments affair of the 1950s, its brief surface into the Israeli public sphere in the mid 1980s, and the possibilities for post-TRIPS Mizrahi activism against the appropriation and commodification of Mizrahi identity in light of the current postcolonial reshapings of the notion of authorship, and the repatriation of cultural properties from the Eurocenter back to communities of color. 

Printed, expanded Hebrew version available here: 2007.
“Cultural Property Rights and the Racial Construction of the Mizrahi as a Trade-Mark: Notes on the Revolving Door of Israel’s Academe-Regime.” In 2007. A Rainbow of Opinions: The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow’s First Decade. (Keshet Shel De`ot: `Asor LaKeshet HaDemokratit HaMizrahit, Hebrew) Pp. 198-204. Tel Aviv: November Press. REPRINTED IN 2008 Mahbarot Kolno`a Darom  (“South Cinema Notebooks”, Heb. – a Humanities periodical) 2:161-166.

It is no coincidence that Doha, the capital of Qatar, began its most watched and reported ascent onto the global stage of striding cities in the wake of the current global financial crisis. Doha’s leaders have announced and begun to deliver a series of development proposals that have been filling the vacuum for good-news stories in real estate and development media outlets since the global financial crisis began. The city has a modest population size at under 1.5 million people (comparable to Phoenix, AZ), a great majority (about 90%) of whom are expatriates and are expected to leave eventually. The city is therefore inevitably international; it cannot exist without its overwhelmingly foreign majority, which is able to work there because of the country’s vast natural gas reserves. As the only city of note in “the world’s wealthiest country,” Doha’s development and ambitions represent those of Qatar, and vice versa. Therefore, there are few examples of where Doha’s municipal governance is demarcated from a national one. One might describe Doha as a city-state surrounded by a desert of villages that defer to it.

A short essay that suggests a spatial pattern (or urban spatial discourse) that continues to shape urbanization in Doha, and includes a discussion of Landscape and Transformation, a photography exhibit that explores Doha's urbanism and urbanization.

Amidst chaotic growth of Asian cities, the expansion of urban infrastructure in the Middle East's Gulf region is arguably outpacing any other region on the planet. Yet we have a limited understanding of the types of urban form or the extent to which this rapid urbanization is giving rise to sustainable patterns of growth. We ask, what is the pace and character of urban growth in one Middle East city, Doha, Qatar. By using remotely sensed imagery from 1987 to 2013, we examined the pace, quality, and characteristics of urban growth. We further use the results to create a typology of urban growth that integrates historical and spatial dimensions for describing the qualitative aspects of growth and its implications on regional landscapes. Our results suggest that Doha is creating development patterns similar to many Western cities, and that planners may need to consider whether the emerging urban form offers opportunities for more sustainable growth in the future.

Les crises qui se sont produites récemment au Moyen-Orient, ont rapproché la Turquie et le Qatar dont les relations étaient déjà au beau fixe. Le président de la République Recep Tayyip Erdogan avait récemment réalisé une visite d’Etat au Qatar. Nous allons cette semaine analyser la visite d’Erdogan au Qatar et les développements dans la région.

Qatar is an arid country, with limited water resources. The country relies on desalination of seawater to meet the increasing water demand for municipal and industrial needs, while the agricultural sector uses the precious fresh groundwater. Groundwater underneath Qatar is mostly saline or brackish with small lenses of fresh water in the northern part of the country. Brackish groundwater in Qatar has a Total Dissolved Solids of less than 10,000 mg/ l, compared to seawater, which is 35,000 mg/l. Using brackish and saline groundwater for desalination via beach wells is less costly and more environmental friendly than direct sea water intake, which is being used in Qatar. The main challenge facing beach wells usage is their questionable capacity to provide enough quantities for desalination plants. This study investigates the optimal location and the maximum yield of beach wells in Qatar, using Sea Water Intrusion model (SWI2), coupled with MODFLOW. Model results show the maximum yield of wells at a depth of 100 m is 16,000 m 3 per km 2. This quantity is good enough for a medium size reverse osmosis plant. Based on hydrogeological settings, the proposed location for the beach wells is near Al-Khor town and to the north of it.

Since the mid-1950s, Arab nations have taken increasing control over not only their own destiny and sovereignty but also their culture. The mid-2000s in particular witnessed an unprecedented pace of development that transformed the urban scene in contemporary Gulf cities. Economic growth in the Gulf States of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia is happening at extreme speed, with results both familiar
and spectacular: ultra-modern cities, spectacular new tourism destinations and unprecedented global economic engagement through huge independent wealth funds invested globally. Mirroring this development, the 2010s have also witnessed extensive and rapid growth in museum activity, with the regeneration of existing museums, the founding of major new ones and the creation of international satellites as Pamela Erskine-Loftus (2013) argues. Regular participation in world-class cultural events and exhibitions is becoming an annual activity for Arab states. In the case of the Venice Biennale,1 two Arab countries won the golden lion prizes. Egypt (1995) and Bahrain (2010) used unique interpretations of their local traditional architecture and related forms of art to engage visitors in unique spatial experiences. Egypt’s installation integrated architectural experience with sculpture and authentic music, while Bahrain’s installed authentic fishermen’s huts transported from Bahrain. The local and regional impacts of such prizes were tremendous. Such world recognition paved the way for a serious discussion in the Arab world and the Gulf about the value of heritage and how it can be seen as an inspirational catalyst and essential component of a dynamic cultural identity.
With such unprecedented developments and transformation, legitimate questions regarding the identity of Gulf cities emerged. A quest for identity in Qatar and the whole of the Middle East implies a twofold pursuit. First, it should speak to the locality and relate to the community’s heritage and roots. Second, it should respect the global aspirations and each city’s compelling desire to accommodate a place on the global stage, in addition to branding itself as a global city attracting tourists, knowledge workers and global citizens.

Computer-generated images have become the common means for architects and developers to visualise and market future urban developments. This article examines within the context of the experience economy how these digital images aim to evoke and manipulate specific place atmospheres to emphasise the experiential qualities of new buildings and urban environments. In particular, we argue that computer-generated images are far from ‘just’ glossy representations but are a new form of visualising the urban that captures and markets particular embodied sensations. Drawing on a 2-year qualitative study of architects’ practices that worked on the Msheireb project, a large-scale redevelopment project in Doha (Qatar), we examine how digital visualisation technology enables the virtual engineering of sensory experiences using a wide range of graphic effects. We show how these computer-generated images are laboriously materialised in order to depict and present specific sensory, embodied regimes...

In May 2013 the Center for Research Design and Entrepreneurship received a commission from the company Maersk Oil Qatar to design a brochure about the proper installation and use of child car seats. The team tasked with creating the brochure began with a question: how can design change peoples’ behavior? This question was the first step toward the quick evolution and exponential expansion of the project from a single brochure on child car seats to a nation-wide campaign and social movement encompassing all aspects of road safety. The Center for Research Design and Entrepreneurship at VCUQatar began with ideas for the commissioned brochure on child car seats as a foundation and turned to both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to answer key questions about changing behaviors and the impact of design. The multidisciplinary team combined design thinking and participatory research to develop a series of pilot projects, which led to the development of the “ONE SECOND” campaign. The government of Qatar has adopted this campaign and the team is now responsible for deploying the project nationwide. This paper presents the evolution of the project from small and focused to large-scale and widespread, and the integration of research and design at each step. The “ONE SECOND” campaign is as an example of a successful integrative-interdisciplinary research project that demonstrated a practical model applicable in addressing social problems.

The last 20 years of the 20th century, Gulf urbanity was mainly characterized by a commitment to use oil revenues to allow primitive, small and simple Gulf cities to rapidly transform into modern status. A process of massive transformation of the endless deserts into real estate mega projects coupled with qualitative upgrade of cities’ infrastructure to get them ready for a new modern condition. Observing skylines of cities in the Gulf or tracing their geographical boundaries during the last two decades would prove what diverse researchers have considered unprecedented momentum of development. Yet, during the last five years, major Gulf cities have emerged as rapid growing knowledge economy localities. A well-planned process for building Qatar’s new assembled identity and urban brand. Qatar is now capturing the world’s imagination with an exceptional balance between global aspirations and local necessities. Doha, its capital is planned as future hub in different areas such as a cultural hub exemplified by museums and cultural events. A sports hub manifested in a considerable number of world class events including the Asian Games of 2006 to the successful bid for World Cup 2022. Doha is gradually becoming a business and services hub as manifested in the intensive activities of international companies, banks and oil and energy industries. The critical narrative of constructing such a brand is the focus of this paper. The paper examines the vision and strategy of Qatar to use its oil and gas revenues to diversify its economy.