Doha, Qatar

In a dynamic global economy, new configurations of capitalist production are constantly emerging, producing novel spatial assemblages and correspondingly unique geometries of power. The 'global cities' literature frames these transformative processes in an urban context, proving a theoretical pathway to better understanding the local implications of global spatial restructuring. This article introduces the concept of the 'relational city' as a device for understanding a particular subset of cities that are in many ways emblematic of the spatial transformations manifest through advanced capitalism.

يهدف هذا التقرير الى صياغة الاسباب والمبررات للوصول الى قرار علمي مدروس بشأن مصير مبنى دار الكتب القطرية. حيث ان المنطقة التي يقع بها المبنى تتعرض لعملية اعادة تخطيط متكاملة تتضمن الكثير من أعمال الهدم والازالة ومن ثم يجب حصر المباني ذات القيمة والتيقن من انها محل اهتمام وحفاظ وصيانة لما تمثله من قيم تاريخية ومعمارية وعمرانية وحضارية في مدينة الدوحة ودولة قطر بل والسياق الخليجي بأكمله.

Globalization and modernization process of the 20 th-21 st centuries decreased the diversity and created a similar cultures. The modern culture created "modern" cities as well. Modern cities provided humanity the integration into the production. Transportation, accommodation and the other needs of people that integrated to the production has designed into that cities. However, later developments and research denotes that the cities are not sustainable for long term. Air pollution, supply of water and food, accessing services are the main concerns that modern cities faced. Therefore, a new development in the concept of cities created which is smart cities. The theory of smart cities provide the administrative power of a country a well-established, sustainable and smart development. The theory implemented to Doha ,as a one of the example of latest developed/developing cities, by Qatari administration. The limited population of Qatar and a significant wealth of natural gas provide them to establish a smart city. The main catch-phrase for Qataris on that development project is modernization with protecting the heritage. This study examines how Qatar attempts to create Doha as an example of smart cities while they protect the tradition and the culture. The main focus of that study will be the economic, societal and environmental developments to denote the harmony of modernity and tradition in Doha.

The book covers number of interrelated and integrated topics and therefore, and for the sake of coherence, structured into three main parts . Part I, titled Issues, Challenges and Theoretical Concepts, Part II, titled Country-Based Case Studies and Part III, titled Transformations and Trends. The three parts are preceded by an introductory chapter setting the scene for the different chapters. A final part providing conclusions and a suggested way forward is the final chapter of the book. The hope is that book will be a resourceful reference for researchers, town planners, architects, municipality officers and decisions makers in planning and developing future knowledge cities and Knowledge-bade urban development around the Middle East.

In rentier countries around the Gulf, a paradigm shift is certainly happening. Gulf States resorted to branding strategies which would secure a global recognition for their cities. The paper analyzes the effectiveness of tools used in Doha, the capital city of Qatar to create its own identity within the Gulf States and the rest of the Middle East. The analyzed tools will include City Uniqueness, Quality of Public Spaces, Signature Architecture, Events, Festivals, Cultural Tourism and Facilities. One of the main strategies used in Doha to articulate its brand is enhancing the ability of the city to host global Events, Festivals, and international sports. Competitions and cultural Carnivals. The research illustrates the use of Interesting Architecture, Cultural Facilities, Unique streets, Public parks, City natural and man-made Uniqueness  as a City Marketing and Positive Branding Tools. The paper investigates crucial questions including the impact of the digital paradigm on the competitiveness of cities? How to regionally and globally market a city? What are the sustainable and resilient strategies for branding contemporary city? The paper also articulates a model for the case of Doha city banding and marketing which is based on a balanced approach. Such an approach would consider traditional assets including history and heritage. Also, it will include contemporary and innovative assets resulted from the last decade unprecedented investments in the sectors of education, research, culture and knowledge. Hence, the paper suggests a more holistic approach to city branding which would balance between social equity, economic prosperity and ecological integrity.

Considering Qatar’s current thrive into a post-Carbon paradigm where knowledge economy might be the generative force for urban development, an examination of how the State’s new development strategy contributes to Qatar’s new vision becomes so relevant. Doha is considered by many indicators as the most advanced city within the Middle East to adopt knowledge economy as a conceptual base for its 2030 vision. Qatar did a radical transformation to go beyond the typical
image of a Gulf city relying on presumably endless assets of oil and gas. A move towards being a regional center for education, knowledge and culture is the new aspired identity for the Gulf State.
A major investment in knowledge-based urban development characterizes major projects in the country during the last five years. The paper analyzes the process of constructing a new urban identity, and the role of new knowledge-based projects in substantiating such a trend. Then, we will exploit the findings of this discussion in the assessment and critical review of the selected projects and case studies. By analyzing the process of constructing a new urban identity for Qatar, the paper also examines the role of knowledge-based urban development in approaching a new paradigm by moving from consuming old heritage to constructing a new tradition and manufacturing an alternative contemporary heritage. The paper addresses crucial questions such as: Why knowledge based urban development is a catalyst of change in contemporary urbanity of Qatar? What is the relation between building cultural and educational facilities and pursuing a future development vision? Can knowledge-based urbanism facilitate a different level of diversified community engagement?

Qatar is one of few Middle Eastern oil producing countries that realized the vitality of a needed swift transformation from resources to knowledge economy. Until a few decades ago, Qatar was dominated by nomadic people whose livelihood depended on fishing, pearling, camel breeding, and fishing ships building. However, the discovery of oil and gas has encouraged not only socio-economic change, but environmental change as well. The discussed account will cover the main strategies adopted by the country to create a distinctive model of development in the Middle East. The study also analyzes the shift over the past decade which reveals how Qatar views investments in knowledge-based urban development as essential vehicles to survive in a globalized and competitive world. More significantly, the study illustrates an interesting form of urban resilience in the face of major challenges which faced Qatar in the last decade including, winning the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, the decline of oil prices and the air, sea and ground blockade imposed by its adjacent neighbors. The study sheds light on different urban planning strategies and policies adopted to shift the focus from creating a mega city with an image which resonate with typical global cities to a more sustainable, resilient, knowledge-based and decentralized urbanity. The model of Qatar is analyzed holistically in the paper to go form the strategic planning decisions all the way to case studies and best practice planning projects. The study demonstrates how Qatar has captured the world’s imagination by balancing global aspirations and local necessities in a sustainable and resilience context. This paper examines a framework for city and urban regions inspired by the theory of placemaking and its relevance to the boundaries of human urbanism.  The paper sheds new light on the transformation of the city from a metropolitan exploiting the oil and gas revenues to a multi-centered model of urbanism. In doing so, the city adopted a number of significant strategies include the well distributed livable urban centers, transit-oriented development, introducing compacted urbanism and encouraging models of mixed use development. The paper concludes with a planning matrix which suggest that for Qatar, adopting such strategies and the deliberate move towards multi=centered urbanism is inevitable in the age of post globalizing world, the need for an urban human scale and the challenges of post-Carbon paradigm.

Unprecedented oil revenues and strategic geopolitical significance unambiguously
positioned Gulf countries at the nexus of spatial, political, and societal
transformations. Since all Gulf countries are city-state, their contemporary portal
cities act as engines of growth in the Gulf.
However, the recent urban changes in Gulf cities suggests that the patterns
of urban growth, as practiced during the height of oil economy, might come to
an end. The popular slogan ‘If you build it, they will come’ has become irrelevant
given current challenges and has become a threatening future situation for Gulf
cities in a post-carbon world.

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 attractive to residents and citizens.

Salama, A. M. (2014) Intervention Urbanism: The Delicacy of Aspirational Change in the Old Center of Doha. Urban Pamphleteer: UCL Urban Laboratory. London, United Kingdom, PP. 1-3.

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The city of Doha keeps repositioning itself on the map of international architecture and urbanism. But, while the rapid urban growth of the city continues to be a subject of debate, little attention has been paid to the nature of change and intervention in the old city core. In this article I interrogate these processes in the light of three questions: Can an urban intervention be simultaneously local and global? Can it demonstrate international best practices without ignoring traditional knowledge? Would a prioritisation of local influences or an interest in heritage conservation represent narrow-mindedness?

This article attempts to inform a reader of the outbreak of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the US and Canada, and its impact on religions, religious practices and their respective communities throughout these countries. The Covid-19 virus has thus far killed over 201,000 people in the USA and over 9,200 in Canada. Even though the Covid-19 has lower severity and mortality rate than the previous SARS virus, it is much more transmissive, which makes it even more difficult for the communities to uphold the spread. Although many questions still require answers, my hope is that the article will contribute to the understanding of struggles which North American religious communities and its leaders had to go through by battling the virus and its spread.

ملخص
1022 ( أصبحت قطر من أكثر الدول العربية نموا وتقدما، كما أصبحت الدولة الأغنى في - في العقد الأخير ) 1002
العالم 2، 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 العم ا رنية والمعمارية الغير مسبوقة التي
تشهدها قطر وتلك النهضة التي توازن بين القيم التاريخية للت ا رث والطموحات اللامحدودة للتطور والنمو الكمي والنوعي
بلورت مكانا جديدا لقطر ومدنها وخاصة الدوحة لتؤسس مكانا بار ا ز 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 متغي ا رت تنموية واستثمارية ذات
انعكاسات معمارية وعم ا رنية غير مسبوقة وتستحق يقظة الباحث والمحلل والمصمم ومتخذ الق ا رر.

The common understanding of planning and cities evolution suggests that cities
develop organically over hundreds of years. This was not the case for most Gulf
cities. In the last few decades, contemporary Gulf cities expanded rapidly in
terms of size, urbanity, infrastructure, and population. For example,during the
last decade Gulf cities have become magnets attracting people seeking better
working opportunities from almost every part of the world. Workforces with
different skill levels, backgrounds and ideologies are pouring into Gulf cities.
The economical, political, social and cultural changes which took place during
the last decade suggest that radical changes are needed to cope with the
aspiration of nationals, particularly those of the young generations from the
Middle East. The protests of the youth1, which started in Tunisia at the end of
2010 and travelled through the Middle East all the way to Bahrain, emerged
from the lack of decent life, absence of social justice and lack of dignified sense
of citizenship. People in most Middle Eastern cities realized that they were
manipulated and betrayed. As a result, the rich Middle Eastern countries, basically
located around the Arabian Gulf, become fully aware of the necessity to
diversify their economical bases to provide more employment and quality of
life opportunities for this population segment.
While most Middle Eastern cities share a common language and religion,
contextual differences are very radical. Hence we need to understand how
cultural, social, and economical factors will facilitate or hinder transforming
Middle Eastern cities. While these nations have been trying to move from an
oil-based economy, the idea of developing a more multi-dimensional, knowledge
based economy has been seen as a solution to their social and political
problems. (Alraouf, 2008).

Cities must become resilient to a wider range of shocks and stresses.

Urban resilience is a broad concept that is sometimes blurred and abstract.

Relate the concept of urban resilience with the concept of urban sustainability.

The resilience of cities should also consider the sustainable future of the local communities and the urban territories they belong to.

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 emphasize the experiential qualities of new buildings and urban environments. In particular, we argue that CGIs 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 two 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 CGIs are laboriously materialised in order to depict and present specific sensory, embodied regimes and affective experiences to appeal to clients and consumers. Such development has two key implications. Firstly, we demonstrate the importance of digital technologies in framing the ‘expressive infrastructure’ (Thrift 2012) of the experience economy. Secondly, we argue that although the Msheireb CGIs open up a field of negotiation between producers and the Qatari client, and work quite hard  at being culturally specific, they ultimately draw “on a Westnocentric literary and sensory palette” (Tolia-Kelly 2006) that highlights the continuing influence of colonial sensibilities in supposedly postcolonial urban processes.

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.

طموحات عمران ما بعد جائحة كورونا

المدينة الصحية-النشطة-الخضراء-المستدامة

قطر ومدنها في السياق العالمي.

تحديات مدن العالم المعاصرة.
جائحة كورونا وحقبة جديدة.
تجربة دولة قطر في صياغة شمولية المدينة الصحية النشطة المستدامة المرنة.
المستوى الاول: المبنى
المستوى الثاني: الحي
المستوى الثالث المدينة
ملاحظات ختامية وتطلعات مستقبلية

The paper offered an alternative approach to the notion of urban mobility in the context of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The approach is based on an alternative planning process by which the city' streets can be transformed from merely highways fully designated for cars to a more human-centric and pedestrian-friendly streets and social places.

Resilience and resilient cities are heavily used terms in the current architecture and planning discourse. Given the mixed interpretations of the concept of "Resilient Cities", this paper calls for a more holistic understanding of the concept and its impact on the way cities are designed, planned and developed. By labelled as resilient, cities should transcend the current limited definition of the resilient cities concept which focuses merely on facing environmental challenges 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 vision for Doha's development as a resilient city holistically. In the last decade, the city was subjected to several 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 a worthy 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.

STUTZ, Kathryn (University of Puget Sound) "Transnational Museum Networks Passing Through Qatar: The Balance of Communication, Curation, and Culture"

This presentation describes the developing museum culture in Doha, the capital of the Arab Gulf nation of Qatar. As part of its path toward an information economy, Qatar has recently recruited foreign professionals to consult on museological projects, including their new national museum. Though these institutions are often framed as nationalistic efforts, the international character of their designers has led to distinct resemblances with other major museums globally. Through interviews with museum personnel and direct observation of museums within the network, this research seeks to understand how such museums balance the demands of cosmopolitan communication with those of Qatari culture.

Salama, A. M. (2008). Doha: Between Making an Instant City and Skirmishing Globalization. Special Edition of Viewpoints, Middle East Institute, American University, Washington, DC. United States, PP. 40-44.


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A tiny peninsula off of the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar has become one of the major global producers and exporters of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The wealth produced by Qatar’s oil and gas exports has generated a construction boom in its capital, Doha, and the surrounding area. This resulted in significant growth at all levels, from urban development and infrastructure provision to cultural and educational facilities.

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Read more by downloading the full article.

La Península Arábiga está siendo escenario de un espectacular desarrollo urbano a partir de la riqueza generada por la explotación de sus recursos energéticos. En este contexto, la capital qatarí, Doha, parece ahora erguirse como una de las principales competidoras de Dubái en el litoral árabe del Golfo Pérsico, a partir de un crecimiento sustentado en la importación masiva de mano de obra y un tejido urbano resultado de estrategias de inversión, desregulación y especulación que pretenden convertirla en centro de conexión global. Y es como parte de esta vocación de ciudad–aparador, que ha llevado el despotismo del automóvil a su propio delirio.

De este modo, y teniendo en cuenta la falta de transporte público rodado, la carretera se presenta como un espacio performativo y de interacción que hasta ahora ha permitido la copresencia anónima de individuos y grupos y el inevitable contacto entre las múltiples alteridades sociales que conforman la ciudad. El espacio de circulación de intercambios en una danza que articula y ordena las competencias, contestaciones y resistencias a la hora de apropiarse de lugares que se suponen de tránsito. He ahí un territorio intersticial y móvil, que se abre paso entre espacios planeados, una suerte de descampado producido, vivido y apropiado a través de encuentros tal vez no buscados, pero que nos hablan de las dinámicas que imbrican y atraviesan la vida cotidiana real no exenta de conflictos– de la capital qatarí.

This paper is interrogating the process of constructing traditions in relation to spatial practices in two Middle Eastern cities; Cairo and Doha. They both went through unprecedented process, a revolution for the first and constructing a spectacle for the latter. The paper will focus on the concept of “Borrowing City Spaces” which means how to privately use a public space in order to construct a new tradition. Borrowing city spaces is about defining, creating and exploring boundaries between three domains; City, People and Individual.

The influx of petroleum revenue brought on by the 1973–74 oil embargo led to a dramatic widening of the scope of modernization efforts in the newly independent emirate of Qatar to include the first physical manifestations of a modern national identity in its capital, Doha. Chief among these efforts was the creation of a ‘New Doha’, the development of which included a design competition for a government centre complex that solicited entries from the offices of Kenzo Tange, James Stirling, The Architects Collaborative, and Günter Behnisch. An analysis of the brief, the government actors involved in the selection of a winner, and the entries themselves reveals conflicting visions of the architectural materialization of the new state. These conflicts encompass not only aesthetics, but also ideas concerning political structure, the relationship between the government and its people, and the audience to whom the architectural project was to be addressed. The choice of winner makes clear the national identity that the Emir aspired to at the time, while its failure to be built highlights the obstacles that remained to be overcome to achieve that goal.