Smart Young City on Gas-Lift – Doha, Qatar

In petroleum engineering parlance gas-lift is a method of lifting oil from wells which do not have enough natural pressure in the oil bearing reservoir to bring it to surface.

Doha, the capital city of Qatar has risen from the Arabian desert sands bolstered by a skyrocketing economy driven by revenues from the huge natural gas reserves. It’s a brand new city with strange and spectacular skyscrapers that are products of the imaginations of the haute architects of the modern world.

And as with the rest of the Arabian countries of the gulf, the traditional ethos yet survive amongst the rising steel and concrete edifices.

The Waqif Souk is an interesting place to spend some of your time in Doha. You can soak in the traditional flavour of an Arabian 'souk' or bazaar, browsing through the little souvenir shops, lazying in one of the cafetarias or have a nice meal in one of the upmarket restaurants. No matter how hip or modern the inside of these places are, the facades are done up in the very traditional aesthetics.

Dubai

Burj Al-Arab, Dubai – probably one of the most photographed manmade structures of the modern world and a symbol of Arab opulence. Could not help but put my budding photographic skills to test. The night time low light conditions seem to have caught on my fancy. Maybe the greater challenges involved makes it more exciting.

The desert safari, a modern day concept of negotiating desert lands on 4X4 automobiles. Also called ‘Dune Bashing’, this exhilarating adventure of riding up and down sand dunes brings in unusual moments of thrill amongst the otherwise barren desert lands. It was difficult to photograph considering the fact that I was getting thrown all around inside the 4X4 all the while! Truly, it’s been quite a journey for mankind from the desert safaris of crossing hundreds of miles of deserts merely on camels to these modern day beasts of burden – the 4X4’s!

At one of the stops there was this interesting little desert lizard posing so smartly for all of us to take its pictures!

Go Shwarma!

'Shwarma' or 'Shawarma', a very common snack seen and eaten around all over the middle east. The tower of chicken meat rotating against a heater is a common sight in the road-side eateries and restaurants. The chicken is shredded and wrapped in flat wheat bread(like 'rotis', also called 'Khabutz' around these places) with vegetables, potato fingers etc. Quite cheap and delicious!

Muscat

Capital of Oman, an unusual departure from the concrete jungles growing at frantic pace everywhere else in the Middle East. There seems to be an apparent endeavor by the Omanis to conserve a pristine way of life without overwhelming the beauty of nature. There is no indiscriminate construction of high rises and almost all buildings and houses are predominantly painted in various shades of white, which as a mater of fact even reflects the austerity and warmth of the Omanis.

This is one of those rare places where expatriates always have a word of praise and appreciation for the natives.

Oman is supposed to be a paradise for geologists because of the ubiquitous geological outcrops which also form amazing backdrops to the city of Muscat. These are basically subsurface geological stratifications exposed in almost mountainous dimensions. These are formed by tectonic plates striking each other in this area over millions of years.

Being a traditionally seafaring community most of the hustle and bustle of the city is along the coastline. One can also find some of the most scenic and unexploited beaches here nestled among the reefs. The sea waters here are teeming with life and one can enjoy the sights of marine life in trips on boats of various types. Sights of the ‘spinning’ dolphins, orcas, seagulls and many others can make for some very mesmerizing experiences off the shores of Muscat.

The Shangri-La Barr Al-Jissah Resort and Spa is an outstanding beach resort located in one of the most amazing locations in Muscat. A few shots below through my lenses.



All this and the thriving business associated with the oil and gas industry attracts numerous visitors, for business and tourism alike, to this quaint little city of the Middle East.