Qatar: Realm of the Possible

Description

Qatar: Realm of the Possible charts, in the form of a vivid visual journey, the rise and current state of the nation of Qatar. More than 250 masterful and evocative photographs of the Qatari landscape, cutting-edge architecture, everyday vignettes and special events from camel beauty contests to high- speed car racing accompany a cross-section of profiles of the personalities who are helping to shape the transformation of this once sleepy, relatively small Gulf state into the rising super-mini-state that is today's Qatar. Situated on a peninsula jutting out into the sea halfway along the western coast of the Gulf, Qatar's 11,400 square kilometres host a range of topographical features, including sandy coastline, mangrove swamps and desert dunes, all vividly captured here through beautiful art photography. The sprawling metropolis of its capital, Doha, is home to world-class educational institutions, prize-winning architecture and research centres at the forefront of their disciplines. Qatar is also home to what is arguably the strongest media voice in the region, as well as one of the world's most respected organs of journalism, Al Jazeera. Qatar's infrastructure growth and breathtaking financial expansion are not simply a testament to the richness of its oil and gas reserves, however. The wide-ranging and prescient vision of its ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, along with his dynamic wife, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, is shared by the majority of the population. As both an exploration and a celebration of this vision, Qatar: Realm of the Possible explores modern-day Qatar, whose landscape and culture are rapidly changing in every sense while its people strive first and foremost to balance tradition with modernity.

Hossein Amirsadeghi is a writer, publisher, editor and documentary film maker, and the driving force behind many books, including Sanctuary, Art Studio America, Nordic Contemporary and Contemporary Art Mexico.