Built by the many for the few: Doha in Qatar is a city with a recent history, an ever growing skyline and a public infrastructure currently raising from the ground.
The city is rapidly being transformed on the road to the 2022 World Cup even if the boom of its oil and gas economy has slowed down due to the blockade imposed by other Gulf Staes.
I ended up in Doha five times over a period of two years year to work on one of these huge projects.
I found a land of stark class division where migrants work around the clock for the small elite of Qatari nationals and for a much bigger population of Westerners employed in the Gulf.
I took a number of photos along the way and documented a surreal place run by a traditionalist monarchy, a service “class” composed mainly of migrants from Africa, the Indian Subcontinent or the Philippines. Building sites leave way to luxury developments and life size replica of the Venice Canals while the Emir face appears everywhere, from skyscrapers facades to fridge magnets.
Nationals represent only 10% of the populations and they are not easy to spot. The city skyline is as transient as its immigrant population that is ready to move away after the World Cup is over.