“Even though the crisis has exposed Qatar’s fragility, it has also exposed another area of Qatar’s strength that nobody really saw,” said Al Khori, who’s in charge of partnerships for schools at Qatar Foundation, which focuses on education and science. Qataris are coming together in an unprecedented way, he said.
At the Fire Station Gallery, Al-Semaitt and Al-Mutlaq explained to their guests what their show, part of a bigger exhibit by Qatari and other artists, was all about. The two artists deconstructed a five-pound riyal and turned each shape and image into a work of art to show how Qatar has come to presume its riches are taken as a given, said Al-Semaitt. At least the current predicament has some positives, though, she said.“The strength and how this crisis has brought us together has made us appreciate more the blessing we live in in our country,” said Al-Semaitt. “We should learn from the past, plan for our future, but embrace the moment.”
Now it’s a question of what that moment will bring.
“The policy mix that Qatar has adopted over the last decade, but especially the last few years, was eventually going to be problematic—it wasn’t sustainable,” said Ayham Kamel, director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Eurasia Group. “The combination of all the policies it has adopted was bound to become problematic at some point.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.