Reflections on Qatar

Qatar is one of the richest countries, if not the richest country, in the world.

One of the most difficult things for me to process has been the huge difference in wealth.

When you go to the shops, someone packs the bags for you. When you put air in your tyres, someone does that for you. Someone does your cleaning. Someone brings you tea at your desk at work. Someone looks after your kids.

The difference between the very rich and the very poor stares you in the face everywhere you go.

Hundreds of thousands of people, many from South East Asia and the Philippines, have had to leave their families to come to Qatar and earn some money to send back home. Manual labour is everywhere. The number of immigrant workers outnumber native Qataris 8 to 1. They work in the sweltering heat, building the city and live in 'camps' outside of the city. Human rights for some are non-existent.

For a city so rich, so shiny and new, it feels like we went back in time.