Constant construction, vast contrasts and cats. Throw in a couple of classic cars and an embassy or ten and you have my new neighbourhood in Doha, Qatar.

It’s called Onaiza.

Onaiza in Zone 66, outside the main central business district, probably won’t mean anything to you.

It didn’t mean much to me either as a newbie South African still transitioning into life in this Arabic mega city.

But I now know – two months in – that living in “a compound” (a Middle Eastern take on a townhouse complex) in an emerging neighbourhood is vastly different to residing in a high-rise in the centre of Doha. (We first stayed on the 26^th floor of a hotel in West Bay when I first arrived in February 2022).

And life in Onaiza, is a world away from our surrounds overlooking the Baakens River Valley in Walmer, Gqeberha, South Africa.

Like much of Qatar, it’s a neighbour of contrasts. In this case, it’s old and new, neglected and indulged, rich and poor, and extremes of lush green and bleached desert yellow.

So welcome to Onaiza, my new ‘hood and home in Doha.

Landmark location

While I was initially unable to even remember, let alone pronounce Onaiza, I could easily describe our location.

We have a landmark on our doorstep – the 5/6 Arch Monument, alternatively known as Al Wahda Arches, the Rainbow Bridge or Madonna’s Bra.

This iconic architectural structure is the tallest and biggest monument in Qatar. (Qatar is big on arts and culture.)

Since Doha is flat (indeed, Qatar is the second flattest country in the world, after the Maldives), the 100-metre set of steel arches is a head-turner.

And, a beacon for us and our visitors!

The landmark is situated at a busy intersection, formerly called the Rainbow round-about.

Highways and walkways

Our neighbourhood is surrounded by both massive highways and wonderful walkways.

The big positive about these four- to six-lane roads, full of noisy, gas-guzzling SUVs is that they give us easy access to most everywhere across the city. (This, of course, is if you are brave enough to drive. I am not. Doing the Doha drift – driving in Qatar“>Driving in Doha is the subject of an earlier post.)

In contrast, the walkways, some of which run parallel to the highways, provide lovely safe places to exercise.

These walkways are well maintained, with gardeners working through the night and early into the morning to ensure that they are well watered. The different working rhythms are due to the extreme day-time temperatures throughout summer.

How surreal it is to be walking alone at night with the roar of traffic as company.   

I prefer early morning walks when I can see and enjoy a growing canopy of green trees and hear the sweet sound of birds. (The latter is one of the many things I miss in this land of sand!).

Recreational areas

In Onaiza, however, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to recreation and exercise.

The Onaiza Park and Recreation ground, inclusive of a sports stadium, is across the road (which, in this case, means crossing just six lanes of traffic). It will be used by Uruguay, one of the 32 teams competing in the FIFA 2022 World Cup starting next month.

It comes with a cycle track (Doha has more than 280km worth of dedicated cycle track criss-crossing the city), a walking path, park and exercise equipment.

On the other side, beyond an open tract of land and 14 lanes of traffic (I kid you not), is 5/6 Park. This popular park has a prime location on the edge of the skyscrapers in downtown Doha, Al Dafna.

Apart from being wonderfully green (in a desert), there are the usual recreational facilities and some interesting public art and a maze. 

Construction at every turn

The sound of drills and dumper trucks and the sight of cranes, building materials and diversion signage is not unique to our neighbourhood. Doha is still one massive construction site.

One of my first impressions of Doha was that of the construction under way. I lost count of the number of cranes.

(Long-time residents jokingly refer to the crane as the national bird of Qatar!)

Between us and the massive highways, and Park 5/6, is an open lot of sandy land the size of six to seven rugby fields. Work has been underway here for months.

“They’re putting down cables. Something serious,” observe residents in-the-know.

Whatever they’re doing – daily between 4pm and 10am the following day – it’s taking a while. (We’re hoping it might be a fan park for the World Cup or a parking pick-up zone for fans …)

But this activity has got nothing on the chaos at hand in the older, more established parts of our immediate neighbourhood.

Every second road appears to be under repair, so we refer to this walking route as the “obstacle course”.

Authentic Doha

Up till now, my posts have focused on the shiny and the spectacular – the Doha of picture postcards or rather, filtered Instagram shots.

Our Rainbow Bridge and adjacent parks fit this bill.

But not the area to the left of our home which feels so much more authentic – a more realistic slice of life in Doha.

This area – with its eclectic mix of life – matches what I had expected of the Middle East. It’s an eclectic melting pot of grand and smaller flat-roofed homes, dressed in pale desert hues, issuing sounds and smells far removed my own culture.

The pavements are uneven, the walls to the homes are high and entrances are ornate. There are attempts and successes with gardens; forgotten pieces of furniture and even abandoned boats.

There are shops – typical of corner cafes the world-over – where those wearing thobes, robes, shawls and Arabic headgear go about their business. Many of these folk are also heading to or from the mosques that dot the area. (No community churches, of course, since this is a Muslim country. There is the Religious Complex near Barwa City for Christians who live in Doha.)

And, in the midst of a world far removed from mine, there are the cats and the classic cars.

Cats and classic cars

I had anticipated the cats, just not so many, but was completely surprised by the classic cars to be found in this part of the hood.

I had not known that the Qatari community are renowned collectors of vintage and classic cars since collecting represents a cherished facts of the country’s heritage and history. (I look forward to visiting Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum which also has a collection of classic cars.)

These cars are kept outside people’s homes and under cover.

As for the cats, they are everywhere. Scrawny, skittish alley cats that love to spend their evenings atop cars and inside dumpsters.

These stray cats are often fed by the locals since the domestic cat is a revered animal in Islam. You often see plates of food left for the cats outside homes on the pavements.

Diplomatic area

In contrast to the older part of Zone 66, is the Diplomatic area where dozens of 100-odd foreign embassies exist, including the British and many African ones.

They are all behind eight-metre-tall walls with CCTV cameras and signs warning you that no photographs are allowed. (Hence only the sole sneaky shot from me).

The presence of the embassies means, in turn, that there are many posh homes surrounding them. No chaotic roadworks or human activity here … just lush garden, pristine streets and quiet. In fact, I am pretty sure many of these mini palaces are empty.

Our next-door neighbour

Our next-door neighbour is a case in point. I am not referring to those who live above or across the passage from our apartment, but those who live just outside our compound.

This “palace” (for any other description would fall short given its grand opulence) has only been recently completed. This large three-storey, neo-classical-styled home, complete with an Arabic majlis (a kind of “sitting room” for men only) and it’s ready-to-go garden, appears to be empty.

There was a grand opening party and then nothing. Just an occasional car and the odd viewing of a cockerel strutting resplendently across the lush ready-made lawns, under the fully-grown trees …

I told you, this is a place of contrasts.

But equally, as a newcomer, it is a place of mystery.

There are so many unknowns, so many new things to learn, places and people to understand better …

Starting with our unknown neighbour and the adjacent piece of prime property that’s being prepped for something …

Well, check out the latest photograph and you tell me …