Today was our final day in the middle east and we had nothing planned. The view from our hotel was amazing, the pool refreshing and we just wanted to soak up and reflect on all of our travels.

We’ve surely been impressed at the management of this small country and hope to return someday. So far, they have avoided the pitfalls of the UAE by managing their growth, mainly using their own resources and investment. There is no dark money, little foreign investment, few international criminals or sanctioned persons, AND no traffic problems! We’re not saying they haven’t bought influence around the world. They were accused of buying the FIFA World Cup, but doesn’t every country? And not unlike the UAE buying the Louvre and the Guggenheim campuses, did they “buy” the presence of the American university campuses based here, probably. Following joint military operations during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Qatar and the United States concluded a Defense Cooperation Agreement that has been subsequently expanded, and in 1996, Qatar built Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US base in the middle east, at the cost of more than $1 billion. Talk about buying influence!

But we’ve come away with a very positive attitude about Qatar. They take care of their citizens AND the expats that make this economy work through service, tourism and construction jobs. They’ve been instrumental, though not yet successful, in brokering a deal between Israel and Iran. Make no mistake about it, people here believe the war is not between Israel and Hamas, but between Israel and Iran, of which Hamas, and the Houthis, and Hezbollah are financed. They believe that cooperation between all the countries in the middle east is to the benefit of the region and of the world.

Apologies for this post becoming so political. But we thought it worth noting this perspective. That is one of the benefits of travel; that you can hear how others around the world perceive the problems of our world.

Tomorrow: Flights and travel home to Dublin, OH, USA