Subscribe to the Evening Standard on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7RQon_YwCnp_LbPtEwW65w Once a pearl-diving settlement, Qatar is transforming into a country of the future with its state-of-the-art architecture and ambitious new real estate projects. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find history going back centuries. Qatar's facelift began a few decades ago when a boom in natural gas transformed its fortunes, making it one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In years that followed, traditional fishing villages made way for over-the-top buildings, shopping malls and man-made islands designed by award-winning architects like Zaha Hadid and Jean Nouvel. Empty spaces in its capital Doha are filling fast, making it denser and taller by the day. In recent years that transformation has accelerated, in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, when all eyes will be on this small Gulf nation to fulfil its promise of showing one and a half million international visitors a good time. It's not all about the skyscrapers though. Look beyond its glamorous facade, and you'll see traces of Bedouin history in its hundred-year-old souqs. Read more: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/qatar-things-to-do-destination-guide-48-hours-a4350016.html