Let’s play a game of preconceptions. We are leaving Doha, capital of Qatar, going west across the flat, featureless, yellow desert. A roadside sign proclaims our destination, Dukhan, and the distance, 50 miles. What will we find at the end of the road?

The road itself is currently undergoing a $206 million upgrade. Two lanes are being widened to four, and, this being Arabia, seven camel underpasses are being constructed to ensure the safety of the animal you really don’t want to hit when you’re cruising at 65 mph. Camels, sandstorms and road work permitting, this straight ribbon of asphalt will take us across the width of the Qatar peninsula in less than an hour. There is constant traffic in both directions, observed only by the roaming camel herds.

As we approach Dukhan, the landscape changes markedly. Suddenly we are driving between bizarre, wind-eroded limestone formations — the only significant geological disruptions amid Qatar’s otherwise unremitting flatness. To a trained eye, these natural, anvil-shaped structures provide an indication of what we might discover in Dukhan. Getting out and closely examining the ground, we’ll find additional evidence: an abundance of rice-sized aveolina fossils.

It was on the strength of these geological oddities that an exploratory oil rig was erected near here in 1938, drilling down to a depth of more than 5,500 feet before layer upon layer of rock gave way to black liquid. The vast Dukhan onshore oil field had been found. It covers an area of 50 miles by five miles, consisting of three natural oil reservoirs as well as a large reservoir of gas.

Seventy years ago, there was no existing infrastructure here: no road, no villages. The settlement of Dukhan was created from scratch. Today, it is controlled by the state-owned Qatar Petroleum Corp., and, in keeping with the customary mind set of company settlements, it is not open to just anyone.

The town is enfolded by a formidable wall. The highway from Doha culminates at a barrier. To the right of the entry checkpoint, a rugged hill looms like a fortress — at 321 feet, it is the highest point in Qatar (excluding the skyscrapers of Doha). On top of the hill, a giant Qatari flag, white and maroon, flaps lazily.

After showing our credentials, we are waved through, and follow a tree-lined road through this private world. There are residential areas, a couple of recreation centers, a cinema, shops, offices and a school attended by pupils from 26 countries. Dukhan’s population of 20,000 is almost entirely expatriate, drawn from Europe, the United States, the Philippines and the Indian subcontinent.

At the far end of the road we reach an 18-hole golf course. With grass and water in short supply, the fairways are made from two commodities that are plentiful: a rolled mixture of oil and sand. Golfers carry with them a square of artificial grass from which to hit their ball, aiming not at greens, but at “browns.”

The golf course reflects the town itself — it’s superficially familiar, yet simultaneously alien. The place feels like an outpost, but it isn’t exactly remote. With Doha just an hour away, Dukhan has never really evolved the characteristics of a living, thriving community. Most of the inhabitants go to the city for their shopping, and more than a hundred local children commute every day — in four coaches provided by QP — to attend Doha’s main Indian school.

Look closely at Dukhan, however, and it is possible to see the early signs of a radical makeover. Under the auspices of QP Dukhan Operations, an ambitious $500 million, 20-year development plan has been initiated, incorporating 193 separate projects.

Residential and recreational facilities are being improved, and a desalination plant is being constructed (when it comes on stream, the golf course fairways may well be converted to grass). The ultimate aim is to transform Dukhan into a world-class town. For now it serves as a multinational, multilingual dormitory for foreign workers.

We drive back out of the gate and follow the road around the perimeter wall, passing the futuristic $20 million headquarters of Qatar Petroleum; a trio of round buildings linked by a triangular courtyard.

From here it is a short drive, past the Dukhan Water Sports Club (a private facility for QP employees), to Dukhan Beach. It is completely deserted. I walk to the water’s edge, and through binoculars look across at the distant island of Bahrain (where, coincidentally, there is another oil field named Dukhan), and the hazy line of the Saudi Arabian coast.

The town and the nearby processing plants are now out of view. The only hint of what lies beneath me is betrayed, I guess, by the tiny fossils scattered within the sand. More than a mile beneath me are the huge oil deposits that provide a lucrative harvest of 300,000 barrels a day.

As we drive south from the beach, we can see ahead of us the storage tanks and the slim, flame-crowned chimneys of the largest oil processing plant. The flames issuing from the chimneys cast a pall of black smoke that drifts inland on the sea breeze — it will be clearly visible for the duration of our return journey to Doha. The black streak is effectively the town’s name written across the sky: Dukhan means “smoke.”

By late afternoon we have followed the highway and the smoke trail back into Doha (passing the headquarters of the world-famous television station, Al-Jazeera, on the outskirts), and are soon in the shadows of the downtown skyscrapers; some complete, many others under construction. Looking back, I see the road sign pointing in the direction of Dukhan. At face value, measured against the glitz and bustle of Doha, that modest settlement stands no comparison. But the true worth of Dukhan is what it represents. It is one of the fountainheads of Qatar’s phenomenal wealth. Without it, all of this would not exist.

Entry Requirements

All U.S. citizens traveling to Qatar require a valid passport and an entry visa, which can be obtained on arrival at Doha International Airport (DOH). A single entry visa costs $16, payable by credit card only, and is valid for 21 days. For a longer stay, apply for a visa through the Embassy of Qatar in Washington before your trip.

More Information

Embassy of the State of Qatar
2555 M St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20037-1305
tel 202 274 1603
www.qatarembassy.net