Skyscrapers echo with drilling. An encampment of beige tents is kicking up dust as loaders kick it up.
Coastal promenade lined with palm trees still wrapped in brown paper.
At the water's edge, a bright red hourglass-shaped countdown clock ticks away the minutes.
The World Cup is just a few weeks away, and Qatar is preparing to host it,
The event will attract millions of international spectators to this tiny desert peninsula.
Over $220 billion has been poured into preparations for Qatar's World Cup, the smallest ever.
Building miles of highways, a metro system, an airport, stadiums, and high-rises.
It is an effort to establish Qatar as a global player and fulfill its leader's vision,
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to develop the economy. It has, however, mostly brought controversy.
Qatar's migrant labor conditions came under fire after scores of them died on World Cup construction sites.
Qatari businessmen grumbled about labor reforms welcomed by international monitors,
Uneven application of the rules has been criticized. The human rights record of Qatar has been criticized by advocacy groups.