It's official. The transformation is complete. Muntazah Park, Doha's erstwhile popular ladies' and children's park, is now a desert. The park, which has been 'closed for maintenance' for about five years is no longer behind wraps. The black plastic sheeting has been removed from the perimeter fence, most likely by the wind, to reveal the full extent of the maintenance programme, which apparently comprised turning off the irrigation and waiting. I hope no-one got paid for that. Now it seems inevitable that the bulldozers will move in soon. But what will it become? A half empty residential complex? A festive filling station with a drive-through pharmacy and a branch of Subway? Yet another shopping mall? What's the betting it won't be a theatre complex with maybe a bookshop and a cozy bar?I could get annoyed about it. But I won't. Not while persecution continues apace in Bahrain.
I went for a walk in there earlier today, it was lovely. There is the odd washing line and wild dog suggesting the park isn’t completely empty, but it is properly wild which is a great change from the over manicured parks elsewhere in Doha. They even have real birds, so no need to pipe in recorded bird-song as in Aspire park.
ReplyDeleteThe longer it is kept it locked up and un-developed the better. Although there was a man with a clip-board spotted inside last week pointing at things, so perhaps the sadly inevitable ‘beautification’ is just around the corner.
Hi Iain - I think it's more likely to be overbuilt than beautified, but time will tell. Last time I walked round it all the gates were locked, though access from the C-ring Road side would have been pretty easy.
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