The Pantheon has stood for Two Thousand Years

A few of us were talking the other night about Qatar's long term game plan and the conclusion we came to was that it's certainly not obvious what it is. The city reconstruction goes on apace and for the next few years we'll all be putting up with the dust and noise that goes with it. But thinking ahead to when it is finished, who is it all for? Who's going to live here? The 180 thousand locals don't need a city big enough for 2 million. And the huge numbers of ex-pats won't be hanging around when the work is finished. They're not trying for Dubai-style tourism (or if they are, they need to try harder!) and no amount of museums and sports events will bring people in sufficient numbers. One almost wonders if the game plan is simply permanent demolition and reconstruction on a twenty year cycle. If so, it could just about work but the prospect could hardly be more depressing. I wonder if anyone knows what's really going on? Either way, one real Pantheon knocks spots off twenty glass malls.