Work Life

Al Bida Tower

My day starts at five-thirty a.m. Shower, breakfast, then I chat with my wife using Google+ video. I don't have a car and I don't intend to drive here, at least in the near future. Taxis are everywhere in Doha, but not that reliable as far as scheduled rides. During my second week here I made arrangements with a private car service. A driver picks me up every morning at 7:15 for the short ride to the office. The morning commute is chaotic. It seems like everyone is going the same way at the same time, and traffic is further complicated but the continuous construction and roadway improvements.

I work in the forty-two story Al Bida Tower. Just another example of the amazing high-rise architecture here in Doha. It is all glass curtain wall exterior formed with triangular panels which cover a triangular lattice of steel tubes. That basic form is twisted clockwise from the base, with several offsets around the circumference. The central core is constructed of concrete, of course, with two banks of elevators; low-rise (floors 1-19) and high-rise (20-40).

There's an interesting difference between buildings here and in the States. The floor numbered "1" is not the ground floor; same with the mezzanine. Those are floors "G" and "M". So the building is actually forty-two floors. I'm told that this is commonplace everywhere but in the U.S. There is one floor of parking below-grade, but most occupants park in a six-level structure adjacent to the building.

It is a secure building, just like many in downtown Los Angeles. I wear a badge with an embedded chip, which must be swiped over a reader to access the elevators and to unlock the office entry door. The swiping is required to enter and exit. This building is the home of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, and every floor I've been on has the same access control. Some floors are not yet occupied, and there are construction workers busy on those levels.

Just the same as at the Movenpick and at City Center, the service level is very pronounced. The building has uniformed attendants who constantly clean the lobbies and restrooms. Another group of attendants stand by in the kitchen, and they actually serve coffee, tea and other beverages on demand. They frequently walk the floor to pick up empty cups and take refill requests. I must say that it is a delight to ask for and receive a double espresso every afternoon around three.

Coffee Time

One of the limitations of working in the West Bay is that there are not many options for lunch. Some people bring food from home, as I have done almost every day since I left the hotel. Aside from that, in an adjacent building, there is a shop called "Coffee Time" which serves sandwiches and also an 'executive lunch' - meat, rice vegetables, and water - for 26 rials. That's about ten bucks USD.

Monoprix

There is also a grocery market called Monoprix (a French retail chain) which also serves sandwiches and pizza. Both of these places have limited seating capacity, and quickly fill up at lunchtime. Many people bring their lunch back to the office. Lately when I bring my home made lunch, I walk outside, across the street and sit on the sea wall that surrounds the bay.

I work with a team of sixteen other professionals, mainly from the U.K. and Scotland. We are the Project Managers for a large development related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Our project director is an American, like me. Each team member is an expert is his particular discipline. It is a very impressive group overall. I count all of them as friends. To them, I am the "BIM Guru", and my opinion and experience is respected and valued. It is a very satisfying situation. We share the floor with a few workers from the project's architect, whose main office is located in the U.K. Most of the floor is occupied by the client and their Project Management Consultant. Everyone works interdependently.

At the end of the day, my driver, or one of his colleagues is usually waiting when I exit the building. Another short ride back to the apartment. It is less than one mile, I could and I have walked on certain occasions, since the weather has cooled down.

That is my work day. Today is the beginning of my eleventh week in Qatar.