Christianity in the countries bordering the Arabian Gulf is unlike any other place in the world. In spite of the fact that the Gulf countries have very minute Christian presence within their own communities, there are hundreds of thousands of Christians from every part of the world living and working in these countries, on all levels of the economic scale of society.
Doha, Qatar is an ideal place to experience the depth, breadth and variety of Christian expression and tradition from all over the world in one place. Qatar is a progressive, open albeit a conservative Islamic society. Islam in the Gulf is very different from Cairo or Damascus or Jerusalem. The relationship between Christians and Muslims and the dialogue of everyday life in Qatar is also very different.
A visit to Qatar will shatter most of your stereotyped images of oil sheiks and affluence on one hand, and at the same time introduce you to Christian communities whose very real needs are not based on poverty, as in most experiences in developing countries. Come willing to set aside preconceptions. Come expecting to experience God in new ways.
