QR Akbarrr.....Hey, Gents check this out!

[jet4hire]

For those of you who thought that he was living!

Emir revamps QTA board; Akbar Al Baker is chairman
Web posted at: 12/18/2003 3:29:59
Source ::: The Peninsula

DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday reconstituted the Board of Directors of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), with Akbar Al Baker as the new chairman.

According to the Emiri Decision, the new QTA board will include: Chairman — Akbar Al Baker; Deputy Chairman — Saad Ibrahim Al Malki; Members — Mohammad Abdul Karim Al Meer, Nasser Ahmad Al Maliki and Ibrahim Abdulraheem Yousuf Al Sayed.

According to the decision, those named on the board will have a three-year term in addition to the posts they may hold elsewhere.

Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al Baker, who was deputy chairman of the QTA board, in a statement yesterday thanked the Emir or the appointment. He said he would do his best to uphold the trust reposed in him and strive to develop Qatar into a major tourist destination.

Desperado!

:cool: :cool: :cool:

[Bang]

:{ :hmm: :( :sad: :* :ouch: :ugh:

[Goldstone]

He's proved he doesn't know how to run an airline, so what qualifies him to run a Tourist Authority.

Anyway, the very idea that any sane tourist would want to visit Qatar is a joke of major proportions.

For what reason would anyone wish to visit that god-forsaken piece of desert?
Sun and sand? There's plenty of that in much more attractive locations in the region ... Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, for example.
Luxury hotels? See above.

That's it folks. There is NOTHING else that would possibly tempt any right-minded tourist to Qatar.

So good luck Poison Dwarf ... you'll sure need it.

[A300Man]

Comments about AAB and Tourist Authority noted and agreed.

However, with just a little bit of clever management and change in some of the inbound customs regulations, Qatar (not only or if at all Doha) could become quite a pleasant stopover location. It is rather wrong to write the place off as a totally god forsaken desert, Goldstone. Check out some of the previous posts from the likes of Gulf Crew, Taba, Homesick rae and several others......it can be a fabulous place to live. Each to their own, I suppose. And I do concede that there are distinct differences between vacationing and living somewhere.

I agree though, the potential that Qatar has to attract inbound tourism will not be properly managed under the current team of individuals. (Although the current manager of QR Holidays DOES possess the savvy and intellect to make it all happen. The missing ingredient is empowerment).

[HF-in-Doha]

Say what you will about AAB but he is well known for being able to carry through on his goals and he works with the beaurocracy quite well. In my opinion he is fitting for this job.

As for Doha, again say what you want but when the mass of the development projects being completed between 2005 and 2009 Doha will be a different city with something to differentiate from all it's neighbours including Dubai. These include:

- Global Park (http://www.journey-of-light.com)
- Cultural Village - A large scale project near the Inter-Continental which will be a center for the arts. Lots of galleries, concerts and so on and so forth.
- Corniche Re-Development (http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=7763) Many new museums, cafes, leisure activities, galleries, and nightlife establishments to be built along the corniche.
- West Bay :ok: the lagoon project, some new hotels and a water park, more shopping centre's and a massive island project similar to the palms to name a few.
- New sport and leisure facilities in Wadi-Sail which will hold many well known events such as the MotoGP.

[Panama Jack]

Sounds like a bunch of prima donas kissing each other's a$$' :yuk: