When I first visited Qatar in 1998 from neighbouring Iran, Qatar’s main attraction seemed to be a Pizza Hut outlet and Doha still felt like a Gulf backwater, in big contrast to Dubai which was already rising like Phoenix out of the desert ashes. 20 years later a new Qatar had been born.The camel market was still there, but there was suddenly a anything-goes vibe – no wonder, four years before a crazy world cup in the desert. A Qatari friend generously offered me to choose: „Call it tolerance or contradictions. We  are just 300.000 but we are all born as millionaires. With our millions we generously sponsor Western football clubs as much as the Muslim Brotherhood. We might flirt with Iran, we might displease Saudi Arabia but we have no qualms being the biggest landlord the US Army. We organise fancy fashion shows and invite the world’s top models. But our own women remain beauties in black.“ I was invited, too, to perform for the first time as fashion photographer. Great fun.