Too rich for its own good

摘要

He was living proof that some people have all the luck. During the 18-year reign of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, which ended last year, Qatar's population quadrupled. Its gdp grew sixfold to $200 billion, making its 2m-odd people the richest per person on Earth. The emirate's Al Jazeera satellite channel, though it enraged many, was the most influential in the region. Its brash promotion of revolution with a Muslim Brother flavour looked prescient as friendly new Islamist governments sprouted in the Arab spring. Even the emir's bid to bring the world's biggest sporting event to his sweltering little state came off when in 2010 the international football body, fifa, picked Qatar to hold the World Cup in 2022.