Sands of time

Penny Watson pays dune diligence in the deserts of Doha. I'm in the passenger seat of a four-wheel-drive with Snoop Dogg on high volume and the desert whizzing past. Next to me is Mohammad, an Arabic man wearing a long white robe and red and white headscarf. His rotund chest, swarthy chin and wraparound dark sunglasses make him look made for movies but here in Qatar this sheikh-look (as opposed to chic-look) is get-up as common as a shirt and tie.