Development, history or home: Abu Hamour’s poor wait and worry

By Saif Alnuweiri and Caitlin Sewell

Photo by Caitlin Sewell
An old man walks to his home in the Baluchi compound in Abu Hamour.

Part of Abu Hamour, which sits on the outskirts of Doha, off its Wholesale markets road, shows all the signs of development, houses being built in large communities, schools starting up and government ministries like the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs moving in.But there is also an older and more hidden community of Abu Hamour, concealed behind crumbling concrete walls, where children run barefoot amid the maze of houses.The locals of this area have lived a comfortable life here for over 40 years, despite having no running water, sewage lines or paved roads. The inhabitants of this hidden side of Abu Hamour work in Qatar’s police force, in its army and in its government ministries and make up an integral part of the State of Qatar.

The majority of the people here were born and raised in this dilapidated walled-in community and it is the one place they can call home. But this community of Abu Hamour has finally caught the public eye after years of disregard by local authorities, through projects like Mohammed Kamal’s See The Other Side, a charitable organization.

See The Other Side is a project initiated by Mohammed Kamal, a student at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. The whole purpose of the project is to raise awareness and let the people know about the place [Abu Hamour].