Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Qatar: The Locust and the Desert
Description
Before the gas flares and the glass towers, before the air conditioning and the sovereign wealth fund, what did Qatar actually have? Why was a single tree the difference between survival and starvation on one of the most inhospitable peninsulas on Earth? How did a brutal, debt-ridden pearl economy collapse almost overnight — and at whose hands? And how does a country go, in a single human lifetime, from 16,000 hungry people on a shrinking strip of sand to hosting the most controversial World Cup in history?
John and Patrick tell the extraordinary story of Qatar — from the date palm groves and the pearl beds of the Gulf, to the oil discovery that changed everything.
----------
In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.
The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!
-----------
Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.
Support us!
- Share this episode with your friends
- Give a 5-star rating
- Write a review
-----------
Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.
-----------
Instagram, TikTok, Threads:
@historyoffreshproduce