About this episode
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes, which focus on the Arabian Peninsula to mark the start of the football World Cup in Qatar.
Our guest is Dr Wafa Alsayed, Lecturer in Political Science and History at the Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait.
We hear about how the states across the peninsula won independence, and speak to the architect of the region's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
There's also the invention of the robot camel jockey, and a pioneering female Qatari author.
On the World Cup theme, we end with the story of American popstar Diana Ross missing a penalty during the opening ceremony of the 1994 tournament.
Contributors: Mohammed Al-Fahim on the formation of the UAE Adrian Smith, architect of the Burj Khalifa Kaltham Jaber, Qatari author Esan Maruff who developed robot camel jockeys Alan Rothenberg who organised the 1994 World Cup
(Photo: Dubai skyline. Credit: Getty Images)
Get every episode summarized
Each time The History Hour publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from The History Hour
The world’s first perfume archive and Dutch car-free Sundays in the global oil c...
The History Hour
Cleaning up Chernobyl and Canada’s war in the woods
The History Hour
Winning the Booker Prize and discovering a lost fairytale
The History Hour
Hitler’s teeth and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The History Hour