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Khashoggi Verdict; Holiday Stalemate Grips U.S. Senate Impeachment Trial; China Denies Allegations of Forced Prison Labor; No Christmas Mass for Notre Dame Cathedral; Iconic Qatar: A View of the Art, Architecture of Qatar. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired December 24, 2019 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause, live from Studio 7 at CNN World Headquarters.
A mockery of justice: death sentences from a Saudi court for the man who killed Jamal Khashoggi. While the man who is believed to have ordered the hit was neither investigated nor indicted.
The man who was the public face of Boeing's crisis is out.
And Republicans and Democrats agree to be disagreeable. Both sides are digging in.
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VAUSE: The trial was held in secret with the names of defendants never made public. State prosecutor's evidence remains a mystery. What's being described as typical Saudi justice. The court in Riyadh claimed the killing was not premeditated. The decision was taken at the spur of the moment, clearing crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and his two closest advisers of any involvement.
Earlier MBS denied ordering the assassination.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you order the murder of Khashoggi?
MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN, SAUDI CROWN PRINCE (through translator): Absolutely not. This was a heinous crime. I take full responsibility as a leader of Saudi Arabia. Especially because it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government.
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VAUSE: But an investigation by the CIA and another by the U.N. found enough evidence to implicate the crown prince. The verdict has been met with widespread outrage with the U.N. lead investigator tweeting, "The hit men are guilty sentenced to death. The masterminds will not only walk free, they've barely been touched by the investigation and the trial. This is the antithesis of justice. It is a mockery."
Khashoggi was a critic of the Saudi royal family. He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate last year, where it is believed that he was dismembered by a Saudi death squad.
More now from CNN's Nic Robertson.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Fourteen months after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi took these fateful steps into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a verdict: his murder. Five sentenced to death for directly participating in his murder, three sentenced to jail for covering up the crime and three not guilty, among them, Saud al-Qahtani and Ahmed al-Assiri, both close to MBS.
Despite the verdict, many questions remain.
Where is his body?
Who killed him and how?
What we do know, a Saudi hit team entered the consulate a few hours ahead of Khashoggi. The hit team included intelligence officer Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, in charge, forensic Salah Mohammed al-Tubaigy and more than a dozen others, including Mustafa al-Madani, the body double, who dressed in Khashoggi's clothes, left by the back door laying a false trail.
In reality, Khashoggi had been killed minutes after entering the building. His last words after being attacked, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, before he was dismembered by Dr. Tubaigy's bone saw.
His remains were believed to be driven off in black vans shortly after, from the consulate to the nearby consul general's residence. His girlfriend, waiting outside, raised the alarm.
Turkish authorities listened to audio recordings from the consulate, then rushed to the airport, questioning members of the hit team about to leave on private jets and searching some of their baggage, but found nothing and let them leave.
In the following days, the Saudi government denied killing Khashoggi, the consul general even taking reporters on a hokey tour of the consulate. Eventually, 16 days later, Saudi authorities finally gave Turkish investigators permission to search the consulate and the consul general's house.
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ROBERTSON (voice-over): There was evidence of a cover-up, but no body. In the coming weeks, local farms were searched, a consulate vehicle recovered from an underground car park, but still no leads. All questions led back to Saudi, where the hit team fled.
Finally, after more than 2.5 weeks, Saudi authorities admitted Khashoggi was killed by Saudi officials.
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): He was killed in the consulate. We don't know in terms of details how. We don't know where the body is.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): They called it a rendition gone wrong, an accident, saying local collaborators had the body although they never provided the names or evidence.
The CIA concluded the kingdom's crown prince ordered the assassination, something the Saudis flatly deny. Monday's verdict despite a lack of transparency appears to further distance the top royal from responsibility -- Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
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VAUSE: The CEO of Boeing has been fired over ongoing crisis of the 737 MAX. Dennis Muilenburg became the public face of Boeing defending the company in the wake of two fatal crashes involving the MAX.
Just last week more than nine months after the first accident they suspended production of the 737. The board of directors decided that a change of leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the company as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders.
He's being replaced by David Calhoun, named chairman back in October. Investors seemed to approve of the corporate shakeup at the top, shares closed up nearly 3 percent on Monday.
Now 'twas the day before Christmas and Senate Republicans are ready to pounce regarding impeachment articles in the Speaker of the House. CNN's Manu Raju has more on the holiday standoff from Washington.
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MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new chapter in the fight over President Trump's Senate trial, as Democrats push for a slew of documents and Republicans continue to wait for the articles of impeachment from the House.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell again today pointing the finger at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Look, we're at an impasse. We can't do anything until the speaker sends the papers over. So, everybody, enjoy the holidays. RAJU: Sources say McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
have no plans at the moment to talk, after Schumer demanded the leaders first agreed to hear from witnesses blocked by the White House and review scores of documents withheld at the president's request.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: We need documents.
RAJU: In a letter to all senators today, Schumer detailed the wide range of documents he believes senators must see to conduct a fair trial. And so far, Pelosi says she needs to see what the Senate process is first, before naming managers to prosecute the case and before delivering the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
(on camera): Is that -- is that the requirement? You need to see a fair process before sending...
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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): We would hope there would be a fair process justice, just as we hope that they would under the Constitution.
RAJU (voice-over): McConnell today pushing back.
MCCONNELL: It seems to me a rather absurd position to say after you have impeached the president you won't send the papers over to the Senate for the impeachment trial mandated by the Constitution.
RAJU: But Democrats now have fresh ammunition after a court ruling prompted the release of an e-mail showing White House budget official Michael Duffey calling for the freeze on military aid to Ukraine just 90 minutes after the July phone call in which Trump urged the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
Schumer demanding Duffey's testimony.
SCHUMER: If there was ever an argument that we need Mr. Duffey to come testify, this is that that information. This e-mail is explosive.
RAJU: Yet Republicans remain reluctant to criticize any part of Trump's conduct.
SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-MO): Presidents make mistakes. I don't know that this call was a mistake. But, again, I think there are plenty of mistakes have been made by both President Obama and President Trump regarding Ukraine.
RAJU: Now there is still widespread expectation on Capitol Hill that the trial will begin probably in January and both sides, House Democrats and the White House, preparing for the possibility to happen, ultimately to compel witnesses to come forward for documents to be produced.
It would require 51 senators on the floor of the Senate to vote to make that happen and that will mean likely 47 Democrats would need four Republican senators to break ranks to get Mick Mulvaney, John Bolton, who have been demanded by the Democrats to testify, to get them come forward. At the moment, though, Republican senators are mostly in line with the
president. Some are saying they will wait and see and others, including one senator up for reelection, Joni Ernst, said she does not want to hear from Mick Mulvaney or John Bolton.
She says that was a role for the House to play -- Manu Raju, CNN, Washington.
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VAUSE: When we come, back a Christmas card greeting which had a very disturbing message.
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FLORENCE WIDDICOMBE, FOUND MESSAGE: I was sitting at the table opening my Christmas cards and I was writing in them to my friend. And at the seventh or eighth Christmas card, I found that somebody wrote in it.
VAUSE (voice-over): More on what was a desperate plea for help and why it is raising concerns of human rights abuses in China.
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VAUSE: Western diplomats paid a visit, a Christmas visit to Paul Whelan, the American citizen detained by Russia on espionage charges. After the meeting, a U.S. diplomat urged Russia to give him Christmas cheer, saying he had not spoken to parents in a year.
Whelan denies the spying charges, saying he was set up. His family insists he was in Moscow for a wedding and was wrongly arrested.
China says tonight foreign prisoners are being used as forced labor in a Shanghai prison making Christmas cards is a farce. This all began with a desperately plea for help written inside a card, read a world away by one little girl. CNN's David Culver has the story.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Inside Qingpu prison, new allegations of foreigners being forced into labor. China's foreign ministry calling the claims fabricated, adding, no foreign prisoner has been put into forced labor in Qingpu prison at all.
The call for help, handwritten a Christmas greeting card sold by the British supermarket Tesco to benefit charity. It was 6-year old Florence Widdicombe who discovered the message at her home inside of London.
WIDDICOMBE: I was sitting at the table opening my Christmas cards and I was writing in them to my friend. And at the seventh or eighth Christmas card, I found that somebody wrote in it.
CULVER (voice-over): The message reading, "We are foreign prisoners in a Shanghai prison force to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organizations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If anyone were in a position where they needed to essentially smuggle a note out, saying they had grave human rights concerns, then, of course, that is a real worry, isn't it.
CULVER (voice-over): Florence's dad said the card as the reader to get in touch with British journalist Peter Humphrey, so he did. Humphrey, a former fraud investigator was jailed for two years on what he calls bogus charges at Qingpu prison in 2013.
PAUL HUMPHREY, FORMER FRAUD INVESTIGATOR: What they are doing is assembling the cards, a mix of cards, and then putting them into the packaging, sealing it and then packing these into shipping boxes. And this is being done without Tesco knowing about it.
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CULVER (voice-over): In 2013, CNN reported on a similar incident, a woman in the U.S. bought Halloween decorations and found a letter claiming to be from a Chinese labor camp inmate.
The author, pleading for someone to contact human rights organizations. But in this Christmas card cry for help, Tesco responded quickly, a spokesperson saying the company was shocked, adding, quote, "We abhor the use of prison labor and would never allow it in our supply chain."
The supermarket chain severing ties with the Chinese print company that provided the cards. Tesco said the supplier was audited as recently last month and was found to be in compliance.
CNN called that supplier and a representative said, quote, "We have never been involved in such activities that the media reported," adding, quote, "We think someone is smearing us."
It is a sentiment echoed by China's foreign ministry, which claims Humphrey is behind it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is a farce made up by Mr. Peter Humphrey.
CULVER (voice-over): David Culver, CNN, Hong Kong.
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VAUSE: We are joined by a China researcher for Human Rights Watch, she joins us from New York. We just heard from a foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing, calling
this is a farce and he said it was all made up by the foreign journalist, Peter Humphrey.
I want you to listen to Peter Humphrey's response to that allegation.
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HUMPHREY: That is pretty farcical in itself, I think, I mean, really, that answer is the sort of stock answered that they give every time a journalist raises a human rights issue with them. It is the same with the Xinxiang camps, it is the same with forced televised confessions, with disappearances and the arrest of all those Chinese defense lawyers a few years ago. This is the stock answer that they give.
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VAUSE: So when it comes to the truth of the matter or it comes to foreigners being forced into prison labor or forced labor, where is the evidence here?
Does it support Humphrey or is it a farce made up by him as the foreign ministry alleges?
YAQIU WANG, HRW: First of all, just to be clear, the Chinese law stipulates that all prisoners have to work as long as they have the ability to work so, forced labor in prison is a given.
VAUSE: And does it differentiate between foreigners and Chinese citizens, right?
WANG: No.
VAUSE: So if you're foreigner and you're in jail, chances are you're going to be forced to work.
WANG: Correct.
VAUSE: Tesco, the company in question, had no idea, it's said, that prison labor was being used in the production of their Christmas cards. Other retailers like H&M are now checking their supply lines to make sure there is no connection to Chinese prison labor.
How difficult, though, is this?
Because quite often you have this web of contractors and outsourcing and there are third party suppliers and the company which is specifically set up for the use of inmates look like ordinary, everyday businesses.
So how hard is it?
And what is the level of due diligence that the big retailers like Tesco should go through?
WANG: To a certain extent it is difficult and there is a lot of coverup involved but from my experience and following the research we have, foreign companies often just send some contractors to China to check their factories.
And it is more about an exercise of ticking the boxes rather than really making an effort to get to the bottom of the issue, whether -- to see, whether they're using really forced labor.
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So I think there is definitely a space to improve the due diligence.
VAUSE: I didn't mean to interrupt but I guess for a lot of the retailers of the other companies doing business, it is a level of deniability, like we do it through the system and we don't know that this was going on?
WANG: Correct. I think for them it is more of, they want to tick the boxes and say we did all of what we are supposed to do.
VAUSE: Just overall, we talked about the fact that labor in a Chinese prison is part of the system and there is more than 2 million inmates in China, it has the second largest prison population in the world.
And it's illegal to export products made by prison labor. But last, year the "Financial Times" reported that forced labor is becoming more prevalent as a result of higher wages in China and the decline in the working age population.
Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to stay competitive with Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Made in China, whatever it might be, it might seem incredibly cheap when you buy it but often the hidden cost is higher.
WANG: Yes, I, mean forced labor does not only just exist in prison, it exists in detention centers, the extrajudiciary facilities and also they are done by a lot of private actors so, this is not only a prison issue.
VAUSE: What about some of the conditions in those factories?
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VAUSE: You simply don't get any kind of inspections or oversight and they have appalling conditions where people sleep in 10 to a room, they work very long hours and get very low pay.
WANG: The Chinese law stipulates working conditions, you can only work 40 hours a week, if you work extra hours you should get paid extra money. But those laws are not effectively enforced because, as you mentioned, there is a need, Chinese companies need to stay competitive to export cheap goods.
VAUSE: And the conditions in these prisons are pretty horrific. A former inmate told "The Independent" that, "At times whippings were so commonplace that the cell floor would be stained with the blood of inmates. They whipped people with the Christmas light cords."
He also talked about bedsores, because he says, you had to remain meek and stay on the floor all day long, otherwise the bosses might beat you and you're living and working in such a confined space. Eventually, inmates develop these sores all over their bodies.
And that is just a glimpse of what the conditions are like, right?
WANG: Yes, this is prevalent, we have done research on the conditions in prisons and we have heard a lot of similar stories from ex- prisoners and usually, foreign prisoners are treated better than Chinese prisoners.
VAUSE: OK, so, what are the chances if a product is made in China at some point it will have some connection either direct or indirect to forced labor?
WANG: I, mean we don't actually know the extent of prison labor because it -- the Chinese, system, the judicial system is not transparent and the government denies it, so we don't know the extent of the situation.
VAUSE: What are the responsibilities here?
We talked about responsibilities of corporations.
What are the responsibilities here of consumers?
WANG: I think for, consumers this family which found the Christmas card has done a fantastic job to expose this issue. And generally speaking I think consumers should make an effort to check the stuff they are buying from companies that pledge to comply with international human rights standards.
VAUSE: Yaqiu, thank you for being with us. That cheap stuff from China it ain't so cheap. Good to see you, thanks for being with us.
WANG: Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: When we come, back it has not happened since the French Revolution but this year there will be no midnight mass at Christmas at Notre Dame.
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VAUSE: More than 200 years during world wars, the Great Depression, Parisians have celebrated Christmas mass at Notre Dame cathedral. But after it was gutted by fire in April, Christians will be attending Christmas services elsewhere. But in the season of hope they are hoping that it will be short, four years, they are saying, until it'll be back. CNN's Melissa Bell explains.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First caught on social media, the flames quickly took hold.
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BELL (voice-over): As tourists and Parisians alike looked on aghast and helpless, Notre Dame burned. The more than 850 year old beams that held up its nave known as The Forest went up in spoke. And to the gasps of the onlooking (sic) crowd the cathedral's 19th century spire collapsed.
For nine hours, the fire raged. But by morning the crowds who gathered to inspect the damage found that much of the edifice still stood. The French president announcing an ambitious timetable for reconstruction.
EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): We will rebuild our Notre Dame cathedral even more beautiful. I want it completed within five years. We can do.
BELL (voice-over): Eight months on, the rebuilding work is not even begun. It has taken this long just to secure the building. With three weeks lost over the summer when fears of lead poisoning led to the closing of the site.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reconstruction will begin in a year's time, more or less. Because the building is still fragile, because of the scaffolding that is weighing on the walls and so all of this means a lot of dexterity, professional work. Once again, we have fantastic teams.
BELL (voice-over): Last week, a giant crane was cemented nearly seven feet deep to allow a new scaffolding to be built. Only then will the old one be removed. A delicate operation since for now it is holding the structure up.
From inside the nave, the scale of what has to be done is all the more clearer that will be silent on Christmas Eve for the first time in 216 years. For now, there is little hope that Christmas mass will be celebrated here anytime soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is exceptional. I mean, this has not happened for 850 years. Such a blaze. The tricky part is how to know how to go as fast as possible, without going too fast because you really have to make sure that everything will stand for at least another 850 years.
BELL (voice-over): As for what it will look like, the jury is out. Architects are vying for a chance to redesign the cathedral spire. And whether or not the future Notre Dame will be very different to the old. It is achieving the five-year deadline that looks like nothing short of a miracle -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
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VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause, we will be back.
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VAUSE: Hello, I'm John Vause. This is CNN news now.
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U.S. House Democrats still want testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn and material from the Mueller Russia probe, arguing both are relevant for the Senate's impeachment file. They made their case to an appeals court on Monday and warned President Trump could face more impeachment charges if new evidence is found.
Boeing is forcing out CEO Dennis Muilenburg, claiming the change is necessary to restore confidence in the wake of the crisis surrounding the 737 Max. Boeing announced earlier this month production of the plane would be suspended. The entire fleet has been grounded worldwide for over nine months after two fatal crashes.
Saudi Arabia has sentenced five unnamed defendants to death over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Critics say the verdict lacks transparency and clears those close to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Khashoggi's remains, his body, has never been found.
A powerful storm making its way towards the Philippines and is expected to make landfall as a typhoon on Christmas Eve. It's about a strong as a Category 1 hurricane, and flooding remains the biggest concern in the days ahead.
That is your CNN news now. ICONIC QATAR is up next.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has one of the world's most compelling skylines.
MEHRAN KAMRAVA, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY QATAR: We are in what might be considered the new heart of the Middle East.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From impressive museums showcasing some of the Islamic world's vast treasures to innovative public art that's pushing the boundaries of convention.
REEM AL THANI, DIRECTOR OF EXHIBITION, QATAR MUSEUMS: We're incubating artists at this point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From its unique landscapes, which are a thrill seeker's dream, to century-old ruins that reveal a life that's shaped its present day. This is Iconic Qatar.
They say unique buildings are a definition of a city. Buildings of different heights, different in shape, different in function. What makes them unique is their design, their symbolic value, and their history. In Qatar, you will find them in abundance, as it's become a playground for world-renowned architects and artists.
KAMRAVA: Qatar has emerged as a hub of art and culture; and Qatar has been able to establish itself as one of the pioneers in public art and, of course, as a meeting place and a gathering place for spectacular architecture that we see behind us today.
AL THANI: There's a lot of investment in art and culture, because we are going into a more knowledge-based economy at this point. And we really need to invest into our -- our youth, our public, our people who are here. We are a multicultural city, and we really need to bring that in there. You go anywhere in the world, and you find the same thing. So why not here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the heart of Qatar's capital, Doha, the Museum of Islamic art has become an iconic feature of the city's landscape. Built on its own manmade Island, its cream-colored limestone captures the changes in light and shade during the day.
JULIA GONNELLA, DIRECTOR, MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART: The Museum of Islamic Art is most important museums of Islamic art worldwide. It's a museum which was built by the Chinese-American architect, I. M. Pei. You know, worldwide famous architect.
Every day you see something else, because it's also very beautiful with the weather. Sometimes it's dusty and misty, and then you see it just like a shadow. Sometimes you have strong sunlight. It's a very strong building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Its interior is no less spectacular. From its vast atrium, to the 45-meter tall window, giving panoramic views of the 21st Century architecture of Doha.
GONNELLA: Our permanent galleries, we have really beautiful objects. One of the big famous objects, especially with the children, is our Ottoman horse. We have very nice jeweled falcon, amazing jewelry from the Mughal period from India, very popular with the Indian population. Beautiful brass and metal works from Syria and Egypt. Books, manuscripts, we have very early Qurans. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the last decade, millions of visitors have marveled at its riches. But its impact has been much more than showcasing the Islamic world's vast treasures.
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GONNELLA: The past 10 years of the Museum of Islamic art were instrumental in fostering knowledge of art, curiosity in art, production of art. It inspires artists, contemporary artists.
SARA AL FADAAQ, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: My name is Sara Al Fadaaq. I'm an interdisciplinary artist, but I mainly focus on photography and printmaking. I'll take pictures of it over and over again. It looks almost as if just a solid cube, sliced piece by piece to get that shape.
Can't go wrong being a photographer here. The Islamic world has some very beautiful art. I think it's inspired people to continue. It's definitely inspired me to continue. When I first started the painting, I was doing miniatures and looking at the ones in the MIA to kind of imitate them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sara Al Fadaaq is among a growing number of young artists in Qatar.
AL FADAAQ: I've been photographing like various junk yards and kind of working with found cars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is part of an artist incubator program called the Artist in Residence at the city's old fire station.
AL FADAAQ: The fire station residency is basically a program where around 20 artists are selected from Qatar, regardless of nationality. And they are given a studio for nine months to experiment.
AL THANI: We're incubating artists at this point, so we have facilities like a wood shop, other exhibition spaces in there that all pertain to inspiration, creation, and the change and evolution in a lot of these artists so we can inspire, the younger generation that goes there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fire station has become a creative hub in the city.
FEDERICA VISANI, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: I think we've been the troublemakers of this year's fire station residency.
NAYLA AL MULLA, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: We're really experimenting is what we're doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nayla and Federica are behind the fire stations latest collaboration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, let me get some more length.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A workshop entitled, "Play Date in the Park."
AL MULLA: Everyone loves to dress up everywhere around the world. Here, in this culture, because everyone does feel liable. And it's -- it's a culture where you have to kind of dress up in a certain way and behave in a certain way, which makes us a lot more beautiful and -- and that much more special when we do these experiences, because they get a chance to embrace and -- and explore parts that they generally maybe can't do in -- in everyday life.
VISANI: We made it genderless, borderless, because men were wearing black, women were wearing white, when you didn't know who was who because of the mask. So it was also a kind of a friendly poke, saying like, look, you can be who you want today. You can just embrace any identity you want. Just have fun with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are among a growing cohort of artists who are pushing the boundaries of convention.
AL MULLA: If you have the opportunity to actually poke into the culture, if you have an opportunity to make local friends and -- and actually hang out, you'll find out that all of these ideas about what the culture is and how conservative we are is actually not true at all. Arabs are some of the most fun cultures you can never be part of. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Across Qatar, you will find a varied mix of cultures. And in Souq Waqif, the local traditional market, you will come across nationalities from all over the world. Among them is French chef Damien Leroux.
DAMIEN LEROUX, EXECUTIVE CHEF, IDAM: For me to go in Souq Waqif, it is just like open a palette of spices and discover, like, many new ingredients. Always I go there, and I get so inspired. You know, to see all this color, all these flavor, all these vibes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Souq is a labyrinth bazaar. A warren of covered passageways, stuffed with dozens of tiny stores.
LEROUX: You can give me a bag of -- to try. These are all about the spices, you know, because in France, it's not about all the product, with not too much seasoning. And to come here and discover all these new things, it was like, it's something new to write (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damien is executive chef at Idam, the restaurant of famous French chef Alain Ducasse.
LEROUX: Idam is this mix of culture between France and Qatar. The main product is a camel and cook for 72 hour with a French way with Rossini, with some foie gras and black truffle. This combination is like a condensed between Doha and Paris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Idam is located in the heart of the Museum of Islamic Art, where even the food draws inspiration from this iconic building.
LEROUX: This is Idam chocolate, one of the world's senior (ph) dessert. This is the same shape than the top of the building. You know, we represent Arabic woman eyes, you know, is very beautiful and iconic, and very unique to use a building shape, you know, to represent our dish. We finish with a bit of gold leaves, and we serve like that.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the last few decades, Qatar's development has been rapid. Its futuristic skyline showcases a city of the 21st Century. But an hour's drive from Doha on its northwest coast, you will come across secrets of its ancient past.
Zubara Fort stands as a symbol of the country's history. Once an important defense post, now it's a museum to a previous way of life, a life that shaped modern-day Qatar.
KAMRAVA: Throughout the 1800s and the early third of the 1900s, really, the primary economic activity revolves around fishing and Pearl diving. And it wasn't, interestingly, Doha that was the hub of pearling and fishing, but it was Zubara port.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To the untrained eye, this area might not look like much. But in the 1700 and 1800s, it was a thriving port city with up to 10,000 residents. FAISAL AL NAIMI, ARCHEOLOGIST, QATAR MUSEUMS: We have good luck. We find a site like Zubara. Nobody touch it with the development. And this is good example, around many projects for research, know about our history.
THOMAS LEISTEN, ARCHEOLOGIST, QATAR MUSEUMS: The city that was founded was an instant success as it was a free port. The convoys that came from the Omani coast, from Eastern Africa and clearly also from India did not have to pay tariffs; that they could trade there and made maximum profits, and that created an attractive marketplace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Zubara was the most important trading port in the region until it was abandoned over time in the early 1900s. Layers of sand blown in from the desert have protected the remains of its palaces, mosques, streets, and courtyards.
LEISTEN: From the beginning, this was a well-planned town with gridded streets, with large open squares, particularly around the four main mosques. Narrow streets that allowed, of course, the trade to go through but also provided shade in the summer's heat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After years of careful and intricate excavations, the lives of its residents are being rebuilt and rediscovered.
AL NAIMI: We find many artifacts, artifacts local made, and some from outside. This mean Zubara not just in Qatar. It's also in the world.
LEISTEN: We know the import of tradable goods from the Far East were very important. We found in the houses, in the residential areas, porcelain from China, even objects from Japan, Indian pottery, ceramics from Britain, and porcelain from Delft from the Netherlands was very fashionable.
[00:45:15]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awarded UNESCO world heritage status in 2013, what stands here today are the only remains of a pearl village in the world.
AL THANI: It's a huge mapping that is currently happening, and we're going one by one and trying to actually uncover, put the stories out there, really showing people how, as a tribal and nomadic society at that time and point, we did have something that we could call a base. And that is important for us, because we are continuously rapidly changing.
Our mission is to be able to preserve and really tell the history and really document these things for our future generations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Across Qatar, there are vast swathes of rolling desert sands. At the weekends during the winter months from November to April, it's as if all of the city descends on an extraordinary area, called the Inland Sea.
KAMRAVA: The Inland Sea is a unique geological feature. It's unique in the world. It is, in fact, the only place where you have a sea in the middle of the desert. And where sand dunes literally go into the sea. And so it's a spectacular geological feature that is unique to Qatar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a thrill-seeker's dream, and not for the faint-hearted.
AMR GHONIEM, QATAR4WHEELERS: I like the challenge, the challenge of the dunes, especially when it's soft. When it's soft, it's really nice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three years ago, Amr Ghoniem set up community group Qatar4Wheelers. With more than 120 members, each weekend, they stay in their makeshift camp and enjoy the thrill of driving in the country's spectacular desert dunes.
GHONIEM: The safest way to drive over the dunes that you will need to drive first, and you have to keep the right momentum over the dunes, because some areas is very soft and some areas is -- is tricky. That feels, man, adrenaline is too much. It feels awesome. You can't describe this until you try. Yes, yes, I love it. Yes, that's excitement. Ya Allah Habibi Ya Allah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In an effort to attract more visitors to this nature reserve, the Al Enna project was launched. A designated and safe area, providing services like buggy rentals, restaurant kiosks, and an area displaying a range of Qatari customs and traditions.
KAMRAVA: The whole goal is to not only showcase the Inland Sea, but also to regulate the usage of the Inland Sea. Particularly for those who are not familiar. You can imagine the tourists coming in for only a few days and going to the Inland Sea, not being familiar with how to operate all-terrain vehicles, or in fact how to drive in -- in the sand. And so all of these projects are meant to better regulate some of the safety aspects of enjoying these tourism sites.
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[00:50:20]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At 300 meters tall, the Torch Doha stands as a testament to Qatar's sporting ambition. Built in 2006 for the Asian Games, it dominates the city's skyline. It sits at the heart of Aspire Zone, a unique international sporting destination.
It hosts hundreds of local, regional and international events per year. Today, it's the turn of the annual Qatar's strongest man competition, demanding extraordinary strength and endurance. Kenyan Christopher Oketch, standing at six foot four and weighing 125 kilos, is defending his title.
CHRISTOPHER OKETCH, QATAR'S STRONGEST MAN: I've won Qatar's strongest man three years in a row. There's that motivation, the respect, and the confidence that comes with it.
For me, it's a privilege, being that it's a world-class event. From the organization to the ground, to the venue, it's just phenomenal. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has a state-of-the-art sports hospital, and Aspire Academy, educating and training talented young athletes from all over the world.
KAMRAVA: It's a residential academy that is mentored by professional coaches. and it is only a matter of time before this academy produces the next Messi, simply because of the sheer volume of the kids that are going through this academy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of those aspiring to become an internationally renowned football player is 21-year-old Qatari Meeshal Barsham.
MEESHAL BARSHAM, QATAR'S UNDER-23S NATIONAL TEAM: I was like seven years old, and I wasn't into goalkeeping, but one day the coach said like, who the -- who wants to be a goalkeeper. and I was raising my hands to be a goalkeeper, and that's how it started. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He spent 10 years in Aspire Academy, receiving an education while becoming an elite athlete.
BARSHAM: The facilities here are one of the best in the world.
Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, good morning, Meeshal. Welcome.
BARSHAM: This morning we went through our treatment with the physios, because I had a small injury in my shoulder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we want to test a little bit the strength of the shoulder again and see how is the movement. Little bit more. Let's do the last one. Push, push, push, push.
BARSHAM: We have the gym facilities; and we have the pool area where we are the ice bath, sauna, for recovery.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meeshal currently plays with leading local club Al-Sadd and the under 23 national team. But this is his prize: to play for his country in this stadium during the World Cup in 2022.
BARSHAM: We are now in Khalifa Stadium. It's one of the World Cup Stadium. It's the first one to be built, and it has 40,000 seats. When I walk in here, I just feel like the World Cup is just today. I just can't wait to be playing that, to be a part of the team here, like, shouting for Qatar, Qatar, Qatar here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The World Cup will take place in the month of December, when average temperatures in the Gulf are around 25 degrees. It's the reason why some of Europe's top teams descend on Qatar annually for their winter training camps.
Among them is Paris Saint-Germain, and Meeshal is being given an opportunity to meet with PSG goalkeeper, and reigning World Cup champion, Francis Alphonse Areola.
BARSHAM: So what do you think about our stadiums here in Qatar? FRANCIS ALPHONSE AREOLA, GOALKEEPER, FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM: Yes, it's really nice and really huge. And it was great to -- to visit it and hope that we'll be there in a few years. BARSHAM: Yes, I hope we'll be --
AREOLA: Against you maybe.
BARSHAM: Do you have any advice that you can give me to improve?
AREOLA: Yes, just to -- to work, to work and dream, dream because the dream is like the -- it's your objective, you know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the country prepares for 2022, a massive building boom is underway, from new stadiums to roads, to a state-of- the-art rail system. And in a city dominated by a futuristic skyline, they are redefining the rules of urban development.
FATIMA FAWZY, DESIGN MANAGER, MSHEIREB PROPERTIES: I always dreamt to change the architecture practice in Qatar and, as a single architect, you can't do this by yourself. And here we are, my wish and my dream came true.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Msheireb Downtown is one of the largest regeneration projects in the world. And one of the single biggest construction projects in the Middle East. The site is vast, covering 75 acres, the size of 43 football pitches.
[00:55:09]
FAWZY: We are in Al Kahraba Streets. The alignment of the street is the way it used to be since 1960s. This is the first street lit by electricity in Qatar.
When you look at the street itself, you could see how the building can make a shade to the pedestrians. This is a demand of today, but it's also the way it used to be.
The alignment of the street is north-south, which is taking the breathing of the wind coming all the way from the north and also, it cool the place. It cool the people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than 100 buildings have been constructed on this five-and-a-half-billion-dollar project. Each building, embracing customs and traditions from the past.
CLARK WILLIAMS, MARKETING DIRECTOR, MSHEIREB PROPERTIES: We have museums. We have three major hotels. We have a school. All the city streets will have their own retail and -- and food and beverage. So as you walk through the city, you have all aspects of a pure mixed=use development.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cars and delivery trucks have been driven six floors underground, creating one of the world's largest interconnected car parks, with 10,000 parking spaces, and miles and miles of service delivery tunnels. High above, thousands of solar panels help power this smart city.
WILLIAMS: It's the smartest and most sustainable city district in the world. Seventy-five percent of the hot water generated here is solar panels. And we're capturing all of the condensation from the air- conditioning units, so you can use it for your drinking water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The development is already redefining Qatar's approach to architecture and its embrace of Arab heritage and design.
FAWZY: With Msheireb, you have a living example of modern, beautiful architectures, something rooted in the past. It's going to change how people look at architectures in Qatar.
AL THANI: I think today we are in a moment of reflection. We are on that rapid development still, but there's more of an understanding and a quicker reaction to when things are not happening the way they should be or there is a way forward that might be better. But I think it's a moment of reflection for us.
We are working towards the 2022, but that is also something that we look at as it's not our end goal. Our 2022 is actually a jumping point for us.
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