Author to discuss book on Qatar at Baker Institute

DIANA UNTERMEYER

Author Diana Untermeyer will speak about her new book, “Qatar: Sand, Sea and Sky,” Jan. 31 at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. The talk will be at 6 p.m. in Baker Hall’s Doré Commons.

Untermeyer lived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, from 2004 to 2007 while her husband served as U.S. ambassador to Qatar. There Untermeyer was active with women’s and children’s programs and in the conservation, arts and health communities. She participated in numerous equestrian sports and won top rider for the 2006-2007 endurance season. Her book provides an inside look at the moderate Muslim country as it works to modernize and engage with the world without losing its heritage. It offers an introduction to the country for visitors, a repository of memories for those who know it well and a guide to understanding the new reality and potential of the Arab world.

Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and an expert on the Persian Gulf region, described “Qatar: Sand, Sea and Sky” as “a must-read not only for the short-term visitors or business travelers, but also the resident, Qatari or expatriate alike.” Untermeyer’s narrative, he said, “charts Qatar’s path to modernity and, with obvious sympathy to the Qatari people, moves readers behind the walls and into the salons casual travelers and even longtime expatriates may never see.”

Rice faculty, staff and students who want to attend must RSVP by email (bipprsvp@rice.edu), by fax (713-348-5993) or on the Web at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/qatar-sand-sea-and-sky. A webcast of the event can also be seen at this address.