No, you're wrong, Alexa. When GT printed stories about construction companies not paying their labourers back in the late-90s the government called in the owners of these companies and told them to get their act together because they were harming Qatar's image. After we published the camel jockey report, they came under so much pressure that we now have the robo-jockeys. There were quite a few areas in which GT made a significant difference ... and they never took action against us over it, though I was always afraid they might.

Another one, while I think of it: the first place anyone ever read the idea of bringing foreign univerities to Qatar was a letter to the editor back in 95. We did a little campaign, with a couple of editorials supporting the suggestion and numerous other letters. I have no idea if that led to Education City but I would like to think it did. Nobody will ever tell you.

Oh, yes: we had the head of the postal service sacked and replaced, too, because of our campaign about long delays in mail delivery - and there is no doubt at all about that being the result of GT's efforts.