Doha, the capital of Qatar, was once a small village depending on fishing and pearl diving being surrounded by a desert. Qatar is one of the driest places in the world because of the very low annual rainfall and the lack of surface water resources. Today Qatar belongs to the richest countries in the world due to its enormous natural gas reserves. Doha, like other cities in the gulf region, has become a blueprint of modern urbanisation made possible by the commercial exploitation of its natural resources. The urban area is growing rapidly and it has been recognised that green areas and parks can improve quality of life. However, the transformation into a ‘green desert’ requires considerable effort due to the scarcity of fresh water. Salt water must be desalinated at great expense to meet the high demand for water. It may come as no surprise that in some places, the grass is not only or always real. Artificial turf and elements of fake nature can be found throughout the cityscape, offering visitors surprising discoveries: “Is this nature or not?”