The problem, however, is that because security measures have cordoned many of the surrounding roads, traffic in the usually empty streets has at times come to a standstill. To Qataris who work or live nearby, it has been a struggle going back and forth to work for the past few days.

"I do this big detour to get to work now," said al-Qawari. "It doesn't help when you're running late." His wife, Mariam, however, works on the other side of town and experienced little of the traffic.

"I don't like it but I understand," said al-Qawari. "I would rather have all this security to prevent anything from happening than have something happen which would then mar our image in the world. We want people to remember Qatar positively."

Other shoppers, Abdullah and Noor-who declined to give their last name-believed that conferences, like the WTO, will put the name of their beloved country on the map. But, they admitted, they cannot wait until the conference ends.

After it took Abdullah one and a half hour to reach work-usually a 15 minute ride-he decided to take a week off until the conference is over. "I do appreciate the conference," he said, "but it's enough now. We have to get back to our normal lives."

And another thing, he added. The roadblocks have prevented locals from reaching their favorite area: the boardwalk overlooking the sparkling Gulf waters. "This is where we take our two daughters every day to play as we walk nearby," he said. "But they closed it off two days before the conference began and it broke our routine." At the ice skating rink at the Center, several small boys were attempting to stay upright on their skates. They have definitely noticed the traffic jams, they said, and don't like it.

"It's taking us longer to get home from school," complained Fahed Said, 13. "And my parents don't like it either. They can't get to the market easily." But as long as they can get to the skating rink in the evenings, the boys are willing to put up with it. "The reason they blocked the roads," explained Said to his playmates, is that "it's national celebration time." But 11-year-old Abdullah Oueitha quickly disagreed.

"No, it's because Ramadan is starting soon." "No," insisted Abdullah Mubarak, 10, "it's because we are celebrating Eid (festival at end of Ramadan) early."

Only Sultan Mohamed, 11, seemed to know the answer. "It's because," he said and hesitated as he carefully said the words "the World Trade Organization is meeting."

Abdullah Abdel Hadi, 11, stared blankly at him, shook his head and knowingly informed the group: "You're all silly," he said. "The roads are blocked because there are school exams."