Doha

Understand

thumb|250px|Dhows on the Doha Bay For most of its history, Doha was a poor fishing village dependent on pearl diving, and was regarded as a sleepy backwater until the early 1990s. Following the accession of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as Emir in 1995, however, Qatar quickly began to modernize, and Doha is now taking huge strides to catch up with other nearby Gulf cities. Development was accelerated by hosting the Asian Games in 2006 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The city is very much a work-in-progress, with a rapidly growing skyline and new buildings sprouting up almost like mushrooms.

For most visitors, Doha is synonymous with Qatar, as the vast majority of the country's population resides in the capital city. Doha has an astonishingly diverse population – only 13% of its residents are Qataris. Although Arabic is Qatar's official language, English is the lingua franca; most retail and service staff are foreigners and do not speak Arabic. Doha is also now one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, as workers continue to pour in to help build the developing economy.

Doha is fairly liberal by the standards of the Islamic world, though less so than its main rival Dubai and most Western countries. Alcohol and pork are legal for non-Muslim foreign residents, and non-Muslim women are not required to wear the hijab, though dressing in very skimpy outfits is still illegal. That said, Qatar is an absolute monarchy, so criticising the Emir is a crime. Homosexuality is a…

Get in

thumbnail|Inside Hamad International Airport

See

thumb|250px|Museum of Islamic Arts thumb|250px|Fanar Qatar Islamic Cultural Center

Do

300px | thumb | Traditional dhows along the Corniche

Doha has a reputation for not being the most exciting place on earth; however, should you find yourself here for a longer visit, there is a variety of activities and events. Start off with a tour of the city, which should take you about 2 hours and from there you will have a good idea of what you would like to see.

Football: Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Asia Cup. The men's national soccer team don't have a fixed stadium but most internationals are played in Doha. Qatar Grand Prix: Formula One motor-racing is held at Losail Circuit, 45 km north of the city. The next are 28-30 Nov 2025 then 27-29 Nov 2026.

Buy

You can buy pretty much anything you want in Doha, apart from pork products and alcohol (except with a licence or in the major hotels). Shopping is a major leisure pursuit of many Qataris and expats; prices however are somewhat higher than in Dubai. As with in most of the Middle East, be prepared to bargain.

Also, be aware that most of the luxury malls and some souks schedule "Family Days", most commonly Fridays, weekends and public holidays, where all single men should in theory be turned away at the door. In practice, however, most Qatari and white men will be allowed in with no issues, but African and non-Qatari Asian men (particularly South Asians in their native dressing) will be turned away.

Eat

thumb|250px|Restaurant at Souq Waqif thumb|250px|Qatari sweets at Souq Waqif thumb|250px|Informal fish market along the Corniche Given the population diversity in Doha, there is a large variety of different types of cuisine, including Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Korean and, of course, typical Middle Eastern food. Since Qatar is a Muslim country, all food is certified halal. Zomato is a popular restaurant review site and Talabat is a common delivery site.

If you are visiting during Ramadan, keep in mind that it is illegal to eat and drink in public during daylight hours, and all restaurants, including those in hotels, are not permitted to serve dine-in customers during this period. However, some restaurants remain open to sell takeaway meals to non-Muslims that you can take back to your hotel room and consume in private. However, iftar or the breaking of the fast after sunset, is a very elaborate event, as locals gather for large communal meals. Many establishments set up large tents for iftar, and non-Muslim visitors are welcome to partake in them; just make sure you reserve way in advance due to their popularity.

As Qatar is a Muslim country, nearly all food in Doha is halal. Pork is not served at restaurants, but is available to foreign residents with a liquor license at the two liquor stores run by the Qatar Distribution Company (QDC). This license is not available to tourists.

Drink

thumb|250px|Arabic coffee in Souq Waqif

Sleep

thumb|The Aspire Tower, also known as Torch Hotel

Compared to Dubai, which has hundreds of accommodation facilities, Doha does not offer that much variety with less than a hundred hotel properties and some other accommodations. There are quite a few 5-star international chain hotels in Doha and there are scores of new 5-star hotels on the rise, such as the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Intercontinental. More modest choices come in shorter supply.

Stay healthy

If you need emergency medical treatment, the government-owned Hamad General Hospital provides A&E (accident and emergency) care to everyone regardless of insurance status, and has the most advanced and best-equipped facility. Other smaller, private hospitals will charge for any emergency services.

999 is the emergency number for ambulance, police, and fire service. You will likely need to give directions or a nearby landmark. Response times in Doha are dependent on traffic, and there have been reports of long waits for ambulances, along with long waits for English-speaking operators. Medical teams however are highly skilled and all fluent in English.

HMC operates A&E departments at the medical centers listed below.

Stay safe

Doha is a very safe city as far as crime goes, but exercise the usual precautions. You can call 999 if you need emergency police assistance.