On a long flight from the USA to South Africa, I had a 18 hour layover coming up in Doha. My original plan was to try and catch some rest at the airport but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I, as a South African national, didn’t require a visa to visit Qatar. This meant I could rather spend the layover exploring the country’s capital city than being stuck in the airport!
Doha is the largest city in Qatar with a population of almost 1.2 million and is home to the vast majority of the country’s population. Qatar gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, and since then Doha has been developed into one of the main financial centers in the Middle East.
Although I felt very safe when strolling around Doha at night, the effects that the recent FIFA World Cup had on the city were clearly visible. Standing at certain intersections and roads you see brand new and fancy buildings on the one side, with old and somewhat run down apartments and shops on the other.
Sights & Attractions
The city of Doha has a lot of attractions, most of which are either fancy things to do for the rich or culturally orientated attractions related to the Islamic culture and the Qatari national heritage.
The Flag Plaza is located down by the Doha Port and is open for anyone to view free of charge. For the avid travellers, this makes for a fun game of spotting the flags of the countries you’ve visited in the past. Just behind the plaza is the MIA park and the grounds that surround the Museum of Islamic Art, one of the iconic attractions in the area. This park is also open to walk around and you can follow the road around the Old Doha Port which has some colourful traditional buildings surrounding the marina.
Like most Islamic states, there are many mosques all around the city. These buildings have beautiful architecture and some even contain artworks. Whether you are religious or not, seeing these buildings first hand is still quite aware inspiring, especially when they are lit up at night. I viewed the Al Shouyoukh Mosque with its tall minaret and was lucky enough to be allowed inside before one of the the call to prayers.
Looking out over the Doha Bay is the government office for the Qatari Emir. On the site of these buildings was once an old fort, which was renamed Amiri Diwan when Qatar gained independence. Some of the grounds around Amiri Diwan remain open for the public to walk around.
Most recently, Qatar is remember for the World Cup it hosted in 2022. Since the country is so small, most of the stadiums and associated event venues are situated close together and can be easily accessed. For sports fans, Doha is a fun place to try and see a couple of the newly built stadiums. I stopped by Stadium 974 on my way back to the airport, which has a capacity of just of 44,000. Interestingly, the stadium was originally planned to be a temporary structure that would be disassembled after the World Cup so it was built from almost a thousand repurposed shipping containers.
Some other attractions include:
- The 2022 World Cup statue on Old Palm Trees Island.
- Katara Cultural Village and the Pearl Island to the north of the city.
- The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum which houses some cool Formula 1 and automotive exhibits.
Activities & Experiences
I was in Doha over night so I wasn’t expecting to find many things open other than a few late-night restaurants. Unfortunately, I got out the airport after the museums had already closed, but I walked past some of them to see them from the outside anyways. There are numerous museums and cultural centers in the downtown area. The main ones are the Museum of Islamic Art, pictured below, and the National Museum of Qatar with is interesting architecture. Admission to the museums is fairly well priced so look into visiting one if you’re in Doha during the daytime.
A popular activity to do in Doha is to take a ride on one of the dhow boats. There are many different operators, with most situated around the Dhow Harbour near the souq. I didn’t catch a ride this trip given the time constraints. Most of the boats operate late into the night between the the harbour and the Doha Corniche area. If a boat ride isn’t your thing, you can head down to the Doha Fishing Port and check out the fish market which is also open quite late.
Doha is centered around the famous Souq Waqif which is the city’s largest and borders the Doha Bay on the south side. the word “souq” means bazaar or marketplace in Arabic and most Islamic cities and towns are built around them. This souq is not as old as some of the other more historic souqs in the Islamic world at just over a century old, but the architecture and winding streets and alley ways are fun to walk around and explore nonetheless.
In the souq you’ll find various small restaurants with local eats. The area is a great place to do some souvenir or garment shopping. Even though it is very touristy, I was surprised that most of the shops and restaurants were still relatively cheap.
Near the entrance to the souq is the Souq Waqif Art Center. This center has various Islamic and middle eastern artworks on display and even hosts some workshops. You can walk around and see the artists painting late into the night. I randomly spotted this Mr. Bean portrait on my way out and was very tempted to buy it!
Some other activities that could be fun include:
- Walking around and viewing the modern skyscrapers in the Doha Corniche area.
- Doing some shopping at one of the big malls such as the Villaggio Mall or the City Center Doha Shopping Mall.
- Exploring the Al Bidda Park or park at the Aspire Zone.
Food & Drink
The downtown area, especially around Souq Waqif, has many restaurants and places to grab some food. I was only in Doha for a long night so wanted to try the most iconic dish of the local Qatari cuisine. After some Googling, I set out to find some majboos or machbous, the national dish of Qatar. It wasn’t long before I came across a place serving this dish in the souq, and for very cheap too! After dinner, I found some delicious dolmas to snack on for dessert.
You can find various restaurants serving a wide range of middle eastern and local foods. I noticed restaurants serving Mediterranean, Egyptian, Iranian, and even Palestinian food. Muslims are not allowed to consume alcohol so bars and restaurants serving alcohol are not common. Certain establishments and luxury restaurants do have permits to sell, but this comes at a premium. Fresh fruit juices, different types of teas, and of course Arabic coffee are very popular and cheap. I really enjoyed the mint tea and pomegranate juice.
- Qatar is almost entirely surrounded by ocean so seafood is a staple in the country. You can find restaurants serving up freshly grilled fish.
- Another popular dish is madrouba which is a type of savoury porridge made from overcooked rice and various spices.
- Sweat desserts and treats are also popular. Some include luqaimat which are a type of sweetened doughnut ball, khabees which is a type of date and toasted sugary flour mixture, and various rice and sago puddings such as Umm Ali.
Transport & Accommodation
I flew Qatar Airways to and from Doha. This was my first time flying with them and I have to say I was very impressed with the airlines and the service. The airport in Doha is the Hamad International Airport. This is a large and relatively new airport with lots of shops and places to eat, although these are much more expensive than the places in the city. There are also some fun things to do to keep you entertained in the airport such as walking around the indoor garden The Orchard or finding some of the sculptures like the Small Lie large wooden teddy bear. Just note that there is no luggage storage at the airport, which I was quite surprised by.
To get between the airport and the city, you can take the metro, a bus, or a taxi. I used the metro to get to the souq station downtown and I was very impressed with the facilities. The Doha metro might even be my favourite one yet. It was clean, on time, ran regularly, had good air-conditioning, and was well priced. I would favour this mode of transport if I find myself back in the country again.
Final Thoughts
Although I only spent one long night in Doha I managed to find lots to do and see. The local food was particularly good, and something I hadn’t eaten before. The city is quite tourist orientated with these areas being very clean and well kept. I was impressed with the metro and how easy it was to get around Doha, even late at night. Being an Islamic state, Qatar operates under Sharia law. It’s best to look into such things and plan accordingly before arriving in the country. It would be nice to have a longer stopover in Doha in the future, hopefully during the daytime to experience some of the sunny weather and beaches.
How did you find your trip to Doha, or what are you excited to do when you visit Qatar?
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Stingy Sightseeing 