Doha: Difference between revisions

Once little more than a minuscule pearl fishing village, '''Doha''' ([[Arabic phrasebook|Arabic]]: الدوحة ''ad-Dawḥa''), [[Qatar|Qatar's]] capital, with more people than the rest of Qatar combined, has emerged to become one of the pearls of the [[Middle East]]. It is one of the most rapidly-developing cities on the [[Persian Gulf]], akin to the development seen in nearby [[Dubai]] and [[Abu Dhabi]], and is aiming to become a centre of international trade and travel.

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,. especiallyDevelopment inwas preparationaccelerated for itsby hosting ofthe 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 – justonly 13% of its residents are native Qataris. Although Arabic is Qatar's official language, English is by default the ''lingua franca'',; asmost theretail majorityand ofservice thestaff city'sare expatsforeigners and do not speak Arabic, including most shopkeepers and service providers, and most Qataris speak English to communicate with the numerous migrant workers who work for them. 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 isand pork are legal for non-MuslimsMuslim 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 also a crime that carries the death penalty (though not actively enforced), so gay visitors should be as discreet as possible.

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| content=It offers a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus service, with stops at various locations between the Marriott Hotel and the Pearl-Qatar. Buses arrive at each stop every 20 minutes. Tickets are QR 180 (adult), QR 90 (children) and valid for 24 hours; bookings can be made on-line at its website, also via telephone and email. Alternatively, the manager/dispatcher is happy to take your call on her mobile and this will prevent you waiting on hold or even getting a busy signal. The energetic young crew of Pinoy, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan expats might not seem like the most organized bunch, but they try really hard to make things right, and they never stop smiling. There is shuttle service available from the airport to the first stop of the tour, which requires 30 minutes advance notice to arrange. If you're doing this on your last day in Doha, they will even arrange to pick you up at one of the main stops along the route and transfer you back to the airport for a not-unreasonable QR 50.

Several car rental agencies are found in and around Doha International Airport. The rental desks are not that easy to find and the signs to them are poor. They are on the lower floor in the car park area. The popular agencies include [http://www.hertz.qa/rentacar/car-rent/qatar/doha ''Hertz''], [http://avisqatar.com ''Avis'']{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} and [http://www.budgetqatar.com/budgetonline/qa-gb/budget.nsf/c/rental_locations ''Budget'']. These rental agencies offer seasonal discounts and it is advisable to check their websites before booking. If you're looking to rent a car, it is best to reserve in advance, to ensure a good price and minimise wait times. As of late 2013, visitors can drive a rental car for six months with an international driving licence. However, the laws regarding driving licences change almost yearly; visitors are advised to verify this information before arrival.

| name=Msheireb Museums | alt=متاحف_مشيرب | url=http://www.msheireb.com/msheireb-downtown-doha/msheireb-museums/about-msheireb-museums/ | email=

|wikidata=Q24882755| lastedit=2019-09-03

|lastedit=2024-01-18| content=For a glimpse of some older Qatari architecture, it can be worthwhile to wander around some of the older neighborhoods surrounding Souq Waqif, particularly the small neighborhood to the immediate south of the souq. There are still a few notable old villas and mosques which predate the mostly 1970s-era buildings; given the pace of redevelopment in Doha it is unclear how much longer they will survive. Best explored on foot. (As the current inhabitants are exclusively male immigrants, women will feel uncomfortable without a male companion.)

* '''Football''' in Qatar has not been a major sport, but the 2022 FIFA World Cup was held here, and the Asia Cup is expected to be held here in early 2024. So the game may enjoy a boost. The men's national team don't have a fixed stadium but most internationals are played in Doha.

* '''Qatar Grand Prix:''' [[Formula One]] motor-racing is held at [https://www.circuitlosail.com/ Losail Circuit], 45 km north of the city. There'sThe nonext raceare in29 2022Nov-1 toDec avoid a clash with the football World Cup. In 2023 ''insha'allah'' it will become a regular event at a new racetrack, next2024 heldthen 628-830 OctNov 20232025.

Typically most malls in Doha are open Sa-Th 10AM-10PM. Most will be closed on Friday mornings but will open up during the evening, when they'll be the most crowded. Also, be aware that some malls schedule "Family Days", where single men will be turned away at the door. In practice, however, most Westerners will be allowed in, but brown-skinned persons (particularly South Asians in their native dressing) will be turned away.

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| name=Doha B - Qatar Youth Hostels Association | url=httphttps://www.hostelbookershostelz.com/hostels/qatar/doha/45887Qatar/Doha | email=info@qataryha.com

== RespectStay safe ==

There is informal segregation in place to distanceprevent Qatarismigrant labourers, who are overwhelmingly male and in Qatar without their families, from mingling with migrant labourersQataris. For example, some shopping malls and public spaces enforce a "Families-only entry policy" (which includes single Qatari women), either on aweekends regularand basis or for significantpublic holidays. This is primarily intended to ensure that male migrant labourers, who are often located in Qatar without their families, are prohibited from entering and potentially mingling with Qatar's female minority (only a quarter of Qatar are composed of women). In theory, thisthe prohibition should apply to all single men (Qatari or otherwise), but in practice the level of enforcement will vary based on your ethnicity and gender. Asian (East, South and SE Asian) or African men andwill women may belikely prohibited from entry during this time, while Caucasianwhite or Qatari men maywill faceusually be admitted with no issues, or atmight leastjust arebe expected to simply acclaimclaim that their female partnerswives or mothers have already entered the mall. Even if you can prove you are a tourist or hold a westernWestern passport, it is generally not wise to contest being banned from certain public spaces, or else you risk being further questioned or detained by police. One workaround is to join a tour group that is touring the public space you want to enter, as these groups will clearly and obviously signify that you are a tourist and not a migrant worker. Most notably, the eight largest malls in Doha and most parks ban access to all non-Arab and non-Caucasianwhite men on weekends and holidays (or any other periods wherewhen a large number of migrant workers are likely to be on break). The Villaggio mallMall and Souq Wakrah also bansban access to non-Arab and non-Caucasianwhite men on Fridays.

Being the national capital, Doha hosts a large number of embassies. A majority of them are clustered in the West Bay District (especially the Diplomatic Area) and in the adjacent Al Dafna, Onaiza 65 and Onaiza Districts. There are others in other parts of the city as well. Due to an ongoing diplomatic crises over several issues Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates had suspended diplomatic ties, closed their embassies and recall their respective ambassadors. If corresponding by mail/post use the PO box address given as mail is only sent to a PO box instead of a street address. If delivering to a street address with DHL, FedEx, UPS or another private courier be sure to include recipient's phone number so that the delivery driver can call for directions or clarification on the address:

| name=China | alt= | url=http://qa.china-embassy.orggov.cn/eng/ | email=chinaemb_qa@mfa.gov.cn 

| address=Bldg No.Building 250, Street #801, Zone-66;Zone66 PO| post = P.O.Box 720017200 | lat= | long= | directions=

| phone=+974 4493- 4203 | tollfree= | fax=+974 4493 4201

| lastedit=20172024-1002-1403