Doha: Difference between revisions

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.

| 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.)

* '''Qatar Grand Prix:''' [[Formula One]] motor-racing is held at [https://www.circuitlosail.com/ Losail Circuit], 45 km north of the city. The next are held29 6Nov-81 OctDec 20232024 then 2928-30 Nov-1 Dec 20242025.

| lastedit=2022-10--6

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

There is informal segregation in place to prevent migrant labourers, who are overwhelmingly male and in Qatar without their families, from mingling with Qataris. 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. 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 white or Qatari men maywill usually be admitted facewith 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 Western 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-white 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-white men on Fridays.

| 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