Qatar Culture Guide (AR): Qatar Creates /Spring-Summer 2025

The story then moves on to all things Olympic, where a highlight is the dramatically lit gallery displaying every torch from the Summer and Winter Olympics from 1936 onward, when the torch was introduced at the Berlin Games.

The museum’s Hall of Athletes showcases some of the world’s greatest sporting stars, including household names such as Usain Bolt and Michael Jordan. Most are represented by autographed items: a baseball bat and ball signed by Babe Ruth; a cricket bat signed by Sachin Tendulkar; shirts worn and signed by Pelé and Roger Federer; the tennis racket Steffi Graf swung at the French Open in 1999, when she beat Monica Seles in the semi-finals; and the gloves worn by Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) in his first heavyweight title fight against Sonny Liston in 1964.

The final section of the museum is the Activation Zone: visitors collect a wristband then play 18 interactive games. Each of these is designed to test hand-eye coordination, strength, reactions, decision-making and the participant’s ability to work in a team. At the end, visitors swipe their wristbands at a kiosk to find out how well they have done.

The museum has its own public art, including a site-specific installation by Daniel Arsham (b.1980, USA), made up of all the balls used in sports around the world.

In 2010, Mathaf (Arabic for “museum”) became the first institution of its kind: a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art from the Arabic-speaking world. Its main objective is to document and archive Arab artists and, in doing so, raise them to the same prominence as their global artistic counterparts. The museum is housed in a former school building, adapted for its new use by French architect Jean-François Bodin. The facade has a large screen stretched over scaffolding on which imagery and videos can be projected at night.

There are two floors of gallery spaces: upstairs is the permanent collection, assembled over three decades by His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al-Thani, a cousin of the Amir. It covers art from the Arab world, the wider Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia that are historically connected to Qatar, such as India. Mathaf’s ground floor is used for temporary exhibitions and the museum also has a research library, gift shop and Joe & the Juice cafe.

The museum is located in Education City, which is a beautiful, landscaped quarter with eight universities, including branches of five major American universities. It is also home to the spaceship-like Qatar National Library, designed by Rem Koolhaas’s Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), which, as well as serving the local student population, is a popular visitor attraction in its own right: a sunken labyrinth hosts a display of valuable archival materials, while the library also hosts regularly changing temporary exhibitions.

Together, the exhibits tell the story of the origins and spread of Islam, with galleries devoted to the Qur’an and its history, the ummah (Muslim community), learning and science, and the rapid political expansion of Islam across the globe. They take visitors through the Islamic world, from the Mediterranean in the west to the Indian Ocean in the east, and beyond. There are galleries on Islamic manuscripts, arms, armor and on Southeast Asia – the latter serves as a reminder that this is the region that is home to the world’s largest Muslim population.

There is a beautiful atrium cafe and, on the top floor, IDAM by Alain Ducasse restaurant, which serves French Mediterranean cuisine with an Arabic twist. There is a well-stocked gift store and the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions.

Surrounding the museum is MIA Park, which offers fantastic views across the bay to the 21st-century towers of West Bay. The park has a number of pieces of public art, most notably the monumental 7 by Richard Serra (1938–2024, USA). Beside the Corniche is Flag Plaza, where 119 flags representing nations with diplomatic missions in Qatar, as well as the European flag, the United Nations flag, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) flag all fly. Also visible from the park is the former flour mill that is in the process of being converted into the Art Mill Museum, a future home for international modern and contemporary art being developed by Qatar Museums

Opened in 2019 and housed within an iconic building designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the National Museum tells the story of Qatar, both chronologically and thematically. The narrative begins more than 700 million years ago, as powerful geological forces shaped the peninsula. The story progresses through displays that investigate the region’s developing natural history and include models of animals native to Qatar, from the smallest gerbil up to the oryx and a whale shark. There are galleries on the archaeology of Qatar and the nomadic peoples on the peninsula who moved between land and sea, herding and hunting, pearling and trading. A highlight is the fabulous Baroda Carpet, decorated with more than 1.5 million marine pearls, as well as emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds. Later sections focus on Qatar in the modern era and the rapid growth of the country following the oil wealth that flowed into Qatar in the 1970s.

As well as objects, the museum uses oral histories, films and digital installations in the telling of Qatar’s national story. Uniquely, it embraces the restored Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani (1880–1957), a former Amir of Qatar.

A grouping of small museums occupies four sensitively renovated, single-story historic heritage houses off one street at the heart of the Msheireb district. Together they document important facets of Qatar’s national history and reveal unique aspects of the nation’s cultural and social development. The houses can be visited in any order, but most people start with the Bin Jelmood House, which is named after a former owner, a merchant named Jelmood. Among the goods he traded were enslaved people, and so the museum tells the story of global slavery and raises awareness of ongoing human exploitation. At nearby Mohammed Bin Jassim House, visitors travel back in time to gain an appreciation of the history and unique architectural heritage of the Msheireb neighborhood, from the settlement of Doha in the very early 20th century until Msheireb’s rebuilding in the 21st-century.

Liwan is a design studio and creative labs housed in an imaginatively repurposed historic building that was the first officially recognised school for girls in Qatar. Led by multidisciplinary Qatari designer Aisha Bint Nasser Al Sowaidi, Liwan provides the designers with state-of-the-art labs for pottery, leatherworking, digital photography and prototyping, as well as private and shared studios, giving them the resources needed to advance their work. It offers public programs to raise awareness of local and global design thinking and practices, heritage tours about the history of the building, as well as talks, workshops, dinners, exhibitions, film screenings and networking opportunities. Liwan houses a collection of roughly 850 archived children’s books and objects from the former school in the Liwan Archival Library. It also hosts a permanent exhibition Honour the Past, To Celebrate the Future: Qatar’s Educational Vision that highlights the profound impact that Qatar’s first girls’ school had on multiple generations of women. Al Journal by Liwan is an online collection of essays, articles, book and exhibition reviews and visuals exploring contemporary design themes across the Middle East and internationally. It features pioneering Qatari creatives and connects local and global design voices, encouraging collaboration and commentary on cultural and intellectual design matters.

M7 is Qatar’s epicenter for innovation and entrepreneurship in design, fashion and tech. Established by Qatar Museums under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa, M7 responds to the demands of Qatar’s growing fashion and design industries and is dedicated to empowering designers to explore, collaborate and develop successful businesses. It provides local designers with all the necessary tools and expertise to enable them to take their ideas from concept to market. The building’s upper floors are devoted to co-working spaces, meeting rooms, a materials library and valuable infrastructure, such as 3D-printing facilities. The lower floors are more public-facing, with the café and restaurant Profiles (beautifully designed by local architect Mariam Al Abdulla), and concept design store Studio 7. There is also a large-scale exhibition space on the ground floor that has hosted major shows on the fashion houses Christian Dior and Valentino, and the masterpieces of furniture design from the Vitra collection. It also stages Arab Design Now, as part of the larger Design Doha program. The main space is complemented by several smaller exhibition spaces on the upper floors that also host regularly changing exhibitions.

Located within Katara Cultural Village, QM Gallery Katara was founded in 2010 as a more intimate space for Qatar Museum’s temporary exhibitions and public-art projects. Most recently, it hosted Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History (2022–23). Previous exhibitions have included Skate Girls Of Kabul (2017) by award-winning British photographer Jessica Fulford-Dobson, who documented young girls participating in a unique program called Skateistan, providing girls with a place to skate safely and a route into education in Kabul; Silks from the Silk Road – Chinese Art of Silk (2016); Harem Al Sultan (2015), which featured original decor, costumes and accessories from the hit Turkish TV series of that name about the life of Suleyman the Magnificent; and Hey’Ya: Arab Women in Sport (2013), French photographer Brigitte Lacombe’s examination of female athletes in the Arab world.

The neighborhood in which the gallery is located, Katara (an ancient name for Qatar), is a purpose-built cultural village set between landscaped hills, overlooking a beautiful arc of sandy beach. The village’s design takes its cue from traditional Qatari architecture, with narrow, shaded alleys, courtyards and windcatchers to channel cooling breezes. The centerpiece is a large, circular amphitheater, which is open to visitors when no performances are taking place. Nearby are numerous cultural institutions including the Drama Theater and the Opera House, a postal museum and dhow museum, as well as the beautiful Golden Mosque and Katara Mosque.

Public art has been part of the urban fabric of Qatar since the 1980s. Originally, the art was sited at the center of traffic roundabouts and was often designed and even made by the people who lived in the neighborhood. The roundabouts had names related to the art: Arch Roundabout, Water Jar Roundabout, Oryx Roundabout. These days Qatar Museums has a dedicated department responsible for curating, commissioning and installing public art all over Doha and across Qatar. Artists chosen for the program are a mix of local and the internationally renowned. Most visitors arriving in the country are probably here for only a matter of minutes before being exposed to public art, because there are no fewer than 18 pieces dotted around Hamad International Airport (HIA).

Since 2020, the public art has been supplemented by Jedariart, a local mural program. For its first edition, QM commissioned more than 15 artists to paint walls across the city.

This breathtaking sculpture in the desert landscape of the Brouq Nature Reserve in the far west of Qatar spans over a kilometer and comprises four steel plates, each over 14 meters in height, arrayed in a straight line. The plates are not exactly the same height but are calibrated to compensate for undulations in the terrain, so the tops of the slabs are exactly even with one another and roughly level with the low plateaus that frame the piece to the north and the south. The plates are verticals in a landscape that lacks them and serve to sensitize viewers to their topographical surroundings.

Claassen is well known for his depictions of nature and wildlife. Continuing his signature sculptural style, Claassen created his giant golden Falcon as an abstract representation of Qatar’s national bird for Hamad International Airport. Taking inspiration from the falcon’s soft feathers, the sculpture’s vivid curves echo the aviation routes from Qatar to the rest of the world, while also drawing inspiration from Arabic calligraphy and the folds found in the fabric of traditional Qatari attire. The falcon sits on a ledge facing the airport’s Departures Hall.

Rondinone is known for his meditations on nature and the human condition, using an organic, formal vocabulary that fuses a variety of sculptural and painterly traditions. Doha Mountains is located at the intersection of geological formations and abstract compositions, consisting of vertically stacked rocks painted in varying schemes of Day-Glo colors. They are inspired by naturally occurring Hoodoos (spires or pyramids of rock) and the art of meditative rock balancing, which has existed across cultures for thousands of years. You can find Doha Mountains at Ras Abu Abboud, near Stadium 974.

This series of 14 monumental bronze sculptures chronicle the gestation of a fetus inside a uterus, from conception to birth. It ends with a statue of a 14-meter-tall anatomically correct baby boy.
Placed in front of Sidar Medical Centre, in Education City, which is dedicated to women and children, it is a stunning work of art – and one that will stimulate debate, analysis and reflection at home and abroad for years to come. “Everyone talks about life’s journey,” says Damien Hirst, “but we have a whole journey before we’re born.”

Maybe the most photographed – and possibly most loved – of all Qatar’s public art is this oversized polished-bronze cast of the artist’s own thumb. The reason for its popularity is its prominent placement at a major pedestrian thoroughfare in Souq Waqif, at the heart of the bustling restaurant and shopping area. At night, the highly polished bronze patina of the sculpture complements the glow of street lighting at this site and during the day, the work is visible from numerous angles and street views. It has become a prominent marker, a familiar spot where people agree to meet – in the shadow of the giant thumb.

Twenty circular shelters, three single rings and two double rings make up this site-specific artwork in the desert near Al Zubarah, in northern Qatar. They are positioned according to the axes of a fivefold symmetrical pattern, with the 10 shelters at the center forming a pentagram. The undersides of the circular roofs are covered with mirror panels, which reflect the curved segment of pipe that supports the roof, creating a visual illusion of the pipes doubling into full rings and linking the real landscape with the reflected space. Visitors standing in the shade of the roofs may experience a moment of disorientation, glimpsing themselves and their surroundings reflected upside down in the roofs above.

Amiri Diwan is the sovereign body and administrative office of HH the Amir, the ruler of Qatar. The complex is set on a slight rise just back from the Corniche, on the fringes of Al Bidda Park, just north of Msheireb in central Doha. It began life as Al Bidda Fort in the 18th century and for a time was occupied by the Ottomans. After their departure in 1915 Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim, the then ruler of Qatar, occupied the building and made it the seat of government, known as the Doha Palace. In 1971, following the end of the Anglo-Qatari treaty of 1916, the title of the ruler of the State of Qatar was changed to Amir, and the fort was renamed the Amiri Diwan. It has two main buildings: the old and the new Diwan. It has two main buildings: the old and the new Diwan. The former dates from 1972 and is two stories high, with two courtyards partially ringed with offices. Its main, ceremonial entrance faces the 1956 Clock Tower. By the mid-1970s, this structure was already judged too small, and a new Diwan was completed in 1989 – a palatial U-shaped building with a grand entrance on the south side, facing Al Rayyan Road and Msheireb.

On Saturdays, visitors can take a tour of the Amiri Diwan. The tours begin at the Qasr Al Hukum Visitor Center in Msheireb (which is near the Msheireb Museums) and must be booked in advance online here

Located about 20km north of central Doha in the village of Umm Salal Mohammed, the Barzan Towers (the word barzan means “high place”) are imposing twin fortified structures that lie off the main Doha Expressway. Earlier towers may have existed on the site, but the older of the pair, the western tower, was constructed between 1910 and 1916 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani as part of fortifications that surrounded the village and its gardens – a section of the wall still exists in a nearby park. The western tower is 14 meters high and consists of three levels; in plan, it has a distinctive “T” shape, considered unique in style in the Gulf region. The eastern tower was added after 1958, with a design based on its western counterpart. Both towers were restored in 2014, together with a madrasa (religious school) and a mosque, and they are now surrounded by an attractive planted garden.

Doha’s landmark main mosque is named after the 18th-century Islamic scholar and preacher Muhammad Abdul Wahhab, who advocated a strict interpretation of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s words and actions (hadith), inspiring a conservative strand of Islam known as Wahhabism. The mosque is also known as the Qatar State Grand Mosque and the Mosque of 99 Domes, echoing the 99 names attributed to God in Islam – although it has only 93 domes. Standing on the site of an earlier mosque, the current building was begun in 2006 and completed in 2011. It is a relatively modest but beautiful structure, blending traditional Qatari architecture and modern construction techniques. The main entrance has a grand archway, leading to a large courtyard with a central fountain. The prayer hall can hold 11,000 worshippers (the total capacity, including the courtyard space, is for 30,000 worshippers) and features a large dome adorned with intricate calligraphy.

Outside of prayer time, entry is open to all visitors, regardless of religious affiliation, but it is recommended to visit as part of an organized tour. Shoes must be removed before entering and you should dress conservatively: no shorts or exposed shoulders for both men and women, and women must cover their heads (scarves are provided if needed). Children under the age of seven are not allowed. To book a tour contact info@fanar.gov.qa

The low limestone hills at Al Jassasiya, in northern Qatar, contain a fascinating concentration of rock carvings or petroglyphs. Discovered in 1957, the site was systematically studied in 1974 when nearly 900 carved single figures and compositions were cataloged. Unique in composition and design among the petroglyphs of the Gulf region, these consist mainly of cup marks in various arrangements, including rows, rosettes and stars, but also of figurative carvings such as boats, animals and enigmatic symbols and signs. It is believed that the cup marks were used for playing ancient board games. It has previously been suggested that the earliest rock carvings might date back to the Neolithic period, however new evidence makes it seem more likely that they were made within the past 250 years. The site is about one hour’s drive from Doha.

Souq Waqif is the heart of Doha, geographically, historically, culturally and spiritually. It is a market founded over 250 years ago, when it dealt mainly in livestock. Today, it is still a market, or bazaar, covering most of a whole city block and constituting a neighborhood in itself. These days it sells everything from clothing and household goods to gold and jewelry, nuts and spices, crafts and antiques, as well as more exotic items, such as birds and animals. Souq Waqif is also weighted with immense cultural significance as a symbol of Qatari heritage and a largely disappearing way of life. Qataris visit, particularly at weekends and during festivals, to sit in the cafés, dine, and simply enjoy the spectacle and atmosphere of a part of the city that harks back to a Doha before oil was discovered. Foreign visitors enjoy the souq for much the same reasons: it’s a pedestrian-only area, full of life, with lots of excellent opportunities to sit, people watch, drink and eat – from street food and Western and Arab cafes to high-end restaurants.

Al Wakrah is a former fishing village that is now almost a southern suburb of Doha. The original settlement dates from the mid-19th century and probably predates what would become Doha. It sustained itself from fishing, then later grew rich on pearling. At the start of the 20th century, the harbor had a fleet of around 300 dhows. In recent times, Al Wakrah has undergone extensive development and growth and is now the second largest urban center in Qatar. Even so, it retains its own identity, with an abundance of traditional architecture, like a smaller, quieter version of Doha’s Souq Waqif, with the added attraction of being by the sea. Al Wakrah is approximately 15km south of Hamad International Airport, or a 20-minute drive from central Doha.

Zekreet is a village on the west coast of Qatar, approximately 90km from Doha. It has been inhabited possibly since the late 18th century but only experienced real growth following the discovery of oil in the surrounding Dukhan region. For visitors there are two sites of interest, a historic fort and a historic mosque, but Zekreet is also the gateway to Ras Abrouq and its stunning desert scenery of sandy canyons fringed by white cliffs and strange mushroom-shaped rock formations caused by the wind-blown erosion of soft limestone layers. This is also the isolated and dramatic setting for one of Qatar’s most other-worldly pieces of public art, Richard Serra’s East-West/West-East.

Al Zubarah, which lies about 92km from Doha, on the north-western coast, is one of the most significant heritage sites in Qatar. At its peak, the once-thriving 17th-century town, founded by merchants arriving from Kuwait and Basra in search of pearls, had an impressive city wall, residential palaces and houses, markets, mosques and a fort. During the mid- to late-18th century, it was the Gulf’s most important trading hub, connecting the Indian Ocean with Arabia and western Asia – a place where people from East and West connected economically, socially and culturally. What remains today is a vast coastal archaeological site that is still in the process of being excavated. A boardwalk among the dunes allows visitors to see what has been unearthed so far, which is mainly the outline and lower courses of former buildings. There is also Zubarah Fort and a new Visitor’s Center that tells the story of the region. Olafur Eliasson’s land-art installation, Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day, is also close by.

STADIUMS

Inaugurated in 2020, the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium is a replacement for an earlier, smaller stadium that was demolished in 2015. In the process, the seating capacity was raised from 21,282 to 45,032. The new facade is a reimagining of traditional Qatari decoration, called naqsh, adorned with geometric patterns that evoke classical Islamic architecture, their impressive intricacy reflecting the exquisite handicrafts produced in Qatar. Since the World Cup, the upper tier has been repurposed (reducing the capacity to approximately 20,000) and a multi-sport facility developed. It has also returned to its use as the home of Al Rayyan Football Club, a club which plays in Qatar’s top division.

Built for the 2022 World Cup in the coastal city of Al Khor, Al Bayt takes its inspiration from the bayt al sha’ar (tents) of Qatar’s nomadic desert people, whose heritage stretches back thousands of years. The arena’s exterior features the black stripes common to the tribal tents, along with Bedouin sadu patterns on the interior. The 68,895-capacity stadium hosted the World Cup’s opening match, between Qatar and Ecuador. It is being repurposed as a multi-sport facility, medical center and five-star hotel.

Built for the 2022 World Cup, the stadium sits among the various campus buildings that make up most of Education City. It was designed by Spanish practice Fenwick Iribarren Architects and the design draws on the rich history of Islamic architecture; its facade is made up of interlocking diamonds to form complex geometrical patterns that seem to change color as the sun crosses the sky above. Since the tournament, the stadium’s capacity has been reduced from over 44,000 to 25,000, and it is now a multi-purpose facility for Education City staff and students.

This is the only building in Qatar designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Its form is inspired by the traditional dhow boats that have been used for pearl diving and fishing in the area for centuries. The stadium’s graceful lines, flowing curves and use of timber and natural materials in the construction pay homage to the city of Al Wakrah’s maritime heritage. Since the World Cup, the seating capacity has been reduced by half and the stadium is transitioning to a multi-sport and leisure facility with cycling, horse-riding and running tracks for use by the local community.

Built in Doha as the flagship venue for the 1976 Gulf Cup, this is Qatar’s oldest stadium and has since been upgraded to hold more than 45,000 spectators. It was fully refurbished for the World Cup by Lebanese architecture and engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah. Its distinctive twin arches pay homage to its history as Qatar’s most well-known sporting venue, having hosted the Asian Games, the Arabian Gulf Cup and the AFC Asian Cup in the past. Post-World Cup, the stadium remains a multi-sport venue.

The largest of Qatar’s World Cup stadiums, this 88,966-seat circular arena hosted the tournament’s memorable final, between France and Argentina, as well as nine games in the run-up. Designed by British architects Foster + Partners, its muted gold-mesh exterior and sloping roof are based upon bowls and vessels used across the Middle East for centuries. The design creates an interplay of light and shadow that also evokes the glow of a traditional fanar (lantern). There was a proposal that after the World Cup the stadium would be transformed into an indoor farm but, for the moment, it remains a sporting venue.

This 44,000-capacity stadium represents modern, environmentally conscious Qatar: it is constructed from shipping containers on an easy-to-disassemble modular system. Housed inside a steel frame, many of the containers were used to transport building materials to the site, and it is the first fully demountable tournament venue in FIFA World Cup history. The materials and design capture the spirit and maritime history of the local area, close to Doha’s port, while also representing Qatar’s position as a center for Middle Eastern trade. The structure is currently in the process of being dismantled and stored, ready to be recycled for use in another country.

Sited in Doha’s residential Al Thumama district, the beautiful lace-like exterior of this circular arena references the traditional gahfiya woven cap worn by Middle Eastern boys and men for centuries. Qatari architect Ibrahim M. Jaidah also conceived the building as a tribute to the nation’s youth, intended to symbolize Qatar’s emergence on the world stage as a major sporting destination. Since the World Cup, the seating capacity has been reduced by half and the stadium is used to host regular league football games.

BOWLING

CAMEL RACING

Arab tribal traditions meet 21st-century technology at Qatar’s premiere camel-racing track at Ash Shahaniya, about a 45-minute drive west of central Doha on the Dukhan Highway. Domestic and international tournaments take place every Friday and Saturday from October to February, with major events such as HH the Amir’s Main Race held in March and April. Professional camel racing began in Qatar in 1972. Small boys rode as jockeys until this practice was phased out in the early 2000s, in favor of robotic jockeys. These riders are about the size and shape of a backpack and are clothed in colorful racing silks (and jockey caps) to help distinguish them from each other. The robots wield wire whips and are controlled by owners who race alongside the track in their SUVs, shouting encouragement to the camels via speakers. Races are run over distances ranging from four to 10km, and take place between animals in age categories, with the youngest being three years and the oldest seven. The camels can reach speeds of 60kph in short bursts and can average 40kph for up to an hour. Luxury cars are awarded as prizes to the owners of the winners.

There is a large video screen for spectators, but most people follow the race in their cars – which must be an SUV rather than a normal sedan. Around the track are stables. Even when there are no races, guests are welcome to stop by any morning and watch the camels training. Many Doha tour companies organize visits to the races during the season.

CRICKET

Indians are the most populous ethnic group in Doha, so it’s no surprise that cricket is widely played across the city. On Fridays, in particular, pick-up games take place in parks, car parks and on bits of empty ground. The main venue for professional cricket is the Asian Town Stadium (also known as Al Arabi Stadium or the West End Park International Cricket Stadium), which is in the Mesaimeer industrial zone, south-west of the city, just off Industrial Area Road, adjacent to Plaza Mall. In January 2022, Afghanistan used the stadium as its home ground for a three-match series against the Netherlands as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. The best way to find out about games is to visit the Asian Town Cricket Stadium Facebook page.

CYCLING

It is a fiercely hot desert country built on the proceeds of petroleum and deeply in love with the car, but Qatar has a surprising commitment to the bicycle. The country is laced with dedicated cycling routes. Prime among these is the Olympic Cycling Track, which was inaugurated in 2020. It starts in Doha at a car park near the Doha Golf Club and Qatar University and then proceeds for 33km north to the city of Al Khor. Its 29 tunnels and five bridges allow riders to maintain a straight line without interruption for the entire length. There are also cycle tracks at the Aspire Zone Park, Al Bidda Park and at the Lusail International Circuit. Serious cyclists might want to contact Qatar Chain Reaction, an expatriate cycling club based in Doha. The group organizes Friday rides, sometimes into the desert, and hosts several events throughout the year, including time trials and triathlons.

FOOTBALL

The Qatar Stars League (QSL, but also known as Expo Stars League for sponsorship reasons) is the top-level football league in Qatar. It is contested by 12 teams, with the one finishing bottom being demoted to the Qatari Second Division. The season runs from August to April. There are also five domestic cups to play for. In the 2023–24 season all but two of the QSL teams are based in or around Doha. By far the most successful is Al Sadd, which has been crowned national champions 16 times since the professional league kicked off in 1971. Al Sadd plays at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, which is just west of Downtown Doha, near Al Waab-QLM metro. Its closest competitors in recent years has been Al Duhail, which was only founded in 2009, when the team entered the second division. Al Duhail won that league in only its second season and was promoted to the QSL, which it topped in its very first season, 2010–11. It has finished top a further seven times in the 12 seasons since (Al Sadd were champions four times in this period and Al Rayyan once). The club plays its home games at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, which is in the northern Duhail district.

Other Doha-based teams include Al Ahli, Al Arabi, Al Gharafa, Al Sailiya and Qatar SC. Al Rayyan play at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, which is just west of the city, beside the Mall of Qatar.

Games take place on Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets can be bought through the QSL website.

GOLF

The Doha Golf Club is an 18-hole, 7,374-yard, par 72 championship course that was designed by Peter Harradine, who has designed or co-designed over 160 golf courses in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The following year it hosted the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters as a second stop on the European Tour’s Middle East swing, which was won by the Scot Andrew Coltart. The course has eight lakes and 65 giant cacti imported from Arizona. There’s also a nine-hole, floodlit academy course. The club is open to non-members, and has full facilities including a clubhouse with three restaurants, a pro shop and a teaching pro. It continues to host the Qatar Masters every March: some of the finest players in the history of the European Tour, such as Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson, have won the tournament.

HORSE RACING & RIDING

QREC runs thoroughbred and purebred Arabian horse racing events, organizes Arabian horse shows and encourages owners to care for and race the best animals to develop horse production. It has Qatar’s main racecourse, including a 1.8km turf track and a 1.4km sand track. There is a magnificent grandstand equipped with top-class facilities, and a general spectator seating capacity of 1,400. Race meets take place every Wednesday and Thursday from October to May. Find details and schedules on the QREC website.

The school offers beginners’ courses that take would-be riders up to a level that allows them to participate in local and international competitions, all according to an international curriculum. There are also ladies-only riding classes. For first-time riders (and children) there is a daily 1km pony ride, to be booked in advance. There is a riding shop on site for equestrian equipment and a cafe. The school is west of Doha, just off the Dukhan Highway, next to the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum.

This is a world-class equestrian center dedicated to promoting the Arabian horse and setting the highest standards in welfare and breeding. It’s located south of the university campuses of Education City. The facilities – which include two competition arenas with a grandstand for 7,200 spectators, stables, an academy, a veterinary care area and a swimming pool designed for horses – are all housed under a stunning clam-shell roof. Al Shaqab offers public tours of its spectacular horseshoe-shaped complex; these must be booked in advance. It also offers one-time introductory riding classes, children’s pony rides and special women’s programs. See the website for further details, or for riding lesson inquiries email eeinfo@qf.org.aq.

MOTOR SPORTS

Lusail International Circuit, which is off the Al Khor Road, north of the city, was constructed in 2004 to host the highest class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, otherwise known as MotoGP. In November 2021, the circuit was used for the first time for FIA Formula One, inaugurating the Qatar Grand Prix. The event was skipped in 2022 to avoid any clash with the FIFA World Cup but resumed in October 2023, with the first Qatar Grand Prix in a 10-year deal. It is a 5.4km circuit with a 1km main straight providing plenty of overtaking opportunities. In preparation for F1, the circuit was upgraded and now accommodates more than 40,000 spectators. The track still hosts MotoGP, which takes place in November. Tickets for all events can be purchased online at the Lusail International Circuit website.

SWIMMING

At the end of the 20th century the mall supplemented the traditional souq, or bazaar, as the way to shop in Qatar – Doha’s first mega mall, City Center, in West Bay, opened in 2001. The mall makes sense: its enclosed spaces can be air-conditioned for comfort and there is always plenty of parking space. Competition for customers means that each new mall has to offer more and better shops, and additional inducements, including dining and entertainment options, and even canals, lakes and fountains.

Note: all shops must close for a minimum 90 minutes for Friday prayers, usually from 11.30am to 1pm.

SOUQ

It is a fascinating place to explore, full of history and spectacle, but Souq Waqif is also a working market, where city residents go to shop. Different areas of the souq specialize in specific wares: the part of the covered souq opposite the police station is given over to items of clothing in eye-catching fabrics, like embroidered scarves. There are also handicraft stalls selling everything from coffee pots, swords and brass lanterns to shisha pipes, keychains and fridge magnets. The deeper you progress into the souq, the less tourist-oriented it becomes. Several air-conditioned passageways off Al Souq Street are dedicated to less ostentatious clothing and fabrics. There are alleys devoted to kitchen wares and household goods, including beautifully decorated enamel trays, cups and teapots. The northernmost part of the souq has all the spice shops, as well as the bird and pet markets where vendors sell everything from tortoises and baby rabbits to rose-ringed parakeets and cockatoos.

On the western edge of the souq is the Oud Souq, a purpose-built, two-story structure where perfume vendors sell essential oils and big brands. Beside the Oud Souq, the southern part of Al Ahmed Street is the place to look for souvenirs, including musical instruments, Qatari flags, sadu weavings and elaborate bisht, the traditional gown worn by Qatari men for weddings and official events.

Most shops operate from 10am to noon and 4pm to 10pm; they are closed Friday morning.

The gold sellers have their own souq, separate from Souq Waqif, which is just across Wadi Msheireb Street in a new, custom-built, multi-level complex. It contains about 50 licensed shops dealing in not just gold, but also silver and platinum. The precious metals are fashioned into bangles, chains, rings and bridal jewelry. One of the most popular items for visitors are pendants inscribed with a name in Arabic script. The price of the jewelry is calculated by weight based on the day’s market rates.

The souq opens from 9am to 1pm and 4pm to 10pm, Saturday to Thursday, and from 4pm to 10pm Friday.

Immediately east of Souq Waqif, near the Bin Zaid Islamic Center (the one with the spiral minaret), are several “souqs”, which are, in reality, low-rise shopping centers dating from the 1970s and 1980s. They are very unglamorous, but for anybody interested in the goods they sell, they offer a great range at competitive prices. Souq Faleh is mainly clothing and, in particular, abayas, as well as perfumes, mobile phones, watches, jewelry, office stationery and children’s toys; next door, Souq Al Asiery specializes in fabrics, clothing and shoes, but also everything from suitcases and handbags to watches and electronics. Behind Souq Al Asiery, Souq Al Dira has men’s and women’s fabrics, and tailors who can take fabric purchases and transform them into custom-made abayas at bargain prices.

MALLS

21 High Street takes the form of a grand “European”-style pedestrianized avenue stretching between the Lusail Highway and the plaza that fronts Katara Cultural Village. The big draw is a branch of premium French department store Galeries Lafayette, which brings a bit of Parisian glamour to the Arabian Gulf and offers about 400 brands. Elsewhere on the air-conditioned boulevard are Cartier, Elie Saab, Graff, Richard Mille and Van Cleef & Arpels. There’s also the SNAN food hall, housed in a beautiful structure of colored-glass and steel and stocked with provisions from around the world.

Anchored by a vast and cavernous Carrefour, City Center is the place to visit if you need a pair of shoelaces, a SIM card, or your eyes tested. Its five floors are full of shops and services of a practical nature, from pharmacies and hairdressers to high-street staples like Foot Locker, Levi’s, Mango and Mothercare. There is a large food court on the third floor filled with outlets including Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Nando’s, etc. Entertainment includes a 14-screen Cineco cinema and the Fun City indoor amusement park; on the ground floor, the central atrium is taken up by Inflata Park, a wobbly, blue-and-purple, air-filled play space the size of half a football pitch that is guaranteed to make any adult wish they were five again.

This is one of the largest malls in Qatar. It’s light, bright and spacious, and is home to around 200 international retailers including a giant IKEA store, the world’s largest Monoprix, the Middle East’s first NBA store, plus Debenhams, Harvey Nichols and Marks & Spencer. Food options are grouped in two courts and include a Jamie’s Italian, Eataly, P.F. Chang’s and Turkish restaurant Karafirin. To keep the children entertained, there’s Angry Birds World, an indoor snow park, a Virtuocity games center and a Vox cinema.

The Gate is a small but chic upscale mall with some good cafe and brunch options, just over the road from the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. It’s anchored by Salam Stores, Qatar’s homegrown leading fashion and lifestyle retailer and a presence in West Bay since 1982. Other stores and services include Botany Lab, a spa for men and women using vegan and organic products; Studio D Décor for luxury interior design; Store 947 and Hi-Rez for gaming and gadgets, and the beautiful OnlyRoses flower shop. For food and drink there’s a branch of Evergreen Organics with a fun “garden-grotto” seating area, as well as Flat White, Italian coffee shop Lavazza, French bakery Angelina, a food court that includes hot dog specialist Dawg and a branch of Australian-origin food emporium Jones the Grocer.

Doha already had a Galeries Lafayette and a Place Vendôme and now it has its own Louvre Pyramid, too. It sits not outside a museum but in front of the Galleria, a soaring Italianate hall of polished stone and marble, topped by a 40m glass dome. Currently, the Galleria’s only tenant is super-car brand McLaren with a showroom and cafe; otherwise, the vast space is reserved for events. The shops are housed in grand style in two sweeps of classical Italianate facades that curve around an open-air (temperature-cooled) central plaza, filled with cafe and restaurant seating. Brands are all suitably upscale and are almost exclusively fashion, accessories, perfumes, and jewelry. Restaurants include a branch of the legendary Le Train Bleu, the original of which has occupied a grand salon at the Gare de Lyon in Paris since 1900.

One of the smaller malls in Doha, Lagoona nevertheless has a range of useful shops spread across its single level. Its anchor stores are Carrefour, local department store 51 East and French entertainment store FNAC. Fashion ranges from Adidas to Armani via Superdry and Tommy Hilfiger. There’s a Boucheron and Rolex, a Bang & Olufsen and Bosch, but also Clarks and Mango. Restaurants are set outside the main mall (Gate 5), ranged around a lagoon, and include a Wagamama. There’s also a cinema and a children’s play area called Jungaloona. The mall is just north of the Legtaifiya metro, beside the ZigZag towers and the causeway to The Pearl.

On the western edge of town, the last stop on the green line of the metro, the Mall of Qatar is adjacent to the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Across three floors are more than 500 stores, services and dining options. Its signature feature is the Oasis, a 30m-high atrium landscaped with tree-like support structures and planting. At the center of the Oasis is a rotating stage used for live entertainment shows. Anchor tenants are Centerpoint, Debenhams, Salam Stores and Carrefour, as well as Anytime Fitness and AlRayyan Hotel. International apparel includes Abercrombie & Fitch, Birkenstock, Crocs and Lululemon. Luxury brands include Bulgari, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana Casa and Michael Kors. Families and children are particularly well catered for with an eight-lane bowling alley, the KidzMondo “Edutainment” park, Xtremeland and Rush Action Park for adventurous fun, Gamer Zone and Geekay Games, plus Hamleys and Kiddy Zone toy shops and Pottery Barn Kids.

Galleria is relatively new and at the time of writing, only the ground and lower floors are tenanted, but it is planned to have more than 100 stores spread over four floors. Currently many of the businesses here are independent jewelry, perfume and beauty outlets. The big draw is in the basement, which is given over to Qatar’s first branch of French grocery store Monoprix, with an extensive range of 12,000 organic items sourced internationally. There are also a number of pop-up art galleries, a Novo cinema and several cafes and bakeries.

One of Doha’s newest malls is named after the elegant square at the heart of Paris’s first arrondissement – although given the grandiosity and scale of the development, the inspiration seems more Château Versailles. Spread over four levels, it features 560 different retail and service outlets, with a wing dedicated to top luxury labels (including Balenciaga, Bulgari, Cartier, Dior, Hermès, Prada, Tom Ford, Valentino, Versace, Gianvito Rossi, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Messika fine jewelry, Moynat luggage and accessories, and the biggest Louis Vuitton store in the Middle East). The lower floor is mainly dining, where the pick of the options is possibly a branch of French steak restaurant Le Relais de l’Entrecôte. For sheer spectacle, little beats the Place Vendôme’s canal, which links directly with the sea and is surrounded by an attractive open plaza with cafés and restaurants overlooking the water. There are dancing fountain shows between 7pm and 9pm weekdays and 7pm and 11pm at weekends.

The Qatar outpost of Paris’s iconic Printemps is actually a department store, but such is its size – it is the largest luxury department store in the Middle East – that it feels like a mall. The store is accommodated in a three-story donut-shaped building, part of the Doha Oasis development, and brings together over 600 brands under one roof including, among others, Balenciaga, Balmain, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Lorenz Bäumer, Louis Vuitton, Pinel & Pinel and Valentino. It also features the biggest beauty and wellness area in Qatar.

Villaggio is a Las Vegas-like, Venetian-themed, luxury mall on the edge of Aspire Park. It’s easy to get to: Al Aziziyah metro station, the western terminus of the gold line, is right outside. The main area of the mall is occupied by mainstream international outlets, from French supermarket Carrefour to Copenhagen’s quirky own-brand design retailer Flying Tiger, Japanese household store Muji and English seller of essential underwear and ready-made sandwiches, Marks & Spencer. The big draw, however, is the Via Domo, an indoor “street” with classical facades and coffered ceilings, and an array of luxury brands including Bulgari, Cartier, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Tiffany and Tom Ford. Distractions from shopping include gondola rides on an indoor canal; an ice-skating rink; the Gondolania theme park complete with bowling, laser war, roller glider, roller coaster, and more; plus, go-karting and an IMAX cinema.

OTHER PLACES TO SHOP

Occupying a whole city block, the Doha Design District (DDD) is a collection of shops and studios dedicated to diverse design disciplines, from fashion to interiors and architecture. Launched in early 2024 during the inaugural Design Doha festival, DDD so far includes showrooms for Italian luxury interiors specialists Poltrona Frau and Fendi Casa, as well as several other high-end furniture stores. There is an outlet of London sneaker and streetwear store PresentedBy, selling highly coveted and limited-edition items from brands including Yeezy, Supreme, and Nike. On the corner of Sikkat Wadi Msheireb and Al Ghaffat Street, Atlas Bookstore specializes in volumes referencing the architecture and urbanism of the Middle East and North Africa; it also has a gallery space and hosts cultural events.

Qatar Museums’ gift shops feature exclusively designed products inspired by the museum collections and exhibitions. The range is enormous – particularly at the National Museum and Museum of Islamic Art shops – running from small items like a Doha map tea towel or a set of playing cards with Qatari designs through to high-quality replicas of key museum pieces. There are also pieces based on the public art around Qatar or artists that have exhibited here, including miniatures of figures by KAWS, keychain and cuddly-toy versions of Urs Fischer’s Lamp/Bear from Hamad International Airport and rugs based on artwork by Virgil Abloh. MIA is also very good for books, particularly those published by QM in support of the organization’s many and varied exhibitions over the years. The National Museum even has a dedicated children’s gift shop with a diverse range including educational toys, books, puzzles, games and souvenirs.

Qatari designer Wadha Al Hajri launched her women’s ready-to-wear label, WADHA, in 2010. Rooted in her Qatari heritage, the designer’s minimalist pieces fuse tradition and modernity with masculine and feminine tailoring and signature geometric embroidery. Her designs are showcased in a stunning boutique that is part of the National Museum building. In addition to her elegant dresses, shirts and skirts, the boutique also sells Wadha bags, perfumes, candles, and even single-origin coffee.

Most of Doha’s top attractions are designed with children in mind. The National Museum of Qatar, for example, has dedicated children’s areas that combine learning with play throughout its galleries. The museum also has a children’s shop and there are three play areas in the grounds outside. The Museum of Islamic Art has children’s routes through the galleries and organizes special family days with a variety of activities. The 3-2-1 Olympic and Sports Museum has a whole floor of games and challenges.

Near enough every mall in Doha (see Shopping) has at least one children’s activity and/or entertainment zone. Some, notably City Center and the Mall of Qatar, have several such attractions. At Katara there is a whole Children’s Mall (designed to look like a bow-wrapped gift box from the outside) catering to youngsters, with everything from clothes to entertainment and educational aids.

If you haven’t encountered it before, KidZania is an international chain, present in 23 countries, that takes the form of scaled, interactive, indoor “cities” in which children aged one to 14 get to role-play situations. In Doha, there are some 60 fun and educational activities and scenarios including an airport, complete with a boardable Qatar Airways plane, and a construction site, bakery, supermarket and science lab. Find it behind the Hyatt Mall in the Aspire Zone (nearest metro: Al Aziziyah).

The planetarium offers a full-dome digital 2D and 3D experience, during which visitors learn about the cosmos and the contributions of historic Arab astrologers. Shows take place in English and Arabic, and there are free shows on certain nights of the week. There is also a museum within the Planetarium with models of the solar system in various sizes, plus models of space shuttles and astronauts’ suits. Find the planetarium in the southern section of the Katara Cultural Village (nearest metro: Katara).

This restaurant belongs to a farm of the same name in the north of the country. It serves farm-fresh meats and dairy products in an attractive high-ceilinged room dominated by a large artificial tree. The restaurant opens early for breakfasts of salty cheeses, olives, eggs and Egyptian-style foul beans, switching up to shawarma and grilled-meat dishes at lunchtime. There are also biryanis, burghul-based dishes, stuffed vine leaves and daily specials. The meat is displayed in a chilled counter cabinet and cooked in an open kitchen area – next to the team kneading the dough and baking the excellent bread. A sales area in the corner sells company products including yogurt, milk, cheeses and juices to go.

Find it on Marbella Street, Medina Centrale, The Pearl (nearest metro: Legtaifiya).

A short walk south of the National Museum, just east of the Corniche, is the historic Al Khulaifi, a compound of low-rise dwellings around a central courtyard. Built in 1940 by Mubarak Al Khulaifi, this was one of the few houses in the neighborhood of the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim – the historical residence that is now part of the National Museum of Qatar. The original Al Khulaifi family are still the owners of the building, which they now operate as Bayt Sharq, a traditional restaurant that serves classic Qatari dishes. For something special, visit for breakfast and order the feast of a set menu. At all times of day, diners can opt for a table in the courtyard garden or for one of a number of small, private cabanas.

Located on the ground floor of the National Museum, the discs and sandy tones of the museum’s distinctive architecture are echoed in the interior design of this smart and bright cafe. There’s more novelty in the form of Pudu, a serving robot with cat-like ears that trundles around delivering orders to tables. Food offerings, however, are entirely serious and overseen by female owner and entrepreneurial chef Nouf Al Marri. These include all-day breakfasts; soups and salads; a variety of excellent, light, buttery chapatis; pastas and risottos; and a handful of traditional Qatari dishes, including the chef’s own take on classic madrouba, a spicy, savory rice-and-oat porridge, prepared here with chicken.

Jiwan, which is housed with the National Museum of Qatar, is more than a restaurant: it is an embodiment of the nation’s vision for self-reliance through the sourcing of local produce and a showcase for Qatari culture. The national cuisine takes center stage, reimagined by head chef Morgan Perrigaud of Ducasse Paris. The menu changes seasonally, but offerings might include an exquisite take on the classic madrouba, or the cracked-wheat dish known as harees, served with local fish. In cooler weather, diners can opt to be seated on the terrace, with its views across the bay. The restaurant’s design is by Japanese architect Koichi Takada, who took inspiration from Qatar’s pearl-diving heritage, evoked by four million Swarovski-glass beads suspended from the ceiling.

The name derives from the word asaasna, meaning “our origins”, and the restaurant serves up traditional Qatari cooking. However, this is traditional cooking taken to another level. Among elegant white patterned walls and gray marble floors, head chef Sheikha Ahmed Al Meer (author of The Art of Qatari Cooking) oversees a kitchen that elevates home-cooked classics to the level of fine dining. Dishes such as chicken machboos (grilled chicken with spiced rice) and fish saloona (Arabic-style fish curry) are packed full of flavor and, thanks to a light hand on the ghee and butter, have a delicacy often lacking elsewhere. Not that anyone will go away hungry: everything comes in generous portions. Go easy or risk missing out on traditional desserts such as elba (custard flan with cardamom and saffron) or date cake.

Find Saasna on Barahat Msheireb at the heart of Msheireb (nearest metro: Msheireb).

Follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and other celebrities (check them out in the photo gallery on the walls) and breakfast at this charming Qatari cafe. Owned by Shams Al Qassabi, mother of five and the first Qatari woman to operate a restaurant, it’s a humble cafe on the fringes of Souq Waqif, below Al Bidda Hotel, serving rustic Qatari classics. These include the sweet/savory balaleet, which is made from vermicelli noodles mixed with scrambled eggs and honey, and paper-thin ragag flatbread, smeared in honey and cream or cheese. For something more substantial, plump for the aseeda, which is a Qatari porridge, or a plate of shakshouka, with eggs and tomato scrambled together. Wash everything down with a hot, sweet cup of karak. There is also a store where Mrs Qassabi sells her own brand of spices and other Qatari packaged foods.

Immediately north of the National Museum on the Corniche is the Orient Pearl complex where, up on the second floor, is Smat. It is a large and light-filled restaurant: the scale and vibe of the place make it well suited to large groups and business lunches. It is also good for customers with very large appetites, as the Qatari dishes served here come in extremely generous portions. The menu is extensive, with refined takes on the likes of safryat maraq sahari, which is flaky local kanad fish stewed with black dried lemon and herbs, or royal yogurt tharid, which is shards of thin bread soaked in a warm, spiced yogurt sauce topped with pulled lamb shank. Meals end with complimentary cups of Qatari coffee and plump Qatari dates.

Sufrat Omi Lolwa attempts to replicate the experience of eating in a Qatari home. Its rooms are filled with domestic memorabilia, to the extent that when you first walk in you might mistakenly think you are entering a primary school. In the main courtyard-style dining space there is table-and-chair seating, but guests can also opt for one of the private rooms, where seating is on floor cushions and food is eaten from communal plates – great if you are a group. This is a recommended place to try the Qatari staple of machboos, spiced rice with slow-cooked lamb, which is one of the house specialties. Order with saloona, a tangy and light vegetable stew, and tharid, a chicken broth with a strip of flatbread. If you are visiting around breakfast time, the baid al tomat, a Qatari version of eggs with tomato, is a must-order.

Find it in Souq Waqif down the alley just to the right of the police station, near the golden thumb (nearest metro: Souq Waqif).

Qatar Culture Guide

Opening Hours Sun: 9am–7pm Mon: 9am–7pm Tues: Closed Wed: 9am–7pm Thurs: 9am–9pm Fri: 1:30pm–7pm Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours Sun: 9am–7pm Mon: Closed Tues: 9am–7pm Wed: 9am–7pm Thurs: 9am–9pm Fri: 1:30pm–7pm Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening HoursSun: 9am–7pm Mon: 9am–7pm Tues: 9am–7pm Wed: Closed Thurs: 9am–9pm Fri: 1:30pm–7pm Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours Sun: 9am–7pm Mon: 9am–7pm Tues: Closed Wed: 9am–7pm Thurs: 9am–9pm Fri: 1:30pm–7pm Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening HoursSun: Closed Mon: 9am–5pm Tues: 9am–5pm Wed: 9am–5pm Thurs: 9am–5pm Fri: 3pm–9pm Sat: 9am–5pm

Opening Hours Sun: 9am–7pm Mon: 9am–7pm Tues: 9am–7pm Wed: 9am–7pm Thurs: 9am–7pm Fri: 1.30pm–7pm Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours During exhibitions only

Opening Hours Sun: 11am–9pm Mon: 11am–9pm Tues: 11am–9pm Wed: 11am–9pm Thurs: 11am–9pm Fri: 3.30pm–9pm Sat: 11am–9pm

Opening Hours During exhibitions only

East-West/West-East (2014)

Falcon (2021)

Untitled (Lamp/Bear) (2005–06)

Maman (1999)

Doha Mountains (2022)

The Miraculous Journey (2005–13)

Le Pouce (1965)

Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day (2022)

Smoke (1967)

Hahn (2013)

AMIRI DIWAN

Opening Hours Sun: 8.30am–12.30pm Mon: 8.30am–12.30pm Tues: 8.30am–12.30pm Wed: 8.30am–12.30pm Thurs: 8.30am–12.30pm Fri: 3pm–6pm Sat: 8.30am–12.30pm

IMAM MUHAMMAD IBN ABDUL WAHHAB MOSQUE

AL JASSASIYA

Opening Hours Sun: 9am–5pm Mon: 9am–5pm Tues: 9am–5pm Wed: 9am–5pm Thurs: 9am–5pm Fri: 12.30pm–5pm Sat: 9am–5pm

SOUQ WAQIF

AL WAKRAH

ZEKREET

Al ZUBARAH

Ahmad bin Ali Stadium

Metro: Al Riffa

Al Bayt Stadium

Education City Stadium

Metro: Education City

Al Janoub Stadium

Metro: Al Wakrah

Khalifa International Stadium

Metro: Sport City

Lusail Stadium

Metro: Lusail

Stadium 974

Metro: Ras Bu Abboud

Al Thumama Stadium

Opening HoursSun: 10am–11pm Mon: 10am–11pm Tues: 10am–11pm Wed: 10am–11pm Thurs: 10am–12am Fri: 1pm–12am Sat: 10am–12am

Opening HoursSun: 2pm–12am Mon: 2pm–12am Tues: 2pm–12am Wed: 2pm–12am Thurs: 2pm–1am Fri: 6pm–1am Sat: 12pm–12am

Opening Hours6am-sunset daily

Opening Hours 6am-9.30pm daily

Opening Hours 7am–6pm daily

Al Ahli Sports Club

Hamad Aquatic Center

Souq Waqif

Gold Souq

Other Downtown Souqs

Opening Hours Sun: 10am–10pm Mon: 10am–10pm Tues: 10am–10pm Wed: 10am–10pm Thurs: 10am–12am Fri: 1:30pm–12am Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours Sun: 10am–10pm Mon: 10am–10pm Tues: 10am–10pm Wed: 10am–10pm Thurs: 10am–11pm Fri: 10am–11.30am & 1pm–11pm Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours Sun: 10am–10pm Mon: 10am–10pm Tues: 10am–10pm Wed: 10am–10pm Thurs: 10am–11pm Fri: 10am–11pm Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours Sun: 10am–10pm Mon: 10am–10pm Tues: 10am–10pm Wed: 10am–10pm Thurs: 10am–10pm Fri: 1.30pm–10pm Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours Sun: 9am–11pm Mon: 9am–11pm Tues: 9am–11pm Wed: 9am–11pm Thurs: 9am–12am Fri: 12pm–12am Sat: 9am–11pm

Qatar

Culture Guide

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–7pm
Mon: 9am–7pm
Tues: Closed
Wed: 9am–7pm
Thurs: 9am–9pm
Fri: 1:30pm–7pm
Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–7pm
Mon: Closed
Tues: 9am–7pm
Wed: 9am–7pm
Thurs: 9am–9pm
Fri: 1:30pm–7pm
Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–7pm
Mon: 9am–7pm
Tues: 9am–7pm
Wed: Closed
Thurs: 9am–9pm
Fri: 1:30pm–7pm
Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–7pm
Mon: 9am–7pm
Tues: Closed
Wed: 9am–7pm
Thurs: 9am–9pm
Fri: 1:30pm–7pm
Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours
Sun: Closed
Mon: 9am–5pm
Tues: 9am–5pm
Wed: 9am–5pm
Thurs: 9am–5pm
Fri: 3pm–9pm
Sat: 9am–5pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–7pm
Mon: 9am–7pm
Tues: 9am–7pm
Wed: 9am–7pm
Thurs: 9am–7pm
Fri: 1.30pm–7pm
Sat: 9am–7pm

Opening Hours
During exhibitions only

Opening Hours
Sun: 11am–9pm
Mon: 11am–9pm
Tues: 11am–9pm
Wed: 11am–9pm
Thurs: 11am–9pm
Fri: 3.30pm–9pm
Sat: 11am–9pm

Opening Hours
During exhibitions only

Opening Hours
Sun: 8.30am–12.30pm
Mon: 8.30am–12.30pm
Tues: 8.30am–12.30pm
Wed: 8.30am–12.30pm
Thurs: 8.30am–12.30pm
Fri: 3pm–6pm
Sat: 8.30am–12.30pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–5pm
Mon: 9am–5pm
Tues: 9am–5pm
Wed: 9am–5pm
Thurs: 9am–5pm
Fri: 12.30pm–5pm
Sat: 9am–5pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 10am–11pm
Mon: 10am–11pm
Tues: 10am–11pm
Wed: 10am–11pm
Thurs: 10am–12am
Fri: 1pm–12am
Sat: 10am–12am

Opening Hours
Sun: 2pm–12am
Mon: 2pm–12am
Tues: 2pm–12am
Wed: 2pm–12am
Thurs: 2pm–1am
Fri: 6pm–1am
Sat: 12pm–12am

Opening Hours
6am-sunset daily

Opening Hours
6am-9.30pm daily

Opening Hours
7am–6pm daily

Opening Hours
Sun: 10am–10pm
Mon: 10am–10pm
Tues: 10am–10pm
Wed: 10am–10pm
Thurs: 10am–12am
Fri: 1:30pm–12am
Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 10am–10pm
Mon: 10am–10pm
Tues: 10am–10pm
Wed: 10am–10pm
Thurs: 10am–11pm
Fri: 10am–11.30am
& 1pm–11pm
Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 10am–10pm
Mon: 10am–10pm
Tues: 10am–10pm
Wed: 10am–10pm
Thurs: 10am–11pm
Fri: 10am–11pm
Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 10am–10pm
Mon: 10am–10pm
Tues: 10am–10pm
Wed: 10am–10pm
Thurs: 10am–10pm
Fri: 1.30pm–10pm
Sat: 10am–10pm

Opening Hours
Sun: 9am–11pm
Mon: 9am–11pm
Tues: 9am–11pm
Wed: 9am–11pm
Thurs: 9am–12am
Fri: 12pm–12am
Sat: 9am–11pm