Flying Through Qatar's Capital - Doha

A Qatar Airways A350 climbs over the commercial district of Doha

Doha, the capital of the state of Qatar, is one of the most attractive, modern and beautiful cities in the Arabian peninsula. Like the Emirati commerce hub Dubai, it serves as the hub for business in the small, but prosperous Arabian country. The present day State of Qatar was born in 1971, earning complete independence from British rule.

Qatar is ruled by the Al Thani clan, and has been so, only experiencing a minor inter - family power struggle in 1995. The crime rate is ridiculously low, amounting to only 2.11 per 100,000 people. The country is one of the richest in the world and a major exporter of natural gas. Most of it's assets lie in the ocean, from where it regularly drills and ships them to the rest of the world.

My trip to Qatar was limited to its capital, Doha, so I shall speak only about what I saw. However, Doha is just one of the important places to visit. Other attractions include Al - Wakrah, Film City, Al - Khor, Dukhan and Lusail, set to host the 2022 World Cup. The country is neat and beautiful, a perfect mix of Arabian past with sophisticated culture. The local currency is the Qatari Riyal.

The country's national airline, Qatar Airways is an affordable and well connected option for the budget traveller who wishes to explore distant lands. It is also one of the few airlines that operate flights to my hometown, Kolkata, connecting it to the world through it's middle eastern hub at Hamad International Airport. It was by chance that I explored Doha at all, because my intended destination was South Africa. On the departing journey, I had no problem transiting through Qatar, owing to a very short layover. However, on the return trip from Cape Town, I discovered I had a nineteen hour wait ahead.

As luck favoured, Qatar is open to visa on arrival facilities for Indian nationals and it took only thirty five minutes to recieve a Qatari visa. Tired as I was, I left the airport and checked in to a hotel, where I slept till morning. It took me till eleven to freshen up

A neat looking Volkswagen pulled up on the porch and Ahmed (our chaffeur and an Indian expatriate) greeted us with a mild "salaam". 

The first stop was, of course, a local bazaar. Here, I found an exotic collection of middle east savouries - nuts, sweets and dates. The

Qatar's commercial district as I saw it

bazaar is an ancient tradition in the Arabian peninsula - it has lived on through years of merchant trade. Today of course, one no longer sets out on trade expeditions in old wooden ships, but the tradition of the local market has lived on in this part of the world. After a brief and quick purchase, Ahmed led us to The Pearl - Qatar, an artificial island built to resemble a string of pearls which offers properties to foreign nationals. We proceeded to the Corniche seafront, and the view of Qatar's commercial district from this point was stunning.

The roundabouts and sidewalks of Doha's street as I found, was adorned with beautiful architecture, much like its roads were occupied by expensive and luxurious cars. We found a number of them present here; owned by Qatar's rich and famous with a special taste in automobiles. Doha's harbours were filled with luxury yachts, another sign of immense wealth, as I concluded it to be. They were, if I am correct, in the hundreds. 

A Corvette patiently waits at a traffic light

Ahmed drove past Al - Jazeera tower, home to a news network that has, in the recent years, gained great popularity in the international community. Al - Jazeera was one of the reasons that led to a diplomatic spat between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, it's powerful nearby neighbour. Amid much conflict, the concerned news network continues to report on international events.

Located at one end of the seven kilometre long Corniche, the Museum of Islamic Art is another major draw in Doha. It preserves, in many ways, the ancient and beautiful culture of art in Islamic regions, representing art from three continents from 1400 years ago. Qatar's Museum Authority is in charge of the place. The building is built in a very unique way, making it very easy to identify. The museum's location on the waterfront makes it look surreal.

On the way back from here, we saw the royal palace, entry to which is obviously restricted. It was an important looking building with the Qatari flag flying high in it's courtyard. It is from here that the Al Thanis rule the kingdom. 

To conclude this visit, we arrived at the Villagio Mall, probably the most talked about in the world. The Villagio in Doha is located at it's western end, behind the Khalifa

Boats in the indoor premises of the Villagio

International Stadium. The architecture of the mall is unique : painted ceilings to resemble the sky - and an indoor Venetian style boating area. You could literally go to your shop by boat. More than making a purchase, what caught the eye is the intelligence that was implied in the construction. The mall also has a theme park, which we couldn't visit, owing to a tight schedule.

Ahmed drove us to Doha's Hamad International Airport and we completed and we made the final connection to Kolkata. Needless to say, this was a layover well spent, but since it was a layover, we did miss out on important attractions that are scattered all around the country. The State of Qatar is a beautiful place for a tourist as I see it, and it would certainly be worth another visit in the future. Next time, I'll try not to be in transit!

NB.: Visitors to Qatar are expected to read extensively on local customs and behaviour that might be considered offensive.