Tourism in Qatar
Qatar is all the pleasures of Dubai, but in miniature and at a more affordable price, where everyone can bet live casino online. The “velvet” winter, when it is so nice to relax by the sea, skyscrapers lined up along the embankment with colorful lighting, camel races and shopping malls, ancient fortresses in the desert and luxurious beaches – all this makes Qatar a great place to relax. Here you can see how oil money turns into tourist infrastructure. A combination of Arabian exoticism and fantastic urbanism – this is what this small kingdom on the shores of the Persian Gulf represents.
Why go
The “younger brother” of the United Arab Emirates attracts tourists with the opportunity to relax on the beaches of the Persian Gulf just on those days when in Russia there is either snow or slush. And not just sunbathe and swim, but live in “sultan’s” apartments and ride on fashionable yachts (everyone can afford a couple of hours). Here you can hunt with a falcon in the desert – like a real emir, place a bet on dromedary camel races and look at the personal wealth of one of the sheikhs who donated it to a museum. In general, try the luxury of the East, where even horses are bathed in a jacuzzi.
In addition, there are excellent amusement parks with dozens of attractions and exciting diving. It is also interesting to look at the modern architecture of Qatar, which is trying to surpass Dubai. And if you consider that the prices for pleasures are on average lower than in the UAE, the popularity of this option for a winter vacation on a warm sea is quite understandable.
The main thing about the country
It is hardly worth going to Qatar without 10-15 thousand rubles per day. This is a country for a beautiful holiday and entertainment, and therefore is not suitable for the popular “student format”, when a tourist spends a minimum, focusing on excursions. Here, even to get to the beach, you have to shell out almost 1,500 rubles, and in an inexpensive cafe the average bill is under a thousand. If you take 30,000 for a day, you will spend it without any effort, without overloading your imagination.
Basic information about this country:
The capital is Doha.
The official language is Arabic.
The form of government is an absolute monarchy.
The country is ruled by Emir Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani. Sometimes he is called the King of Qatar.
The official religion is Islam.
There is no time difference with Moscow: the time zone is UTC+3.
Qatar is a country with friendly people, tourists are treated kindly here. They even allow alcohol (it is prohibited for residents). Islamic traditions are honored here, but they do not go to extremes: European swimsuits are prohibited on public beaches, but women are allowed to drive a car.
The country is “oil” and very rich: in terms of GDP per capita, Qatar is the leader in the Arab world. Money is spent on a grand scale on luxurious new buildings (they build entire districts), fantastic skyscrapers, large-scale events. In 2022, the country hosted the World Cup, and a serious scandal broke out: Qatar was accused of literally buying the World Cup for itself.
Qatar is a small kingdom, if not tiny. There is only one large city for tourists here – Doha, with a population of 950 thousand people. There are several other cities, but they are of little interest to tourists. There are Bedouin settlements.
The country is located on the Qatar Peninsula, which is part of the Arabian Peninsula. The shores of Qatar are washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf, due to which beach tourism is actively developing here. The capital is located right on the coast and is the center of the resort area.
The main landscape of Qatar is a desert with moving dunes. In the center of the peninsula, the desert is rocky, with salt marshes. There is little water, the oases are small.
The climate on the coast of Qatar is hot, tropical. In summer, the temperature is “hellish” – from +40 to +46 °C, and sometimes even +50 °C. Plus, the humidity is high – up to 90% in the coastal zone. In the desert, the climate is tropical continental (hot during the day, cold at night), very dry. “You can live” from December to March, when the average air temperature is around +25 °C.
When to go to Qatar
The best time to travel to Qatar is from December to March: this is the “velvet season”, when the temperature fluctuates between +20 and +30 °C. The sea is warm. But even at this time, solar activity is very high, so UV protection and hats are a must. If you are going to the desert with an overnight stay, you need to take a jacket – the temperature after sunset drops sharply, sometimes to zero.
The worst season for a trip to Qatar is from May to September, because +40 °C is the norm here, and 50 °C will not surprise anyone. People with cardiovascular diseases are strictly contraindicated in Qatar at this time of year. The main official holiday of the country is December 18: National Day. They also celebrate the Day of Accession to the Throne of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani – June 27.
As in any Muslim country, Ramadan and other religious holidays are celebrated (their dates are floating, according to the lunar calendar). Colorful festivals are often held – for example, the Spring Festival at the Souq Waqif market. People come from different countries of the world, especially for it. The weekend, as in other countries of the Arab world, falls on Friday and Saturday.