Destination Guide: Qatar
- According to the 2010 Census, Qatar’s population is 1.7 million with most people living in the country’s capital, Doha.
- The national carrier, Qatar Airways flies to 100 destinations around the world including Europe, Asia and North America and 40 flights a week from London.
- Tourist visas on arrival are available for the residents of 33 countries including the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
- Qatar has no sales tax on goods bought in the country.
- Qatar won the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2011 the country hosted the Asian Football Cup and will host the Arab Games.
- Qatar currently has 66 hotels operating in the country, 15 of them classed as five-star. This equates to more than 9500 hotel rooms across all standards.
- In 2011, 45 new hotels and hotel apartment complexes will be launched by end of the year, with an approximate capacity of 7089 hotel rooms and 1359 hotel apartments.
- The state-of-the-art Qatar National Convention Centre will open in December 2011, joining the Doha Exhibition Centre as the country’s large-scale event facilities.
- The time difference is just +GMT 3 hours.
- The official language is Arabic but English is widely spoken.
- Doha’s modern and vibrant skyscraper architecture contrast with the rolling sand dunes of the desert just an hour’s drive away.
- Qatar has become the region’s cultural capital with the Museum of Islamic Art and Mathaf Museum of Modern Arab Art housing world class collections and exhibitions.
- See the (inland) sea and visit this impressive natural asset accessible only by four wheel drive.
- The Pearl-Qatar is a Riviera-style man-made island development covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land and is Qatar's first international urban development venture. It boasts high end designer boutiques as well as internationally known restaurants and cafes.
Qatar is a destination where visitors can truly experience traditional Arab hospitality in the heart of a modern and thriving country.
The country is recognized as a leading destination in the Gulf region for meetings, exhibitions and conferences, offering travellers a business-oriented destination combined with leisure activities including cultural attractions, beaches, luxury getaways and world class shopping.
Currently there are more than 120 hotels under construction in Qatar as well as two state-of-the-art convention and exhibition centers with more than 90,000 square meters of space for events and large scale conferences.
Also scheduled for opening in 2011 is the New Doha International Airport which will see more than 40 million passenger a year when fully operational.
There are approximately US$66 billion in construction projects underway in Qatar at the last estimate. This includes the National Rail Network and the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway The Losail City continues to develop and will create a new city within the country and will be a significant draw. Qatar is also looking forward to the completion of the Heart of Doha project which seeks to regenerate the traditional center of the city.
For more information contact:
Soha Moussa
Head of Promotions and Organizing Abroad Exhibitions
Qatar Tourism Authority
soha@qatartourism.gov.qa
+974-44998075
