World / Asia / Qatar

Business and leisure travellers are offered a unique blend of old Arabia and five-star opulence in the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar. Tourism and industry are both booming, stimulated by vast oil and gas revenues which are being ploughed into vast infrastructure projects. Holidays in Qatar promise indulgence in any number of luxurious five-star resorts located in the capital city of Doha, which circles a turquoise bay. Holidaymakers can soak up the eternal desert sun by the pool or be pampered in no-expense-spared spas, while business visitors are treated to unparalleled Qatari hospitality at the leading business hotels. When night falls, ancestral Arabia comes to life at Souq Waqif in the old quarter of the city. The Souq is a tasteful reconstruction of a traditional marketplace with white-washed walls and narrow winding alleyways, where veiled henna artists adorn female tourists, and local gentlemen in white thobes smoke shisha with visiting businessmen.

For the adventurous, a 4WD trip to the desert is a memorable experience. Drive one hour south from Doha and the road literally stops, swallowed by mighty sand dunes. Local 4WD tour operators offer trips over the dunes to Khor al-Adaid (The Inland Sea), on the Saudi Arabian border, which also offers the best sunset vantage point in Qatar. While projecting a cosmopolitan atmosphere, Qatar is an Islamic nation and visitors are encouraged to dress modestly and show respect for local customs.