Qatar (Arabic: قطر; pronounced kut-ar or cutter) is a rich Arab state occupying a small peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf to the north of Saudi Arabia. Many come to the Middle East seeking the mystic, traditional life of the Bedouins, wandering the desert with their life's belongings on a camel's back. Although tradition is still an important part of the Qatari ethos, the country has well and truly moved into the twenty-first century with the piercing glass skyscrapers of Doha, a booming trade sector and a new-found place in international diplomacy. Qatar offers a unique blend of cultural authenticity and modern luxury, making it a major tourism hub in the region.

Regions

Qatar is administratively divided into eight municipalities, with the capital of each municipality being its eponymous city.

Ad Dawhah (Doha) Comprises the capital Doha, the Industrial Area, an exclave surrounded by Al Rayyan municipality, and the Wholesale Market Area, another exclave bound by Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah municipalities

Al Rayyan (Al Rayyan City) Al Rayyan City is effectively a suburb of Doha, and covered as part of that article

Al Daayen (Al Daayen City, Lusail) Lusail is effectively a suburb of Doha and covered as part of that article

Al Wakrah (Al Wakrah City, Mesaieed)

Al Khor (Al Khor City)

Umm Salal (Umm Salal Mohammed)

Al Shamal (Al Shamal City)

Al-Shahaniya (Al-Shahaniya City, Dukhan)

Cities

• 1 Doha – capital and main economic hub. We also cover the neighbouring cities of Al Rayyan and Lusail as part of Doha as they are effectively part of the urban area of Doha.
• 2 Al Khor – northern city with a population of some 36,000, close to Ras Laffan LNG (liquified natural gas) terminal
• 3 Al Shamal – this article covers the wider area of the northern municipality of Madinat ash Shamal
• 4 Al Shahaniyah
• 5 Al Wakrah
• 6 Dukhan
• 7 Mesaieed – industrial town south of Doha, and 25 km south of Wakra, with recreational activities on the coast, including the sand dunes of Khor Al Udeid (the Inland Sea)
• 8 Umm Salal Mohammed

Other destinations

Zubarah Fort

• Zubarah - the ruins of a deserted city and a fort built in 1938 by Sheikh Abdu'llah bin Qasim Al-Thani

Understand

Qatar has the world's third-largest natural-gas reserves, behind only Russia and Iran. Its oil reserves are similar in size to those of the United States of America but will last much longer because its production levels are only one-sixth the rate of that country. Its strategic position has also led to the explosive growth of its flag carrier Qatar Airways, which has turned Doha into one of the world's busiest air hubs. The Qatari government has also been diversifying its economy away from its traditional reliance on oil and natural gas, and has turned the country into one of the main education hubs of the Middle East. By most accounts its citizens are the wealthiest in the world, and the capital Doha and its suburbs sport an endless array of luxury shopping malls with everything the uber-rich could possibly want. Despite this wealth, Qatar is also heavily reliant on a vast underclass of poorly-paid migrant workers who are often horribly mistreated, with no legal recourse against employer abuse.

Because its Al Jazeera TV satellite networks broadcast throughout the globe in Arabic and English, Qatar is hugely influential despite its relatively small size.

History

There is evidence that shows the Qatar peninsula had been inhabited by Bedouin and Canaanite tribes from as early as 4000 BCE. While the museum houses a variety of artifacts including spearheads and pieces of pottery, there is little left of the structures that may have once existed. The Al-Jassassiya rock carvings north of Doha give some idea of how these tribes may have lived. More recently, some sandstone buildings and mosques were discovered, piquing the interest of archaeologists as they seek to discover what still lays beneath the sand.

Emerging out of ancient history, Qatar was dominated by various Western and Eastern empires. The Ormus used the peninsula as a trading post and military port, until the Portuguese were able to extend their rule over the region. Neighbouring Bahrain eventually annexed the peninsula, until rebel movements and British intervention again made Qatar independent. Under pressure, Qatar became a part of the Ottoman Empire in 1871 before becoming a British protectorate at the close of World War I. Independence was declared from Britain peacefully in 1971.

Since the accession of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to the throne in 1995 after deposing his father in a coup, Qatar has transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for its pearling industry into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues, which enable Qatar to have the highest GDP per capita in the world. Qatar has become deeply involved in world affairs under the royal family, offering support in peacekeeping missions and UN-mandated wars such as that in the Gulf in 1991. Qatar also plays host to various world conferences, including those of the World Trade Organisation, the UN Climate Convention and various mediation bodies. It leaped onto the world stage with the development of the popular Al Jazeera news network and expansion of Qatar Airways to most of the world's continents, and is rapidly gaining interest among foreigners as it hosted the 2006 Asian Games and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Since the rule of Sheikh Hamad, Qatar has also tried to move away from the Saudi sphere of influence in favor of a more independent foreign policy, resulting in tensions with its neighbors.

People and culture

Qatar's population can be broadly divided into three different groups. Qatari culture is largely based on the traditional Islamic Bedouin culture, and you will often see Qataris walking around in the traditional clothing. Men wear white clothing known as the thobe, while women wear black clothing known as the abaya. Today, Qatari citizens only comprise about 10% of the population. Slavery was historically integral to this society, and its legacy survives in the form a vast underclass of underpaid and often horribly mistreated migrant workers, mostly from South Asia and the Philippines, who toil under gruelling conditions for their Qatari and Western masters, and comprise the vast majority of Qatar's population. The third group of people in Qatar are the Western expatriates, who are often used to project an appearance of modernity and progressivism onto to the outside world, often whitewashing the exploitation that this society is built on. Naturally, the three groups tend to clash, and informal segregation exists in this society, mostly designed to prevent foreign workers from mingling with Qataris.

Compared to its main rival the United Arab Emirates, Qatar is somewhat more conservative, though it is generally more liberal that the other Arab Gulf states. While the Doha metropolitan area is modern and cosmopolitan, and is increasingly emerging as a rival to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, locals continue to live a more traditional lifestyle in the smaller towns and rural areas, and expect behavior in accordance with it.

Geography

Capital	Doha
Currency	Qatari riyal (QAR)
Population	2.6 million (2017)
Electricity	240 volt / 50 hertz (AC power plugs and sockets: British and related types, BS 1363)
Country code	+974
Time zone	UTC+03:00, Asia/Qatar
Emergencies	999, 112 (emergency medical services, police, fire department)
Driving side	right
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Qatar is a peninsula that juts into the Persian Gulf. Most of the country consists of low barren plain covered with dunes. In the southeast of Qatar lies the Khor al Adaid, an area with sand dunes and an inlet from the Persian Gulf.

Government

Qatar is an absolute monarchy headed by the emir, who is from the Al-Thani family. While the country has rapidly modernised under the leadership of former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, questions remain on the treatment of migrant workers from other parts of Asia, which many human rights groups describe as exploitative and slave-like. As in most other countries in the region, calls for reform and more democracy on the one hand, and a rising Islamist movement calling for a "purer" (i.e. more fundamentalist) interpretation of the Qur'an and Islam on the other hand, are a major factor in domestic politics.

Economy

Oil is a cornerstone of the Qatari economy; it used to account for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings and 58% of government revenues. Proven oil reserves of 15 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for at least the next 20 years. Oil and gas have given Qatar the highest GDP per capita by most studies. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion m³, more than 11% of the world's total, making it the third largest reserve in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Qatar manages to post very high surpluses each year, and escaped the Global Financial Crisis relatively unscathed.

In addition to the energy sector, Qatar also exports petrochemicals, cement and steel. Doha has a rapidly growing financial sector that is cementing itself as one of the centres of trade and finance within the Middle East. The Qatari government has also outlined its plan to boost tourism and media businesses on the peninsula, creating new sectors to further increase Qatar's profile. In addition, many foreign universities have set up outposts in Qatar, transforming Qatar into one of the main education hubs of the Middle East.

As result of its oil and natural gas wealth, Qatar provides its citizens with one of the world's most comprehensive welfare states despite not levying any income tax on them. However, the country's large and often poorly-paid immigrant workforce is not given access to the welfare state.

Climate

Doha
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       11     23 15       11     24 16       17     28 19       6     33 23       1.2     39 28       0     42 31       0     42 32       0     41 32       0     39 30       2.8     36 27       11     30 22       18     25 17 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0.4     73 59       0.4     75 60       0.7     82 65       0.2     92 73       0     103 82       0     108 87       0     108 90       0     107 89       0     103 85       0.1     96 80       0.4     85 72       0.7     77 63 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

The climate of Qatar can be described as arid and unforgiving. In the summer, which runs from May through to September, the days are characterised by intense and humid heat, averaging 35°C but not unknown to peak at 50°C. In the winter, October to April, the days are much more bearable at about 20-25°C, with a nice cool evening down to around 15°C. If the heat is to be avoided, the best months to visit would be December, January, and/or February.

Rainfall and storms in Qatar are extremely rare, forcing locals to retrieve water from newly-constructed desalination plants. However, huge sandstorms that envelop the peninsula are common in the summertime. These can be hazardous if not under shelter, and will descend the country into darkness as it blots out the hot sun above. There may also be disruptions to transportation and other services.

Read

• Allen J. Fromherz, Qatar: A Modern History.
• Abdul Aziz Al Mahmoud, The Corsair. A debut novel about 19th-century piracy in the Persian Gulf, and the very first novel by a Qatari author.
• Sophia Al-Maria, The Girl Who Fell to Earth: A Memoir. Written by a Qatari-American based in Doha, this is an entertaining account of a childhood spent trying to bridge the divide between Bedouin and American cultures.

Visitor information

• Visit Qatar website

Talk

Arabic is the official language of Qatar although the majority of residents do not speak it. Expatriate workers from other parts of Asia and Africa far outnumber Qatari citizens, particularly in Doha. English is the lingua franca, and most Qataris speak it to communicate with the foreign workers who work for them. Most retail workers are South Asians or Filipinos, not Qataris. Nevertheless, if you can learn to speak some Arabic, it would undoubtedly impress the locals. Qataris speak the Gulf dialect of Arabic.

In Standard Arabic, the "Q" in Qatar is typically pronounced as a "k" but more at the back of the throat. That said, in the local Gulf dialect of Arabic, the initial consonant is usually pronounced like a hard "g", and the first "a" vowel is usually reduced to schwa.

You may encounter foreign labourers speaking diverse languages such as Hindi, Urdu and