Qatar, on the edge of the Gulf

Qatar is a small peninsula pushing north into the Arabian Gulf, flat desert with water on three sides. Doha holds almost all of it: glass towers along the bay, a rebuilt souq full of spice stalls and falcon shops, and a museum of Islamic art sitting on its own island. Drive forty minutes inland and the city simply stops at the sand. Below are the places to see, the things to do, where to eat well, and a few things worth knowing before you land.

Places to See

• Doha's MIA, a Museum of Islamic Art: I. M. Pei designed this building in his nineties, stacking pale limestone blocks that change shape as you walk around them. Inside, the galleries trace roughly 1,400 years of Islamic art.
  It stands on its own island off the Corniche, so the Doha skyline across the water is part of the visit.
• Souq Waqif, Doha: A restored market of low mud-rendered buildings and narrow lanes, with stalls of spices, cloth, perfume and household goods, and a falcon souq off to one side.
  Go in the evening, when the lanes fill up, the courtyard restaurants set out tables and musicians play.
• The Pearl-Qatar, Doha: An island built out from the West Bay coast, with apartment blocks, marinas and shops arranged around the water.
  Walk the marina once the heat drops, look at the boats, and pick somewhere to eat facing the harbour.

Things to Do

• Dune Driving at the Inland Sea: Known locally as Khor Al Adaid, the inland sea is one of the few places on earth where the sea runs straight into the dunes. UNESCO recognises it as a nature reserve.
  Drivers let air out of the tyres and take 4x4s over the sand. There is sandboarding, and a long quiet sunset at the end of it.
• A Day at Aspire Park, Doha: Aspire Park ranks among the biggest green spaces in the region, with a lake, looping paths and playgrounds under the trees.
  The Torch Tower stands over one end. Families arrive with picnics and grills once the sun is low.
• Katara Cultural Village, Doha: A purpose-built district of theatres, galleries, a mosque and an open amphitheatre, all on the Gulf shore.
  Check what is on before you go, walk through the exhibitions, and eat at one of the places facing the water.

Where to Eat Well in Qatar

• Nobu, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha: Japanese cooking with Peruvian heat, served in a three-storey building that sits out over the water.

• IDAM by Alain Ducasse, at the MIA: French Mediterranean cooking inside the island museum itself, the menu set by Alain Ducasse.
• Opal, Gordon Ramsay's room at the St. Regis: His Doha dining room, with a menu that leans Mediterranean and a room that leans formal.
• La Mar, in the InterContinental Doha: Peruvian seafood, ceviche first and grilled fish after, with tables looking straight out at the sea.
• Zengo, inside Kempinski Residences & Suites: Pan-Asian and Latin dishes on one long menu, meant to be ordered in small plates and shared.
• JW's Steakhouse, at the JW Marriott Marquis in City Center: A straight steakhouse: prime cuts, a long wine list and the quiet of a hotel dining room.
• Hakkasan, also at the St. Regis: Modern Cantonese cooking in a dark, low-lit room, with dim sum at lunch and a bar that stays busy.
• Il Teatro, also at the Four Seasons: Italian cooking staged in a room built to look like a theatre, with old recipes alongside newer ones.
• Teatro, at the City Centre Rotana: An open kitchen turning out dishes from across Asia and Europe, often at the same table.
• DAMASCA ONE, at the Mondrian: Middle Eastern cooking at the Mondrian, mezze first and charcoal grills after, served late.

Things to Know About Qatar

• Football's Big Stage: The 2022 men's FIFA tournament was played in Qatar, the first held in the Middle East and the first played in November and December rather than the northern summer. Eight stadiums were built or rebuilt for it, along with a new metro line and a whole district at Lusail, and most of that is still in daily use.
• Pearl Diving Heritage: Before oil, pearls paid for the country. Crews sailed out into the Gulf each summer and divers worked without tanks, holding their breath on a weighted rope for a minute or more at a time. Japanese cultured pearls ended the trade in the 1930s, but the boats, the songs and the pearl merchants' houses are still part of how Qatar tells its own story.
• Vision 2030: Qatar National Vision 2030 is the state's long-term plan to depend less on gas revenue. It sets out four goals: broaden the economy, invest in education and health, manage water and energy within environmental limits, and build something that runs on knowledge rather than extraction. Most large projects in the country are justified by reference to it.