Doha

Doha (in Arabic: 'دوحة'‎, Ad-Dawħah; transcription: Doha, corresponding to the dialectal Arabic pronunciation) is the capital of Qatar, a country located on a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf. Its estimated population is 1,903,447 inhabitants (2012) and the main economic activities are the gas and oil industry. Near Doha is Education City, an area dedicated to research and education.

In 2001, Doha hosted the first ministerial-level meeting of the Doha Round, that is, the negotiations of the World Trade Organization with the purpose of liberalizing world trade.

Doha has one airport, the New International Airport; and is the headquarters of the Al-Jazeera television network, one of the main international media outlets in English and Arabic.

In recent years, important sporting events have been held in the city such as the 2014 Short Course Swimming World Cup, the 2016 Road Cycling Championship, the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics Championship, and the 2019 Athletics Championship; and the 2022 Soccer World Cup.

On December 7, 2014, Doha is considered one of the New Seven Wonder Cities of the World.

History

In 1825, the city of Doha was founded under the name Al-Bida. The name "Doha" It comes from the Arabic word (دوحة), Ad-Dawhah which means: "The Great Tree". The reference is to a prominent tree that must have grown where the original fishing village arose, on the eastern coast of the Qatar peninsula. It could also have been derived from "Dohat" - in Arabic, bay or gulf - referring to the coastal area surrounding Doha Bay. In that same year, during the war between Qatar and Bahrain, Doha had been severely damaged and Abu Dhabi was helping Bahrain. In 1882, Al Rayyan built the Al Wajbah fortress, southwest of Doha. The following year, Sheikh Qassim led a Qatari army to victory against the Ottomans.

The city was the capital of the British protectorate of Qatar in 1916, and when the country gained its independence in 1971.

In 1917, the Al-Kout Fortress, located in the center of the city, was built by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Qasim Al-Thani. During the 20th century, much of Qatar's economy depended on fishing and pearl collecting. There were about 350 pearl fishing boats in Doha. However, after the introduction of Japanese cultured pearls in the 1930s, the entire region, including the city of Doha, suffered a severe crisis and Qatar sank into poverty. This lasted until, at the end of 1930, the immense amount of oil in Qatar was discovered. However, exploitation and export stopped due to World War II. Today, the nation as a whole produces more than 800,000 barrels of oil daily. In 1969, the Government House opened, which is very prominent in Qatar.

The first mention of Al Bida in English sources appeared in 1765, on a map by Carsten Niebhur, in which Al Bida is known as Guttur. Carsten had not visited Qatar personally, and had relied on the knowledge of local Arabs and English sailors to complete this section of his map. In the 19th century, Doha was little more than a small fishing village known as Al Bida.

However, no matter how small Al Bida was, the place was not spared from being bombed by the British ship Vestal in 1821, after the city had considered having broken a general peace treaty. They were bombed again in 1841 after Al-Suwaidi, the chief of the Sudanese who later ruled Al Bidda, was accused of acting outside the law. The town was destroyed in 1847 after its leader - Bin Tarif Bin Salamah - had died in battle against the Caliph of Bahrain near Fuweirat. These major disturbances were also probably marked by regular attacks by Bedouin nomads and other raids.

Sometime after the destruction of the Al Thani family, the British resident visited the village and found that Sahikh Mohammed Al Thani was then head of Doha. Doha was a city close to Al Bida, and between Al Bida and Doha, the capital of Qatar was to be established in Doha or Al Wakra.

The Qataris were attacked again by Bahrain in 1867, with the help of Abu Dhabi. Doha and Al Wakra attempted to retaliate in a very bloody naval battle. The British, wishing to avoid disruption to trade and resentful that the Bahrain caliphs had broken a treaty prohibiting maritime warfare in the area, arrived in Qatar and were received by the head of Al Bida, Sahikh Mohamad Bin Thani, on behalf of "all sheikhs and tribes" of the Qatari peninsula. This meeting was, finally, to lead Qatar and become a nation-state within the framework of Al Thanis. For a time, the Ottomans took control of the country, based in Doha, with the acquiescence of Qassim Al-Thani, who wished to consolidate his control of the area. However, disagreement over tribute and interference in internal affairs led to battle in 1893. The Ottomans were defeated and retreated to their fort in central Doha, where they remained until they were finally driven out during the First World War. Partly as a result of the departure of the Ottomans, Qatar was a formal British protectorate in 1916, with Doha as its capital.

During the beginning of the XX century, Doha had a population of around 12,000 and around 350 fishing boats. pearls. However, the growth of Japan's cultured pearl trade began to affect the region, and this was exacerbated by the depression of the 1930s.

Most of the buildings, at that time, were still simple one- or two-room dwellings, built of mud, stone and coral. However, the emirs of Qatar were quick to exploit the newfound wealth, and the poor neighborhoods were quickly razed to the ground to be replaced by more modern buildings. As with other countries in the region, in this desire to modernize much of the country's heritage was lost, and in Doha now only a single wind tower remains. The astonishing development of Doha, and the changing shape of the bay, can be seen to this day in the National Museum of Qatar. Doha was a port of some local importance. However, the bay's shallow waters prevented larger ships from entering the harbor until the 1970s, when its modern deep-water port was completed. Other changes followed with the reclamation of large tracts of land, leading to today's crescent-shaped bay.

In 1973 the University of Qatar opened its doors, and in 1975 the National Museum of Qatar was inaugurated in what was originally the Ruler's Palace in 1912. The Arabic television network Al-Jazeera (news channel) began broadcasting broadcast from Doha in 1996.

By 2010 Qatar had a population of 1,696,563, making it one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world.

Climate

Doha has a desert climate. It is located on the Arabian Peninsula, and as such, its climate is very hot. Between April and November, maximum temperatures exceed 30 °C (86 °F); but The most stifling heat is concentrated between June and August, with maximum temperatures always exceeding 37 °C (99 °F), although it is not common to exceed 44 °C (111 °F), while minimum temperatures vary from 26 °C (79 °F) to 34 °C (93 °F) on the hottest days. The thermal sensation is even greater due to the very high relative humidity values; The dew point averages 28 °C in August and it is not uncommon for it to cross the threshold of 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Throughout the year, precipitation is very scarce, concentrated in the winter, with an accumulated annual that averages 75.2 mm Winters are mild during the day and cool to cold at night, although the temperature rarely drops below 10 °C (50 °F).

Doha average climate parameters, Qatar (1962-2013)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	31.2	36.0	41.5	46.0	47.7	49.0	50.4	48.0	45.5	43.4	38.0	32.2	50.4
Average temperature (°C)	22.0	23.4	27.3	32.5	38.8	41.6	41.9	40.9	38.9	35.4	29.6	24.4	33.0
Average temperature (°C)	17.5	18.5	21.7	26.4	31.8	34.5	35.3	34.8	32.8	29.5	24.6	19.6	27.3
Temp. medium (°C)	13.5	14.4	17.3	21.4	26.1	28.5	30.2	30.0	27.7	24.6	20.4	15.6	22.5
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	3.8	5.0	8.2	10.5	15.2	21.0	23.5	22.4	20.3	16.6	11.8	6.4	3.8
Total precipitation (mm)	13.2	17.1	16.1	8.7	3.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.1	3.3	12.1	75.2
Precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	1.7	2.1	1.8	1.4	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	1.3	8.8
Hours of sun	244.9	224.0	241.8	273.0	325.5	342.0	325.5	328.6	306.0	303.8	276.0	241.8	3432.9
Relative humidity (%)	71	70	63	52	44	41	49	55	62	63	66	71	59
Source: Qatar Meteorological Department (Climatological Standards 1962–2013)

Demography

The demographics of Doha are similar to Dubai, the majority of residents are foreigners; Qatari nationals form a minority. The majority of expatriates in Qatar are from South Asian countries, mainly Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia, with large numbers of expatriates also coming from the Arab countries of the eastern and northern coast. of Africa, and East Asia. Doha is home to a sizeable expat community from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, South Africa, Mexico and Australia.

Every month, thousands of people immigrate to Qatar, and as a result Doha has witnessed explosive population growth rates. Doha's population currently stands at around two million, with the city's population more than doubled in the last decade. Due to the large influx of foreigners, Qatar's property market saw a shortage of supply leading to rising prices and rising inflation. The gap in the housing market between supply and demand has narrowed; However, property prices have fallen in some areas after a period that saw rents triple in some areas.

Several churches have been built recently in Doha, following the emir's decrees allocating land to churches. In March 2008, the first Catholic church in Doha, Our Lady of the Rosary, was opened. As a sign of respect to the local (Muslim) population ^{[citation needed]} no Christian symbols are displayed on the outside of the building. Today there are several churches in Doha, including the Malankar Orthodox Church, Marthomite Church, the CSI Church, the Syro-Malankar Church and the Pentecostal Church.

Economy

Much of Qatar's oil and natural gas wealth is visible in Doha, which is the economic center of Qatar. Doha is the headquarters of the country's major oil and gas companies, such as Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas, RasGas. Although Doha's economy is based on oil and natural gas revenues, the Qatari government is trying to diversify the country's economy in order to move away from this dependence on natural resources. As a result of this strategy, Doha is undergoing significant changes resulting from the Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa modernization program.

Like the nearby city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Doha's economy is moving away from its dependence on oil, although unlike Dubai, Doha's main focus is not tourism. Doha shows enormous growth, seeing its population sharply increase in recent years, which has caused a boom in the real estate sector, with rising real estate prices. According to a BBC report from late January 2007, Doha is more expensive than Dubai in terms of real estate prices. This growth rate has given rise to projects such as the Lusail City project, which is being built north of Doha and will eventually house 200,000 people. Construction is also booming in Doha as a result of increased business and commercial activity in the city. This is most visible with the city's changing skyline: as an example, Doha has more than 50 towers under construction, the largest of which is the Dubai Towers complex. At the same time, 39 new hotels are joining a booming tourism market in Qatar, which added nearly 9,000 new rooms in 2009.

Qatar Airways is headquartered at the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha.

Some of the key projects in Doha include:

• The Pearl
• Lusail
• Dubai Towers - Doha
• Doha International Convention Centre
• New Hamad International Airport

Gallery

• 

  Aerial view

• 

  Souq Waqif at night.

• 

  Shops in Souq Waqif.

• 

  Souq Waqif, Doha.

• 

  Street in Souq Waqif.

• 

  Doha Shopping Centre.

• 

  The new and ancient areas of Doha are visible from the International Space Station.

• 

  Doha Bay.

• 

  Strong Al Koot.

• 

  Dromedaries at Fort Al Koot.

• 

  Al Ahmed Street located in the old town.

Transportation

Doha has been undergoing a major expansion of its transportation network, including the addition of new roads, the construction of a new airport, and the projected construction of a metro system. All of this has been as a result of Doha's massive growth in a short space of time, which has caused congestion on its roads.

Roads

Doha has a complex road network consisting mainly of two and three lane dual carriageway. As a result, for a relatively young city, Doha's roads are wide and often include service lanes and large center dividers. While traditionally roundabouts have been used as intersections in the city, this has recently changed as a result of the enormous load on the city's road network. Many major roundabouts have been demolished and replaced with traffic lights or overpasses and underpasses. Furthermore, many major city streets are being converted into highways in order to accommodate the huge increase in traffic on the city's roads.

Highways

There are five main highways connecting Doha with its neighboring cities. These are the Dukhan Highway to the west of the city, Al-Shamal Street, connecting Doha to the north of the country, the Al-Khor Highway, which connects the city of Doha to the north of Al-Khor, and the Wakrah/Messaid highway, the connection from Doha to the south of the country. Finally, the Salwa Highway runs through the south of Doha and connects the city with the border with Saudi Arabia to the south.

These roads are all currently undergoing expansion, and are being widened in Doha.

• Doha Autopist

(D-Ring Road / Al Shamal Road) The Al Shamal-Road, traditionally linked to the D-Ring Road in Doha, is a three-lane road on each side that connects the city on a north-south axis. However, as a result of congestion, the D-Ring road is becoming a major highway through the city, and its name has been changed to the Doha Expressway, connecting Doha as a whole and connecting with north of Doha, Qatar. Several phases of the expressway have been completed, including the Al Shamal Bridge, the Reference Interchange, the Gharaffa Interchange and the Midmac/Salwa Interchange Road.

Al Shamal is undergoing a major expansion under the Doha Expressway project. The road is being expanded to a four-lane highway (a total of eight lanes) with major interchanges that will serve the countries better than the existing two-lane road on each side. Additionally, the new Doha Expressway will connect Doha to the planned Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge at al-Zubarah, which connects the two Gulf states, similar to the way Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are currently connected.

• Dukhan Road

The current Dukhan Highway has been the subject of a reconstruction project for several years, with new interchanges being built and the road being widened significantly. In the future it is planned to widen the road so that it connects directly into Doha via a system of flyovers and underpasses, with plans to replace the Tilt Roundabout, the Markhiya Roundabout, and the Television Roundabout, all of which Doha's main roundabouts, with underpasses and overpasses.

• Salwa Road

The first phase of the Salwa Expressway project has already been completed. This phase involved the widening of the highway connecting the city of Doha to the southwest of Salwa on the border with Saudi Arabia, into a four-lane highway with separate interchanges. The rest of the Salwa Highway is expected to be widened and improved, from the recently completed industrial interchange to the Jaidah flyover, including the construction of an underpass at Ramada Signals, Doha's busiest traffic light intersection. This project is not expected to begin until after the completion of the Doha Expressway.

• F-Ring Road

The F-Ring will be the ring road in Doha, and is being built as part of the transport network leading to the new Doha International Airport. The new road will connect the airport to the Corniche at the new Ras Abu Aboud Interchange, currently under construction, and will feature a new southern bypass of the E-Ring road.

• Buses

An extensive bus system, operated by the government-owned Mowasalat company, currently operates in the city of Doha. The bus system covers many areas of the city, and there are stops throughout the city. The bus system is mainly used by lower income groups, and does not attract many of the higher income groups in the city, which has led to increased congestion on Doha's roads, as the majority of people prefer cars. Users who use a prepaid card must present their card when boarding and getting off the bus; Thus, the fare is only charged for the section traveled. If you do not have a card, the charge is much higher.

The main bus station is located in the souk area of Doha city, and services run to all major cities in Qatar.

• Taxis

The Mowasalat company operates all taxis in Qatar, under its Karwa brand, with more than a thousand taxis operating in the capital. There are many taxis in the city, and while in the past there were difficulties in finding taxis, due to the low number of taxis on the roads, after the launch of the company, today it has become less of a problem.

Fares start at QR4.00, and most taxis are well-equipped, including comfortable sedans like the Toyota Camry and Ford Mondeo.

Taxis found at Doha International Airport are also available, in the form of Ford Freestar. Taxis from the airport start their rates at QR18.00.

Numerous unlicensed taxis operate in Doha. Exact figures are difficult to quantify, but unlicensed taxis are believed to be much more numerous than Karwa taxis.

• Puerto

The Port of Doha is one of the largest ports in the country, and is located right next to the Doha Corniche. It is the main seaport serving Doha, although plans are underway for a new port due to the port's location in central Doha and the resulting traffic and pollution problems. The proposed location for the port is near the city of Al Wakra, south of the New Doha Airport.

• Air

Hamad International Airport

New Doha International Airport in Wikimapia.

Doha International Airport

Doha International Airport is the only international airport in Qatar. It is the hub of the airline Qatar Airways, and is served by many international airlines. Due to the rapid growth of the country and the airline Qatar Airways, many consider the airport too small and unable to adequately handle all the traffic passing through it. This problem was recently addressed with a major expansion that was done in anticipation of the 15th Asian Games. In order to accommodate the increase in traffic, the airport's facilities have been significantly expanded, including the construction of a separate terminal dedicated to first class and business passengers, and the expansion of the current terminal. Furthermore, this new section has been built on the opposite side of the runway to handle the additional air traffic. These changes have temporarily alleviated the problem, but due to the small size of the airport and limited space for expansion, this has not been enough to definitively solve the airport's overcrowding problem.

Hamad New International Airport

The new Hamad International Airport is being built near the existing airport (about 3 km east and 11 km from the center of Doha), and should solve the current airport's problems such as lack of space. The first phase of the airport is due to be completed in April 2013, along with the second phase, and will be capable of accommodating 25 million passengers per year. Upon completion of the third phase in 2017, the airport is expected to be capable of handling up to 50 million passengers annually. The new airport is located further from central areas of the city than the current airport, reducing noise and environmental pollution. The total planned cost of the New Airport is $22 billion. When the airport is completed, it will cover 2,200 ha. Al Udeid Air Base, a major US Air Force air base, is located southwest of Doha.

Districts

The list of the most notable districts of Doha:

Education

Education has been an important focus of the Qatari government in recent years. In addition to Qatar University, established in 1973, the government has requested other universities to establish schools in Doha, especially in Education City.

Education City is one of the main projects of the non-profit organization: the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. It has also launched the World Innovation Summit for Education, EI, a global forum that brings together education actors, opinion leaders and decision makers from around the world to discuss educational issues. The first edition was held in Doha from November 16 to 18, 2009.

A key player in the field of education in Qatar is the Higher Council of Communication and Information Technologies ictQATAR. Through its education programme, ictQATAR brings together the power of education and ICT in Qatar.

Doha is also home to many international schools established for expat communities, with dozens of different private schools currently operating in the city, such as:

Schools in and around Doha:

• Doha Academy
• International School of Doha
• The American College of Doha
• Lebanese School
• ISL Qatar
• Doha School
• DeBakey High School for Health Professions in Catar
• HEC Paris in Qatar
• Qatar Canadian School
• Phillippine School
• Bangladés MHM Alto School and College, Doha, Qatar
• MES Indian School
• India DPS-Modern School, Doha, Qatar
• Indian School Ideal
• Modern Doha School India
• The Cambridge School (Doha)
• Newton International School
• Shantiniketan Indian School (Wakra)
• Universities / Higher Institutes in City Education
• University of Virginia Commonwealth
• Weill Cornell Medical College in Catar
• Texas A & M University in Catar
• Carnegie Mellon University in Catar
• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Catar
• Northwestern University in Catar

Other Universities/Universities around Doha:

• University of Catar: Opened its doors in 1973
• North Atlantic college
• CHN University
• University of Calgary
• Qatar: Leadership Academy (Out of the City of Jor)

Museums

• National Museum of Catar, located in a palace built in 1912 as a residence of the local leader, was opened in 1975. It is currently closed and the construction of a new building that shelters it.

• Museum of Islamic Art, work of the American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, opened in 2008.

Sports

In 2006 it hosted the 15th Asian Games. It was a candidate city to organize the 2016 Olympic Games, although it was ruled out in the first round. In 2010 it was designated the venue for the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships.

In 2010 it was designated to host the Argentina-Brazil soccer match, held on November 17, 2010. In 2022 it hosted the first soccer World Cup in an Arab country, the 2022 Soccer World Cup.

• 

  View of the Doha Sports City during the 2006 Asian Games.

Doha is home to the Losail International Circuit where the world motorcycle racing season (MotoGP) has begun since 2004. The circuit is located 20 kilometers north of Doha.

Twinning between cities

• Algiers, Algeria.
• Haman, Jordan.
• Brasilia, Brazil.
• Marbella, Spain.
• Beijing, China.
• Port Louis, Mauritius.
• Stratford-upon-Avon, UK.
• Tripoli, Libya.
• Mazatlan, Mexico.