Peninsula in the Persian Gulf: desert, skyscrapers and sea: the unknown sides of World Cup host Qatar
The countdown to the soccer World Cup is on: on April 1, the groups will be drawn and many people are wondering what kind of country Qatar actually is. FOCUS Online author Michaela Strassmair was there and looked at the desert state.
The news from Qatar usually revolves around these topics: the country’s oil and enormous natural gas resources, human rights violations and the exploitation of many guest workers and the construction of a total of eight football stadiums. The World Cup may not start until November 21, 2022, but it is worth taking a closer look at the 180-kilometer long and 80-kilometer-wide peninsula in the Persian Gulf.
These are Qatar’s USPs
The emirate, ruled by the 41-year-old monarch Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is an independent Muslim state with around 2.8 million inhabitants, of whom the clear majority (around 80 percent) are foreigners. The desert country deliberately distances itself from its neighbors Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In terms of tourism, it wants to position itself as a family-friendly and cheaper destination that attaches great importance to its own culture, but also to modernity.
Head of tourism is a German
Berthold Trenkel is German, but has lived in the Gulf States for many years and works as “Chief Operating Officer at Qatar Tourism” and puts it this way: “Unlike some neighboring countries, where there are strict controls from above, a lot is allowed in Qatar and people live relatively freely. But a lot of people are conservative and proud of their traditions.”
As an example, he cites traditional clothing, which is not mandatory. Nevertheless, local men wear a floor-length white shirt (thobe) and a white scarf on their heads (ghutra). Women cover themselves with long, black coats (abaya) and headscarves (shayla). This does not apply to tourists, only when visiting a mosque. “In Qatar, people are very proud and try to preserve the traditions, but in a very relaxed way,” explains Berthold Trenkel.
He recommends that the 1.5 million visitors expected for the soccer World Cup get an idea of the “land of adventure” for themselves and refers to the undiscovered secrets and the extraordinarily high level of security in the country. At Numbeo, a global crowdsourcing database, Qatar has been at the top of the safest countries in the world for years – well ahead of Germany. We present the highlights of the World Cup host country.
Corniche: promenade with palm trees in the middle of the city
The hub of Qatar is the capital, Doha, where more than 90 percent of the population lives. With the international airport only four kilometers away, Doha is the first port of call for tourists. If you want to relax your neck muscles from admiring the many futuristic skyscrapers that are up to 300 meters high, head towards the sea.
Built in a crescent shape around a bay, Doha is within easy reach of the Arabian Gulf from most parts of the city. A seven-kilometer car-free promenade stretches along the shore – the Corniche. Lined with palm trees and sandy beaches, the stretch is considered one of the most beautiful boardwalks in the Middle East. Luxury hotels, sprawling parks, restaurants with uninterrupted sea views, and futuristic buildings set the scene.
National Museum: Gigantic sand rose gives an insight into the country
The National Museum, which opened in 2019, is also unique in its architecture. The French star architect Jean Nouvel, who also designed the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, nested 539 huge round discs to form a spectacular building in the shape of a sand rose. Sand roses, also known as desert roses, are plate-shaped rock formations that arise in hot and dry desert areas.
The nested discs look as if a giant had opened a cupboard and thrown its plates onto the floor. As chaotic as the façade is presented, the exhibits in the eleven consecutive exhibition halls are presented in an orderly manner and with plenty of free space.
The tour begins with great amazement: a whale shark hangs from the ceiling next to a 400-million-year-old fossil fish, and an oryx antelope peeks around the corner. After the natural history exhibits on geology and the animal world, archaeological finds attract attention.
Cultural traditions are shown on huge video screens, including the erection of Bedouin tents by women or the life-threatening pearl fishing. By the way, the last pearl fisherman is still alive. He runs a shop in the Doha souk. There is also a lot of interesting information about oil and gas production, which has catapulted Qatar into the top ten richest countries in the world over the past 50 years. Eight years ago, for example, a liter of oil was cheaper than a bottle of water. Today everything revolves around natural gas, as the country has the third largest gas reserves in the world. If you want to delve even deeper into the world of raw materials: there is an oil museum in the Msheireb district.
Souk Waqif: Hospital of Falcons and Spices
When you think of an Arabian souk, you imagine a business district with narrow streets, colorful stalls, barkers, unfamiliar smells and a lot of hustle and bustle. Doha’s most famous marketplace, the Souk Waqif, presents itself in a completely different way.
At the entrance, Arabian horses whinny and the first shops do not advertise leather goods or spices, but falcons. It’s all about the national bird here. There is even a falcon hospital in the souk – the treatment of the birds of prey is free of charge, the state treasury pays for it. The status of the falcons, which range in price from two to several hundred thousand euros, is also reflected in the state airline Qatar Airways.
With the “best airline in the world” (2021 award from the rating company Skytrax for the sixth time in a row) the birds are allowed to fly on their own seat in the passenger area. Speaking of sitting, while strolling through the squeaky-clean, tranquil souk, there are plenty of opportunities to sit in a café or restaurant and people-watch, enjoying life over a hookah or coffee and dates. If you come during the day, you should make a detour to the bistro “Shay Al Shoomos”. This was founded in the late 1960s by a woman who stood up to her family and made the small shop famous – with 480 of her own spice blends. She now supplies the royal family. And celebrities like David Beckham have also paid a visit to the bistro.
Katara Cultural Village: street cooling and amphitheater
It’s one of those things with the climate: while it’s mild in the winter months, i.e. also during the football World Cup, at 15 to 24 degrees, it can get extremely hot in the summer months at 40 to 50 degrees.
The ultimate refreshment awaits at the cultural village of Katara, which is located directly on the waterfront in Doha: a chilled pedestrian zone. It works like this: Ice-cold air-conditioning is blown upwards from below – from grids in the road surface. The outdoor seating areas of cafés are also cooled down by air conditioning. But those are just sideshows.
The village is all about living culture: from a colorfully decorated mosque to cigar-shaped towers that are actually dovecotes and a large marble amphitheater where concerts are held, to works of art such as the largest key in the world.
Khor Al Adaid: Lake in the desert and dunes that meet the sea
Off to the desert, in the country’s only sandy desert! One of Qatar’s greatest scenic treasures is around 80 kilometers south of the capital: a lake in the middle of the desert, known as the Inland Sea. This is where the Persian Gulf dug into Qatar’s southern landmass, separating Qatar from Saudi Arabia.
The huge expanse of water is a paradise for flamingos, cormorants, wading birds and terns. In addition to birds, other animals also live on the Inland Sea, such as turtles or the highly endangered manatees. Just getting to this remote place is an adventure in itself. After 60 kilometers the rocky desert turns into a sandy desert with sand dunes up to 60 meters high. These look insurmountably high for an off-road vehicle. But the specially trained drivers teach their guests better. And at full throttle!
Dune bashing is the name of this type of motorsport, in which you jump over crests and drift down steep slopes. Nothing to see but light yellow sand everywhere. When you get out, it feels warm and soft as flour under your bare feet. The eyes wander over the endless expanse in delicate yellow tones and are magically drawn to the royal blue of the sea on the horizon. A rare sight. Because there are only a few places in the world where desert and sea meet.
If you can’t get enough of this harmonious play of colors and shapes, you should spend a night in the desert. Right on the beach, in a suite or luxury tent at Regency Sealine Camp, the only accommodation far and wide.
World Cup stadiums: Recyclable from shipping containers, in the form of tents and shells
Seven of the eight World Cup stadiums had to be rebuilt – by internationally renowned architects. The result: All stadiums look completely different. For example, 974 is the name of a stadium that was built from 974 old, recycled shipping containers. After the World Cup, the entire stadium is to be dismantled and the individual parts reused in other areas.
The al-Bayt Stadium was built by the German architecture firm Albert Speer+Partner. The tent-like construction is based on the traditional tents of Qatar’s nomads and, in addition to 60,000 seats, offers luxurious hotel suites and boxes with balconies and views of the playing field, as well as an integrated shopping center and a food court.
The World Cup final will be played at Lusail Stadium, which is one of the largest football arenas in the world with a capacity of more than 80,000. Seen from above, it looks like a shell.
Rooms for fans: On two cruise ships
And where will the expected 1.5 million football fans stay? For them, Doha’s hotel capacity will be increased to around 130,000 rooms. This also includes fan villages and private accommodation as well as temporary apartments in the new port. According to tourism director Berthold Trenkel, two cruise ships from MSC cruises anchor, each with 2000 cabins available.
You can find more information about Qatar here here.
Disclaimer: The research trip was supported by Havas Hamburg.