Staying
Over in Doha, Qatar by davidb
Doha
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Doha is the capital of Qatar,
a city that has its roots as a fishing village named Al Bida. As Qatar
became a more significant player in the Middle East's role in the world
and became a British protectorate, Al Bida became the capital city and
the name changed to Doha. It served a major role for the nation as a whole,
being both the largest city and the primary center for the two largest
exports of the nation, fishing and pearling. With the discovery of oil
outside the peninsula, Doha became the petroleum center for the nation,
taking the nation from a desolate recession (due to Japanese cultured pearls)
to the forefront of oil producing nations, and by extension, the forefront
of the richest nations of the world. Standing now as the richest nation
in the world (highest GDP per capita, according to the CIA), Doha is the
penultimate diamond in the rough, an oasis of high civilization and luxurious
living in the vast sand dunes of Qatar.
| Doha International Airport
is the only internationally serving airstrip in the nation, so anyone flying
in to Qatar will already be in the capital city. From there, getting anywhere
inside of Doha is a cinch, due to the easily accessible roads, vast bus
and taxi systems, and the highway system that is under constant expansion
by the Qatari government. Being the capital of such a rich nation means
that the government seated in Doha can afford a lot of high-class expansion:
this is reflected in the vast amount of activities and tourist attractions
offered to anyone visiting Doha.
For sports, Doha offers several
stadiums where you can watch a football game, tennis matches, or even go
to one of the aquatic centers where you can see any number of swim competitions
or just get in the pool and cool off. Doha was host to the 2006 Asian Games,
which was the largest Asian Games in history. Doha was also, until June
4th of 2008, on the shortlist of applicant cities for the 2016 Olympic
Games.
Doha has a semi-typical Arabian
climate, being warm year round because of the latitude of Qatar as a nation. |
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However, the dry and abrasive
air of some countries in the Mid-East is offset by the surrounding ocean
of Qatar, making the air more moist than most other nations in the region.
Winter months in Doha are much more pleasant, offering temperatures from
the low twenties to the mid teens, making the city an ideal place to visit
for a holiday towards the end of the year.
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Visitors to Qatar have their
interests protected by the Qatar Tourism Authority, a branch of the Qatari
government that looks into taking care of people of various nations coming
into Doha to see their nation. They oversee all of the hotels and various
places where people can stay when visiting the country. By also providing
a rating system from one to five stars for any accommodation, the QTA makes
sure that people know what each hotel offers.
Most of the hotels in Doha
are of a high caliber, providing services from boat rental and yacht chartering
to discounts and packages for people looking to go try the variety of sports
and activities offered around the city and the surrounding countryside. |
Most hotels combine restaurants
and various amenities into their building to provide a cohesive experience
to all of their customers.
Doha is the very definition
of a modern Arab city, featuring some of the most liberal laws of any Middle
Eastern nation; alcohol is even allowed through permits issued by the national
government. The legal system's roots are based in Islamic law but the interpretation
is much looser than one would find in more staunch nations such as Egypt
or Iran.
In summary, staying in Doha
is the kind of experience that one never forgets, and something that anyone
who has the opportunity to do, should. The care that shown to anyone visiting
this rich city by far outstrips what one would find in almost any other
country on Earth. Combining this with the rich cultural and entertainment
value of Doha alone, let alone the whole of Qatar, makes visiting the capital
of the richest nation in the world a goal that anyone should set for himself
or herself while they can.
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Doha
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