The Diplomatic Club

Explore the natural environment, take an exciting desert safari, relax at the many beaches and pool facilities, or enjoy your favourite sport. Golf courses, billiards and snookers tables, bowling alleys, tennis and squash facilities, ice skating rinks. Whatever your interest, there is something for everyone.

www.qatar-tourism.com

Cruises and Water Sports – Surrounded by the Arabian Gulf on three sides of the peninsula, there are plenty of opportunities for water sports and cruising. Two artificial reefs have been built for scuba-diving and create a welcoming environment for marine life. Sailing is a wonderful pastime and several private companies offer dinghies and windsurfers for rent, as well as sailing lessons for novice and experienced sailors. A sunset cruise on a traditional dhow in Doha Bay provides a stunning view of Doha at night, while luxury yachts can be rented for half- and full-day fishing trips. There are both jet-skiing and water-skiing rentals, as well as pedal boats, water cycle, and kayak rentals. And for the extremely adventurous, try parasailing, surfing, or wind-surfing. A day spent on Palm Tree Island is a most welcome opportunity for relaxation with beaches and swimming pools. Major hotels and local tour operators can make the necessary arrangements to suit your schedule.

Desert Safari – A trip to the inland sea, in the middle of the desert, is a splendid way to spend the day. Experienced tour operators add to the adventure by expertly steering their four-wheel drive vehicles up and down 60-metre sand dunes along the way. Each air conditioned vehicle comes fully equipped with all necessary gear to ensure a safe but dramatic tour of the mysterious desert. As you travel over the sand dunes, you will get an unequalled view of the desert and, if you listen closely, you can hear the sands shift as you descend down the slopes. A lunch and swim in the warm inland sea will nicely top off your adventure before you make the journey back to the city. Be sure to bring swimsuit, sunscreen, and don’t forget your camera.

For a desert safari, choose a reputable ground tour operator. Excursions should be undertaken in an adequately-equipped 4 x 4 vehicle. Always travel in convoy with other cars, take a supply of water, a mobile telephone if you have one, and leave travel plans with friends and relatives.

Shopping – From the large shopping complexes to the tiny stalls of the souqs, eager shoppers will find everything they need and more. Facilities like the City Centre Doha, the largest shopping complex in the Middle East, offer world famous brands plus many exciting family facilities. The markets (souqs) are a wonderful mixture of scents and sights where items are not marked with traditional price tags; haggling is welcomed and expected. Souq Waqif is the oldest of Doha’s traditional markets, originally used by Bedouin traders as a place to buy and sell meat, wool, milk, and other staples. Today it is a maze of alleyways packed with everything from traditional clothing and incense to camping equipment and hardware. There are textile souqs and gold souqs, as well as the popular Thursday/Friday Souq where clothes, perfumes, shoes, fabric, household goods, and carpets are on offer.

Corniche – A stroll along the Corniche is a must during your stay. This seven-kilometre stretch of coastline runs parallel to the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf and is used by walkers and runners, as well as the more adventurous roller-bladers. It offers a relaxing environment for family picnics and a nearby park for children. Fully landscaped with ample parking, the Corniche is the ideal place to unwind.

Cinemas – For those who wish to catch the latest film, there are several cinemas located in some of the large shopping centres, including The Landmark and The Mall, as well as Gulf Cinema on C-Ring Road.

Coffee Shops/Nightclubs and Bars – Coffee shops have extended hours providing an opportunity to relax and unwind after a night of pleasurable activities. Most hotels have nightclubs and bars where alcohol is served.

Ice Skating/Bowling – The City Centre Doha has ice skating rinks where you can rent skates by the hour. Qatar Bowling Centre offers ten-pin bowling in a 32-lane facility, and the City Centre Doha has two bowling alleys – one for ladies only.

Tennis and Squash Courts/Swimming Pools/Fitness Centres/Spas – The major hotels offer a variety of facilities including tennis and squash courts, swimming pools, and fitness equipment. After exercising, you can relax with a massage at the hotels’ health and spa facilities or make an appointment at one of the many Chinese and Indian massage centres.

Marroub Fort
Built during the Abbasside period on the foundations of an older fort, Marroub Fort is located on the west coast of Qatar and bears the marks of Abbasside architectural style. To the north of the Fort, 250 houses were grouped together in an arch formation.

Al-Ghuwair Castle
Al-Ghuwair Castle was built during the early 19th century and is now in ruins. It was constructed with thick walls of stone and mud in a rectangular shape.

Al-Thughb Fort
Located on the northwest part of the country, approximately 110 kilometres from Doha, al-Thughb Fort is rectangular with four towers – a common design for desert forts erected between 17th and 19th centuries.

Al-Zubarah
Situated just 100 km west of Doha lies the town of Al Zubara, an important archeological site famous for its old fort. This fort-turned-museum was constructed in 1938 during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani and was erected on the ruins of a neighbouring fort. The fort itself is square-shaped with circular towers in three of its corners and a rectangular tower in the fourth. With high, thick walls, this fort also served as a coast guard station and, until the mid-1980s, was used by the military.

Al-Rakiyat Fort
Restored in 1988, Al-Rakiyat Fort was constructed sometime during the 17th and 19th centuries. Made of mud and stone, this fort, as with many others in Qatar, is shaped as a rectangle with four corner towers.

Barzan Tower
Originally built as watchtowers, Barzan Tower is the western tower of two that were erected around the Umm Salal Mohammed area. This Tower was built during the late 19th century and its ‘T’ shape is considered a unique architectural style in the Gulf region. It is a rectangle construction with three levels and an external staircase.

Umm Salal Mohammed Fort
Located about 20 kilometres north of Doha and built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this Fort is distinguishable by its high thick walls and impressive façade. Inside the fort, you will find several examples of architectural and decorative elements.

Al-Wajbah Fort
With its high towers and thick walls, Al-Wajbah Fort was the site of a famous battle and is considered the oldest fort in the country. In 1893 AD, the people of Qatar, under the leadership of Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani, defeated the Ottoman forces.

Al-Jassasiya
Composed of a number of rocky hills overlooking the northeastern coast of Qatar, the hills of Al-Jassasiya contain numerous stone carvings and engravings which are speculated to date back to pre-historic times. Known for its fine beaches, Al-Jassasiya and its neighbour, Fuwairet, are popular for weekend excursions.

Exhibition Centre
World Class Exhibition/Conference Centre with a built-up area of 53,000sqm to be built at Education City. It is anticipated that the centre will encompass one major theatre with 2500 seat and a small theatre with 500 seats and an Exhibtion /Confrence Hall for 4000 people . For more information contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa

Asian Games 2006
As part of the infrastructural obligations for hosting the Asian Games, construction of the Asian Games City has began. Once completed, over 30 sports facilities will be in place. Existing buildings are being renovated as new ones being built, including Al Sadd Stadium, Al Rayyan Sports Centre, Al Ilihad Sports Centre, Al Arabi Sports Centre, Swimming Centre (Aquatic) and Khalifa Stadium. For more information, click on www.qatarolympics.org, www.dohasiangames.org or contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa

Pearl of the Gulf
Construction plans call for the creation of a 366 hectare (ha) island immediately east of the West Bay shoreline and about 20 km north of the Doha central business district. Facilities will include villas and multi-family residential quarters, hotels, retail shopping areas and restaurants, entertainment and recreational facilities, schools, mosques, community centres and parks. There will be opportunities for non-Qatari's to invest in properties on the island. For more information, click on www.udcqatar.com or contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa

North Beach Development
The 32 square km site, just north of the Ritz Carlton on the coast, will complement the Pearl of the Gulf and will include a number of new features such as a dedicated family entertainment district, providing both daytime and nighttime attractions for residents and tourists alike. For more information contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa.

Museum of Islamic Arts
The Museum of Islamic Arts, which is to be completed by 2006 in time for the Asian Games, will be a notable landmark for the city of Doha and provide the highest standards of display conversation, research and renovation. The museum will also serve as an educational institution offering support to local schools and providing facilities for research scholars from within Qatar and from overseas. The Islamic Museum will display the Qatar National Collection of Islamic Art – a world class collection of ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, woodwork, glass and other items made in countries all over the Islamic World from medieval Spain to Central Asia and India. For more information, click on http://www.cnc.com.qa/english.asp or contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa.

Qatar National Library
Designed by the famous architect Arata Isozaki, Qatar National Library, the major repository of bibliographic references on the country, will be a landmark and a minaret of knowledge. The library will include the National History Museum, galleries, a children’s centre, closed book stacks, reading rooms, a restaurant, a lecture room, and conference hall. Construction will be completed by 2006 in time for the Asian Games. For more information, click on http://www.cnc.com.qa/english.asp or contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa

Education City
Is being developed by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a non-profit organization established in 1995 by the Emir and is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misneed. Education City is a major educational and cultural development in Qatar housing some of the world’s finest academic institutions on a 7-million square-meters site and is set to position Doha as a key centre for the advancement of the people of Qatar and other Gulf states.

Qatar National Museum Expansion
The expansion to the existing Qatar National Museum is designed by the well-known French architect Jean Nouvel and due for completion in 2006. The museum will adopt the most modern concepts in museology providing a lively experience, and will house six main themes - the land, the origins, historic settlements, Qatar and the sea, Nomadic life, and the wonders of nature. For more information, click on http://www.cnc.com.qa/english.asp or contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa

Qatar Photography Museum
Due for completion in 2007, Santiago Calatrava, one of the most famous architects in the world, designed the Photographic Museum, which will become a landmark within the urban setting and contribute to the urban development of the area situated in the centre of Doha City. The Government collection of photography - composed of some 15,000 items including historic cameras and accessories, and prominent photographs, 1960s albums and historic documents - will be exhibited and there will be space for temporary exhibitions. For further information, click on http://www.cnc.com.qa/english.asp or contact investorsrelations@qatartourism.gov.qa

Doha International Airport
NDIA is scheduled to open in 2009 at a cost of $2.5bn in the first phase and will be capable of handling 12 million passengers a year, together with 750,000 tonnes of cargo. Once fully developed in 2015 at a cost of $5.5bn, the airport is expected to handle up to 50 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo a year. On completion, the airport-covering 22.5 sq. km – will be able to handle 50 million passengers a year.

The New Doha International Airport will fulfill three critical roles: Qatar as the gateway to the world; hub for the country's national airline Qatar Airways and other carriers; and as a cargo and aircraft maintenance centre.

NDIA is being designed on a "water" theme, with a large landscaped lagoon and fountains at the entrance and a wave design for the roof of the passenger terminal.

One of the project's key features is that 40% of the site will be built on reclaimed land from the Arabian Gulf, where 63 million cubic metres of fill is being dredged from the sea to create the airport.

Qatar Airways will manage the new airport, designed to help shape Doha as a key regional and global aviation hub.

The new airport will be the world's first to be designed and built specifically for Airbus's new A380-800 double-decker 'super jumbo' – the largest passenger aircraft ever built. The A380 will be capable of carrying more than 550 passengers, with Qatar Airways a launch customer taking delivery of the first of its four A380s in 2009, the year the new airport opens.

US engineering and construction giant Bechtel has been awarded the contract to build the new airport, which will initially have a 26-gate passenger terminal complex, two runways, maintenance hangar, cargo centre and extensive shopping facilities.

The Emiri complex will be an architectural marvel, with the exterior shape of the pavilion representing sail boats which complement the water setting of the airport. The building is layered to provide a striking effect and will light up the night sky. The complex will also include a pavilion, ceremonial podium, apron, private roadways and parking, surrounded by lush landscaping.

The airport complex will comprise a 75-metre high control tower located between the parallel runways, multi-storey office building, parking and access roads. Triangular in shape with one angle cut by a crescent shape all along its height, the structure will be topped by a glazed cabin.

For more information please visit New Doha International Airport (NDIA) website:
www.ndiaproject.com

Thank you very much for your interest in Qatar. For any further information please contact