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Welcome to Qatar. Where do I even start
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Qatar is the compact and mighty peninsula of the Middle East. From crystal clear waters and windy desert dunes to the futuristic skyline of Doha
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this is where rich culture and history meet the perks of modern living
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Qatar is a treasure trove of unique experiences. With so much to do and explore, planning your trip to Qatar can be a little overwhelming
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But that's where I come in. My name is Hamad Al-Amari, and as a Qatari, I'll be your guide to showing you how to best explore my beautiful country
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Qatar is right here in the Middle East, connecting the eastern and western sides of the world
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Being a peninsula, we share most of our borders with the Arabian Sea. But we have one land border with Saudi Arabia in the south part of our country
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The eastern city of Doha is Qatar's capital. This is where Hamad International Airport is
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So this city will be your first introduction to the country and likely where you will spend the majority of your trip
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Now, as locals, for us, Doha is when we refer to the whole country
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So sometimes you might hear me say Doha when I really mean Qatar. Take a look at this map of Doha
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Let's break it down even more to learn about the areas you'll be visiting
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With unparalleled views of the Doha skyline and the Arabian Sea, the seven-kilometer-long corniche is not only an attraction on its own
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but it's a gateway to several vibrant districts of the city. It connects the old Doha districts to the new Doha downtown
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It's also home to the country's finest museums, the National Museum of Qatar, and the Museum of Islamic Art
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Very close by is the Al-Sug district where you find Sug Wagif. It is the oldest market in the country
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It's the heart of a bustling, traditional, local market full of gold, pearls and souvenirs
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Soog Waggif gets its name from an old practice. Soog is Arabic for market and Waggif is Arabic for standing
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And the practice was they would trade while standing. So the main promenade in the Soog is filled with coffee shops and it's filled with places to hang out
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The real market is tucked away in these alleyways And as soon as we get in you notice the old feeling that this thing has been here for a while
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Next to the suq, you'll find Mshayrub downtown Doha, a sustainable downtown regeneration project
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It's a breezy, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood full of hotels, restaurants, and boutiques. And it's also home to Doha's burgeoning design district
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North of the Corniche, the skyscrapers of West Bay host some of the city's best hotels and dining and shopping options
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Further north, the Katara Cultural Village is the city's community hub featuring Katara Art Center, a Greek-inspired amphitheater
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and a stretch of public beach The Pearl, built entirely on reclaimed land on the waters of the Arabian Sea
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is a luxurious destination for leisure activities It's also one of the hottest residential areas in the country
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Inland, Education City is home to university campuses, the city library, and some of the country's most impressive architecture
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And Aspire Zone, it is the country's home of sports, featuring world-class facilities for football, swimming, and many more sports
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as well as the country's historic stadium, Khalifa International Stadium. Qatar's size is a huge advantage for quickly getting around the entire country
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And the way Qatar's regions come together, each area has a little bit of everything
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Starting at Qatar's northernmost point, Al-Shemal's coastline touches both eastern and western sides of the country
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Most of the region's land consists of abandoned villages and archaeological sites
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And I especially encourage you to visit Al Zabara Fort and museum while in this region
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along with many beaches found in this area, to really get a sense of the history of my country
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Al Zabara sits right here on the western coast of Qatar. It's about 70 miles, or 105 kilometers northwest of Doha, approximately an hour and a half drive away
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And if we zoom into the village, we can see where the site lines the coastline
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This is someone's old house in a Zubara village and it's believed that this village has been
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around since at least the 1760s. It was a key site for trade and pearling in the Arabian
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Peninsula in the 18th and 19th centuries And it wasn until 1938 when the Emir at the time His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Qasim Al Thani decided to build a fort on top of the remains of the castle that once stood right here
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This fort was used by the Qatarian military until the 1980s. Once the Al-Zubara village was rediscovered
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and archaeological excavations began, the fort found a new use as a museum about Al-Zubara
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Here you can explore the artifacts that have been found throughout the Al-Zubara's excavations
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These all speak to Al Zabara's history as a hub of trading and pearl diving
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The practice of pearl diving in the Gulf goes back to about 7,000 years
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and is one of the oldest professions in Qatar. The pearl banks in the Arabian Gulf were plentiful
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More importantly, the demand for pearls made it profitable. So you can imagine why it was so important for local economies
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Next, we have the region of Al Khor. This region is known for its beautiful mangroves
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Mangrove trees live in tidal pools along the coastlines of tropical and subtropical countries
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While it looks like just a quiet swamp, something very important is happening here
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This tangled mess of interlocked trees can store up to five times more carbon dioxide per square meter than tropical or boreal rainforests
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That's incredible. And the roots and branches break the waves here, making this an incredibly tranquil place to hop in a kayak and explore the mangrove forests
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The area of Al-Shahaniya is known for its camel racing and oryx breeding
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On the east coast, just above Doha, we have Al-Va'ayn, home to Lusail City
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Lusail is a really cool project to see in real life for anyone interested in sustainability and environmental protection practices
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as this was one of the main goals kept in mind when building the city
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Al-Rayyan could be considered the sportiest of the regions. This area hosts several sports clubs and even three FIFA World Cup stadiums
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And last but not least, Qatar's southernmost region is Al-Wakra. When you visit, be sure to check out Khour Al-Adeh, the inland sea
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which is a UNESCO-recognized natural reserve and probably one of the coolest natural phenomena you will ever see
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This is Sea Line, where all of these dunes are our playground. And big cars like this help us enjoy what is known as dune bashing
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And when you here in Cilai you can rent a quad bike yourself or an ATV to have a go
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at the dunes. You'll also be able to experience what falconry is and get a feel for what it
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was like to travel in the desert on the back of a camel
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Not only are all corners of Qatar completely accessible by car, this accessibility is further
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supported by a highly safe and secure environment for people to move around it. So let's start with
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the beautifully designed Qatar Rail. There are three metro lines red, green and gold. The lines
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are divided to different types of spots that you can access along them. Let's start with the red
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line which is the coastal route. Along here you can stop off at several beaches, the umbrella walkway
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of Corniche station and Katara Cultural Village. Next is the green line also known as the educational
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route. This line is where you'll find the Qatar National Library and the Mall of Qatar
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And finally, the gold line. It's the historical route. This is where you'll find Suhwagif
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the National Museum, and Sports City. Qatar Rail is very affordable, and there are two pricing
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options. You can either choose the standard class, or if you want to travel in style
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you can use the gold club. The gold club gives you access to nicer carriages, but both the card
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and the journey will cost you a little bit more, but you're doing it in style
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It also comes with complimentary shuttle service, MetroLink, which connects you to landmarks
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within a five kilometer radius of the selected metro stations. There are also many touring companies like Discover Qatar
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that can take you around the most renowned spots in the country
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I'm Hamad Al-Amari. it's been a pleasure to talk to you about my country and hopefully I'll get to see you soon
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here in Doha. Hey guys, David here. Just want to mention that what you just watched is only a part
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of the full Qatar travel guide. It's available on brighttrip.com absolutely for free, so do go check
