Around Town

Museum of Islamic Art

So, what is there to do for fun in Doha?  How easy or difficult it is to make friends in Qatar?

Life is what you make of it, as the saying goes, and this motto definitely holds true around here.  Doha is not New York City or London by any stretch, you will have to try a bit harder to find things to occupy your time, but Qatar is far from the desolate sand pit many people may perceive it to be.

Qatar hosts many annual and one off events like the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, the Qatar Masters Golf Tournament, Qatar Open Tennis, Powerboat racing events, Latin American festivals, Indian Cultural festivals, food festivals, kite festivals, Formula One motor shows, charity walks, cycle races and road races…..pretty much most things that you would expect to find in any other capital city, just on a smaller scale.  For a list of what’s on, it’s always good to have a look at Time Out Doha or Qatar Living.

There are also permanent fixtures in Doha like the architecturally beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, Arab Museum of Modern Art; Mathaf, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Doha Players and Sheikh Faisal’s eclectic collection.  You can visit one of Doha many spas, beaches or forts, go on a road trip to the west coast, see the camel races or take s desert safari.  You could also take advantage of living in the region and go for a quick weekend away to the UAE or Oman, or a mini vacation to Jordan, Lebanon or Egypt.  India, parts of Asia and the Indian Ocean are also very close.

If all the hustle and bustle gets a bit too much, take a walk along the Corniche, relax in Aspire Park, see what Katara has to offer or visit the mangroves in Al Khor.  If it’s summer and the heat is on, you can find some respite in one of Doha’s many malls, perhaps even have a go at ice skating to take your mind off the soaring temps outside.

And as far as making friends goes, how easy or difficult was it to make friends where you are living now or anywhere for that matter?  The expat community in Qatar is small and by simply putting in a small amount of effort, you could be greatly rewarded.  Join a language club, attend a fitness class or take part in a recreational sports team and you’ll find yourself meeting new people all the time.  My advice is to just talk to everyone, we’re all away from home and pretty much in the same boat so we might as well make the most of it.