Surrounded by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, Qatar is a Middle Eastern emirate with an area of some 11,427 square kilometres.

It is also a country with many natural resources: the country is not only an oil-producing country (it is also a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) but it is also the third largest producer of natural gas in the world and the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. It is therefore a very rich country that has bet since the beginning of the decade on an active tourism development policy. In 2000, Qatar passed a law allowing 100% foreign investment in tourism projects. In the same year, the country also established a Qatar Tourism Authority to promote and develop the tourism industry in the country. This organization is already responsible for organizing the Qatar Summer Wonders Festival. Not surprisingly, the country has strongly focused its development on tourism infrastructure: the hotel industry currently has nearly 10,000 rooms in categories between 3 and 5 stars (there are many palaces) and forecasts indicate some 110,000 rooms over the next ten years. The reason being in particular related to the obtaining of the organization of the World Cup of football in 2020, event a priori highly improbable if we judge by the summer temperature of 50 degrees which often reigns on the emirate. In any case, this sporting event will have the merit of further strengthening the country's infrastructure: Qatar, which currently has no public transport, has committed to build trains, and even high-speed trains with Bahrain as well as hotels, and not necessarily 5 stars..: a total investment of 50 billion riyads should be allocated to the construction of these new hotel establishments over the next ten years. The icing on the cake: the emirate should also be able to boast a new international airport next year, with a capacity of 50 million passengers per year. But Qatar's ambitions do not stop there: the emirate is also working on a 4.1 million square metre artificial island project in the shape of pearls a few hundred metres from the coast. Known as the Pearl, this project, which began in July 2004, should be completed this year: with two huge marinas, Pearl will consist of 80% of the most luxurious residences and 20% of shops and will have some 35 kilometres of beaches. Qatar, a tourism country in the making, already benefits from a number of advantages. One can thus make seaside tourism there, in Al-Khor, located a little less than 60 kilometers in the north of Doha, in the island of Shara'o or in the islets of Al Shafliyeh and Shafliyah. During your stay in Qatar, and preferably during the winter period, you can also take a tour in the desert, accompanied by an experienced guide.
Qatar's main cities are also worth a visit: its capital Doha is a succession of white houses and mosques and you will enjoy its seven kilometres of coastline, sheltered from palm trees and gardens. In addition to Doha, Dukhan is also visited for its large beaches... and its derrick whose oil can be seen gushing while Al-Zubarah, located a hundred kilometers north of Doha, is visited mainly for its square fort built under the reign of Sheikh Abdullah bin Qassim al-Thani, between 1913 and 1949. Finally, the country also presents a number of particularly interesting museums: in December 2010, Qatar inaugurated in Doha the Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art, which covers 6,000 typical Middle Eastern works on an area of 55,000 m2 in an old school transformed by the French architect Jean-François Bodin. Already in November 2008, the country had a museum of Islamic art, whose works date from the 7th to the 19th century AD.

Qatari culture has its roots in Islam and follows its precepts. The country therefore prohibits the production and marketing of alcoholic beverages. The entry of these drinks is also subject to very important restrictions. During your stay in Qatar, these drinks will only be served to you in the major hotels.

Art and culture in Qatar
Qatar is famous for its crafts very marked by Bedouin culture. One can discover there but also acquire potteries, sculptures, but also paintings and drawings. Traditional jewellery is also an essential element of its culture: among the most popular pieces are the Al mirtaesha.