Qatar Capital Doha Makes Leap from Sand Dunes to Skyscrapers

Ask your average American where Doha is, and you’ll likely get a blank stare. But the booming capital of Qatar, a wealthy, stable Arab emirate in the Persian Gulf, increasingly merits a place on Americans’ global travel itineraries.

The emirate’s gas- and oil-fueled prosperity is reflected in a wealth of world-class tourism, architectural and cultural attractions springing up in Doha, which has grown in population to nearly 1 million, up from just 340,000 as recently as 2004.

On the horizon where sand dunes once dominated now stand futuristic skyscrapers, many housing luxury hotel outlets from the likes of Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Starwood and Movenpick. Man-made island Pearl-Qatar, rising on 985 acres off the coast, is being promoted as “the Arabian Riviera” and is similarly endowed with luxury residences and businesses.

The new structure of most interest to visitors, however, may be the Museum of Islamic Art. Designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei around classical Islamic themes, the 376,737-square-foot museum sits in splendid isolation in Doha Bay, on yet another man-made island located just off the city’s Al-Corniche promenade.

Even Doha’s largest, most historical souk, or market, is actually new. The Souk Waqif, or Main Souk, dates back hundreds of years but was torn down and rebuilt with modern amenities on the orders of Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Souk Waqif, packed with souvenirs such as waterpipes, dates and headscarves, sits next to the Al Koot Fort, alongside seven other souks specializing in gold, falcons, secondhand goods and more.