Hotels in Qatar

Qatar is an independent emirate state on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Despite only occupying a small desert peninsula, the area of now-Qatar has been inhabited since the prehistoric times, at least 50 thousand years ago. In the early 3rd century, Qatar played a great role in the commercial activity of the Sasanids, the last kingdom of the Persian Empire. Qatar had two important commodities back then; precious pearls and purple dye. The purple dye was made out of snail shells based on the finding of three million crushed snail shells at the Al Khor Islands.

During the Sasanids reign on Qatar, many of the inhabitants in Eastern Arabia took in Christianity with the dispersal of the religion by the Mesopotamian Christians. In the latter part of the Christian era, Qatar comprised a region known as the Beth Qatraye which means House of the Qataris. Bahrain, Tarout Island, Al-Khatt and Al-Hasa were included in this region. In the year 628, Islam began to spread in Eastern Arabia, and most of the Arab tribes took the religion. With the adoption of Islam, the Arabs began the Muslim conquest of Persia, and this resulted in the fall of the Sasanian Empire.

When Qatar is finally benefitting from its commercially strategic position in the Persian Gulf, it became a centre for pearl trading. A significant development of the pearl industry occurred during the Abbasid era. Ships coming from Basra going to India and China would stop at Qatar ports during this era. These were seen with the discovery of Chinese porcelains, West African coins and some artefacts from Thailand. Abbasid era was also the time where the people of Qatar constructed higher quality homes and public buildings. There were over 100 stone-built houses, mosques and an Abbasid fort were constructed in Murwab, an archaeological site in the northwest of Qatar.

The Ottomans tried to take over Qatar, but the Bani Khalid tribe expelled them in 1670. In 1766, the Utub tribe of Al Khalifa, the ruling family of Bahrain, migrated to Zubarah in Qatar from Kuwait. When they arrived in Qatar, Bani Khalid who had been the ruler of the peninsula was weakening. Bani Utbah clans and allied Arab tribes started to invade and eventually annexed Bahrain from the Persians. The Al Khalifa imposed their authority over Bahrain and extended the jurisdiction over Qatar.

In 1825, the House of Thani was established in Qatar with Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani became the first leader in Qatar. There was still a popular sentiment of resentment against the Al Khalifa family. This was seen in 1867 when the Al Khalifa family and the ruler of Abu Dhabi sent a massive naval force to crush the Qatari rebels. This resulted in the maritime Qatari-Bahraini War of 1867-1868. The Bahraini and Abu Dhabi forces sacked and looted Doha and Al Wakrah, a town in Qatar. This was brought in the British power into Qatar. A British political agent imposed a settlement between Qatar and Bahrain. The British empire not only brought in the peace treaty but they also implicitly recognised the distinctness of Qatar from Bahrain and acknowledged the position of Mohammed bin Thani. This also meant that Qatar was under British protectorate in 1916.

In 1968, Qatar joined eight other states that were under British protection to form a federation of Arab Emirates. There were several disagreements between the rulers of the nine states on multiple issues. Qatar eventually pulled out of the federation, and it became its own independent country as a sovereign and independent state.

During the Gulf War, Qatar played a significant role with their tanks going through the streets of the towns. Qatar also provided the fire support for the Saudi Arabian National Guards against the Iraqi Army troops.

Today, Qatar is one with the significant power in the Arab world through its globally expanding media group, the Al Jazeera Media Network. Qatar has the fourth highest GDP per capita in the world. It also relies greatly on foreign labour to grow its economy. The economy of Qatar is exclusively based on the petroleum and natural gas industries.

How to Get There

By Flight

The easiest way to get to Qatar is by flying in and from Changi Airport; three flights per day fly directly to Doha International Airport in Qatar. There are at least seven other flights that fly to Qatar with connecting flights. A direct flight takes about eight hours and thirty-five minutes to complete the trip. A return flight ticket cost as low as S$2116 for the direct trip. The connecting flights have much cheaper air tickets as they are usually by low-cost airlines.

A Singaporean passport holder does not require a visa to enter and travel in Qatar. The visa waiver is applicable for either a single or multiple entries into Qatar. The visa-waiver scheme has 30 days in total to be spent in Qatar. The visitors may also apply for an extra 30 days on the scheme. The passport should have a minimum of six-month validity and presented together with a return ticket. The visa-free entre program is aimed to increase Qatar air transport and tourism.

What to Do There?

Souq Waqif

Souq is a local name of a marketplace in the Middle East, including Qatar. Souq Waqif, meaning the standing market, is a souq in Doha city of Qatar. It is one of the oldest souqs in the city, founded at least a century ago near the Wadi Musheireb dry river bed. At first, the souq was a gathering place where Bedouins and locals would trade goods, especially livestock. The souq started to decline in the 1990s with the prosperity booming, and in 2003, most of the market was destroyed in a fire. In 2006, the full restoration and conservation of the market happened, and now, it is one of the popular souqs among locals and visitors.

During the weekends, Souq Waqif is especially filled with locals, expats and tourists. The marketplace is not only a great place to shop for traditional garments, spices and handicrafts, it also has several dining options, serving great local dishes. The Souq Waqif also hosts serval art galleries, events and local concerts from time to time. Around April, there are many theatricals and musical shows hosted by the souq. All in all, Souq Waqif is a must-go place when visiting Qatar.

Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art was built on a standalone island, not far from the Dhow Harbour and city centre. Both of the island and museum are located just off the Corniche, a waterfront promenade along the Doha Bay. From the mainland, the museum looks like it is floating on the water. Inside the Museum of Islamic Art, there are great collections on calligraphy arts, Islamic patterns and jewellery together with beautiful textiles. These vast collections come from three continents over 1,400 years with some of them belonging in the 7th century to the 19th century. The collections work for the Museum of Islamic Art started since the late 1980s, including securing manuscripts, textiles and ceramics. The museum is also one of the world’s most complete collections of Islamic artefacts in the world, covering items from Spain, Egypt, India and Central Asia among others. There is no entrance fee to visit the beautiful museum. It is open from 9 AM to 7 PM every day except on Friday when it opens from 1.30 PM after the Friday prayer.

Where to Stay?

Plaza Inn Doha

Plaza Inn Doha is a hotel located in the heart of Doha. It is a great place to stay without paying an extreme price for a room. Plaza Inn is strategically located with interesting places nearby. There are four types of rooms in the hotel, starting from as low as S$ 73 a night. The rooms are spacious, comfortable with great in-room amenities. The bed is covered with premium bedding with the room is fixed with blackout drapes and turndown service. Every room has a flat-screen television, with a coffee/tea maker set, a minibar and a 24-hour room service. There is also an in-room safe for the guests. All of the private bathrooms have a separate bathtub and shower. The hotel also has great services available for their guests such as laundry service, concierge and a 24-hour receptionist. There is a health club apart from an outdoor pool and a spa.

Lavilla Palace

The Lavilla Palace is located just 800 metres away from the Doha waterfront. There are three types of room in the hotel with a rate that starts from just S$ 50 a night. Despite the inexpensive rate for a hotel room in the middle of Doha city, the Lavilla Palace does not compromise in comfort of the guests. The rooms are equipped with a comfortable bed with the basic in-room amenities such as a television with satellite channels, a minibar, and an in-room safe. There is also a writing desk and a chair for guests to do their work in the room. The Lavilla Palace provides several 24-hour services such as for the receptionist and the room service. The hotel also has a concierge service.