Doha: A City Gallery of Souqs & Skyscrapers

“Only 3% here are Qatari. They all live in palaces and don’t work.” This came from my Pakistani tour driver on my last day in Doha. “What a life,” me and a lame-joking Swiss tourist said while driving to Zekreeb in the east of Qatar.

It reminded me of asking a hotel receptionist earlier that week if she was from Qatar, to which her colleague instantly replied: “She would not be working if she was.” I didn’t think much of it then, but now it connected.

In seven days in Doha I talked to people from all over the world: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Thailand, Ukraine, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Myanmar… the list goes on. Did I even speak to one Qatari I thought? Later Google told me it’s about 16% local population, still tiny. Maybe that’s why I felt oddly connected. No one really belonged here. Everyone felt like a tourist in a way.

During that ride, partly to distract myself from the Swiss man’s terrible jokes (the poor driver had to force-laugh every time), I reflected on my week.

Souq Waqif: The Authentic Heart

You know that first-day feeling where nothing clicks yet? That was me. Maybe because I arrived very late the night before. I felt a bit lost. High towers in the desert, and I felt a bit empty in the West Bay district of Doha. So I hopped on the city tour bus and got out at Souq Waqif.

I’m not into overly touristic places and I do not like markets. But as always, exceptions exist. Souq Waqif was one of them. Old, already a souq two centuries ago, warm lighting, Qatari architecture, squares mixed with narrow lanes that felt like old Arabia. It settled me that first night and the city started to open up. But first fake Venice……

The Pearl: A “Fake Venice” in the Desert

I’ve never been to the real Venice, but I’ve been to many fake ones and Doha has the biggest recreation I’ve seen so far.

Qanat Quartier on the artificial Pearl Island: canals, balconies, bridges, all of it. Inside Villaggio Mall they recreated Venice again, this time indoors and on a grand scale. I still don’t know who keeps asking for Venice outside Venice, but it’s not me…..🤣

Next to Qanat Quartier I visited something more interesting: Crystal Walk, the largest outdoor air-conditioned shopping mall in the world. Ten tons of crystal keeping it cool at 21–23 degrees all year round. Who even builds that?

Pearl Island itself felt like Sentosa in Singapore, forced, over-commercial, not my thing.

The colourful Mina District and Cultural City were nicer but still felt a bit made. Doha had things I liked and things I didn’t. But the parts I liked stayed with me longer.

Doha Architecture: A Real-Life City Gallery

Doha has many impressive architectural feats. Driving in a taxi feels like moving through a city-gallery. Modern buildings mixed with Arabian elements, and because they all stand freestanding on their own plots, the designs really show themselves.

Standouts: Lusail Plaza Towers, Lusail Stadium, the Fairmont, the Mondrian, the museums, the national library. Compared to Dubai (where I’d go later), Doha proved that “new” doesn’t have to feel inauthentic if it’s done with taste.

I visited two museums too. The National Museum was fantastic from the outside (less so inside), designed by a French architect inspired by a desert rose.
The Islamic Art Museum was designed by IM Pei, a Chinese-American who lived until 102. Another beautiful freestanding building.

Msheireb Downtown Doha

If I was a city planner and needed to design a neighbourhood from scratch but still wanted warmth, charm and authenticity, I’d do it like Msheireb.

It’s right next to Souq Waqif. I found it unexpectedly while walking there on my second visit. Modern, contemporary, warm, classic, hints of Arabic tradition and not forced. It felt real. I stayed my last days in the Park Hyatt here and loved it.

It made me think: we all love old neighbourhoods like Paris, Amsterdam or Shanghai’s Bund. But why can’t new places feel charming? Msheireb comes close.

Final thoughts on Doha

By the end I felt good about Doha. Safe, quiet, peaceful, pretty. Doha wasn’t exciting and didn’t hit me with big moments like cities such as Istanbul. It grew on me quietly. The weather in late October was fantastic too. Cheap taxis, great hotels, it all helps.

As we neared the end of the tour I asked the driver: “Why don’t you marry a local Qatari girl? Then you can live in a palace as well.”
“That is not possible for me,” he said. “But I will stay anyway.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I like Doha,” the Pakistani driver said.

So do I, I thought.
I’ll be back.

Next stop: Dubai.

My Doha Pocket Guide & Tips