Home ⇒ Articles
By Paul Yarden | 20 DEC 2019
Qatar’s cultural attractions only add to the experiences of football fans from all around the world.
Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is a little off the beaten track but offers a fascinating diversified collection of unique and extraordinary artifacts and exhibits. It first opened in 1998 and has expanded over the years and is still adding more exhibitions.
Part of the museum is dedicated to the Sheikh’s magnificent collection of classic cars and trucks, featuring over 600 vehicles and many American originals from the 1950’s & 1960’s. They’re all immaculately kept, and many of them are loaned out for special occasions including weddings or national celebrations.
Plans are well underway to open a carpet museum soon, which will feature over 700 of the finest samples from all over the region.
The entrance fee is 45 Riyals (about $11 USD) and is a great bang for your buck.
More museum details can be found here: info@fbqmuseum.org
Shopping in Doha
The Pearl is an artificial island spanning nearly four kilometers, and the first land in Qatar to be available for freehold ownership by foreign nationals; over 12,000 people call it home. Once fully completed, The Pearl will create over 32 kilometers of new coastline for use as a residential estate with an expected 18,000 dwellings and 45,000 residents.
The island is home to many renowned luxury retail brands, restaurants & cafes and car showrooms including Maserati, Ferrari and Rolls Royce. White Flat is a very popular café where many locals visit to while away the time; the Pearl Marina is the home to super luxury yachts.
Doha has numerous shopping malls to cater for every possible taste and budget.
The Festival City Mall (Al Daayen) grew from the first IKEA store in Qatar to one of the largest shopping destinations in the country. You can easily spend a full day there, as it features many attractions for children and teenagers like Angry Bird world and snow dunes, restaurants, coffee shops and a large number of outlets, including many British brands.
The Mall of Qatar (Al-Rayyan) opened in December 2016 and is spread over 5.4 million square feet housing over 500 stores. It sets a new standard as an entertainment destination premiering the world’s first resident troupe, performance artists and custom developed live shows on a 360-degree rotating festival stage with theatrical sound, lighting and animated water features.
The nation’s mall is a jewel in Qatar’s National Vision 2030, offering visitors a wide selection of major international brands, over 100 food and beverage outlets as well as a 5-star luxury hotel.
Villaggio (Sport City) is a very interesting mall with Venice-like gondola ride in the waterway canal going through the indoor shopping area with a sky-like top which gives you the feeling of endless daylight. On the retail side, there are lots of shops from high style to casual, a huge selection of places to eat in a massive food court which has all kinds of restaurants from fine dining to fast food. The mall even features an ice-skating rink in the middle.
There’s something for everyone to do – entertainment, shopping, eating, walking or simply enjoying an ice cream.
West Bay’s City Centre Mall is very convenient for the many hotels in the immediate area, and the DECC Metro station is located nearby. It’s a huge establishment with everything under one roof, including a large Carrefour supermarket, pharmacies, hotels, taxis, cinema and an ice rink. Many new stores will be opening very soon!