A land where visitors come pouring in to enjoy the generous Arabian hospitality and fine beaches, Qatar is a country that promises a little more than just a perfect holiday experience. Travelers making a trip to Qatar are often treated with not few but many attractions like shopping malls, museums, hotels, historical landmarks, and so much more.
But here's a thing, even if you're a traveler teeing in for a holiday in Qatar, there are certain facts that you may find interesting about this country. From its wealth and people to the upcoming events and a lot more, here are the top facts worth noting about Qatar.
Facts Worth Noting About Qatar
Have a look at the facts that not just the travelers but even the natives find interesting about Qatar.
1. First Country in the Middle East To Host Major FIFA Event
That's right, Qatar will officially be the first-ever country in the Middle-East to host the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022. An event which is already making headlines around all the controversies and preparations, this will, in fact, be the first time ever when the FIFA World Cup will be played in winters as opposed to its usual summer slot of June and July. The decision to host the event during winters has been taken owing to the summer temperatures in Qatar that are, by no means, favorable for players and visitors alike.
Besides, the country is spending a whopping $200 billion USD which itself is a telling fact considering that this will make the 2022 World Cup the most expensive world cup ever.
2. Different Weekends
Well, maybe you're residing in a country where Saturday and Sunday is a weekend, right? Well, not in Qatar. The country follows Islamic law, according to which Fridays and Saturdays is their weekend instead of Saturdays and Sundays.
The reason? Perhaps, it's simple to understand. Friday is the day to offer prayers according to Islamic law and this is the time when all malls and stores in the country are closed and open only after the Friday afternoon prayer is done. Hence, the country follows a system of Fridays and Saturdays as weekends.
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3. Men Outnumber Women
Another fact that visitors would certainly find to be evident on their travels in Qatar is the ratio of men to women. A country that holds a population of about 2.5 million, it is staggering to see that only about 700,000 of the total population are women.
The reason? Well, it's simple to understand. The population in Qatar consists of immigrants from other countries who came here with the promise of a job and a good lifestyle. Most of them are males, and thus, the ratio. In fact, Qatar today has Hindus as the third-largest religious group in the country which speaks volumes about how the country has welcomed migrants from countries like India and Nepal.
4. Qatar Holds Large Swathes of London
Something that every Londoner would be surprised to hear, Qatar does, in fact, hold more than £40bn of investments in the United Kingdom. The country owns about 95% stake of The Shard, while its investment ranges from Harrods and Chelsea Barracks to the Olympic Village, and a stake in Canary Wharf.
Interestingly though, Qatar is not done here. The country is, indeed, planning more investment in the coming three to five years with an emphasis on property and an investment of £5bn.
5. Qatar Is The Safest Country In The World
Thinking of your next trip to Qatar? Well, this is one fact that would certainly excite you. The country is, in fact, officially the safest in the world. According to a survey conducted recently, the country stands first when it comes to crime index while defeating the likes of Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia in the process.
Not only this, but the country is perfectly immune to natural disasters as disasters like an earthquake or tsunami are a thing of a rarity here. In fact, many scientists believe that there is a mere 0.1% chance of an earthquake occurring in Qatar. Good enough for your safe holiday destination, isn't it?
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6. Not A Country For Hikers
Hiking is something that visitors often love to do on their travels. For some, it is what defines a holiday. However, if you're planning your travels in Qatar, well, hiking isn't an option here. Literally being one of the flattest countries in the world, the average elevation in Qatar is a mere 28 meters which are surely not enough for hikers, right?
Hence, if you're expecting to see hills and cliffs for your hiking purposes in Qatar, well, all you're going to get is the country's skyscrapers.
7. Not A Forest In Qatar
Now here's a thing, are you someone who likes to explore the forest areas or love being close to the greenery of forests? Well, you are set to be disappointed on your travels in Qatar.
A country that joins the company of other countries like Oman, Greenland, and San Marino, Qatar is only the fourth nation in the world where there is not a single forest in the whole country. So, for travelers thinking about camping in the forest on their tour, well, Qatar is not the country for you.
8. Airport
The Hamad International Airport in Qatar is literally one of the highlights of this country. Thanks to this airport, Qatar is one of the largest transit gateways for overseas travelers in the world today.
What's more? Well, it is the ninth-largest airport in the world today and has over 100 outlets for varied shopping and restaurant services. In fact, Hamad International Airport also has the largest catering facility in the world.
Besides, as the FIFA World Cup 2022 edges closer, the Hamad International Airport is set to join hands with Qatar Airways to create a new record of bringing a whopping 1300 flights into the country in a single day. The decision has been taken in order to allow visitors to book a flight to Qatar without any rushes as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is set to receive a staggering 1.2-1.5 million visitors.
9. Robot Camel Races
One of those facts about Qatar that are certain to fascinate you, the camel ride in Qatar isn't the same anymore. Earlier, the country used kids as camel jockeys during the race, and this practice continued for a fair bit of time.
However, in 2004, it was adjudged that it was too dangerous for kids to be camel jockeys during the race, and hence the country started using robot camel jockeys for the race. Children were replaced by robots and became a sensation around the world.
Considering that the camel race is perhaps the favorite sport of Qatar and visitors love to watch it on their travels in Qatar, this enhancement was welcomed by the people and has become an active part of the camel race in Qatar.
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10. Cheap Petrol
Any visitor coming on a trip to Qatar would be happy about the fact that the cost of petrol in this country is amongst the lowest in the world. Thanks to the oil and gas reserves that the country has which have largely contributed to the rising GDP of the country, petrol prices in this country aren’t a headache for anyone.
Travelers can rent a car and explore the country without paying much for petrol which is a big plus.
11. The Natives Are City Folks
There's a big reason why travelers love exploring Doha on their trip to Qatar. The country's natives are all city folks as nearly 99% of the population in this nation lives in Doha itself.
As for the other cities, the population is considerably less when compared to Doha and consists of largely desert areas. Whereas in Doha, travelers can find the finest hotels, malls, amazing skyscrapers, highways, and just about everything you expect from a developing city.
How to Reach Qatar?
Reaching Qatar isn't a big hassle no matter where you're traveling from. Being one of the most centrally located countries in the world today, Qatar has direct cheap flights from just about every corner of the world.
Although there are no waterways for tourists or railways networks in order to reach the country, traveling by air or by road are the two options that travelers can certainly consider today.
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Travel by Air-
Travelers can book a flight to the Hamad International Airport in Qatar and take a taxi from the airport to reach their desired location in the country. There are many airlines that run flights to Qatar and offer flight tickets at economical prices.
Notably, so, even a flight from the UK to Qatar doesn't cost much which can certainly work in a traveler's favor considering there's a world cup in the country in two years.
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A country that offers a lot more than just a usual holiday experience, Qatar has a lot of interesting things and facts about it that blow travelers' minds. From its men to women ratio and weekend days to its crime index, there's a lot that defines this country and keeps the visitors interested. So, if you're a traveler longing for an escape to this gem of the country, well, make sure you keep the above-mentioned facts in mind as you explore the majestic land of Qatar.
FAQs
One thing that makes Qatar unique is its HDI. The country has been classified by the UN for having extremely high human development. In fact, Qatar has the third-highest HDI amongst all Arab nations.
Yes, Qatar is recognized as a first world country alongside other nations like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela, etc.
Much against the popular belief, Qatar isn't as expensive to live in as compared to other countries considering there are no unnecessary taxes imposed on people by the government.
Qatar's oil and gas reserved have a huge role to play in the growing GDP of the country. Today, Qatar is the biggest exporter of liquid gas in the world which largely contributes to the growing wealth of the country.
Qatar has a wide range of attractions that tourists can explore while on their travels. The country is home to some fine beaches, hotels, shopping malls, historical sites, museums, and so much more.
