Doha is the capital of Qatar. A vibrant, multi-cultural, cosmopolitan and sophisticated city lined with futuristic skyscrapers and incredible structures designed by world-renowned architects like I.M. Pei, Jean Nouvel, and Zaha Hadid. The attributes that describe the city best are: City of Diverse Cultures, Modern Arts, Travel hub among many others.
Citizens of more than 90 countries can receive a free visa on arrival at Doha Airport. See Details
By plane
Doha International Airport (IATA: DOH) (ICAO: OTDB) is becoming increasingly important in the Persian Gulf Region. Local carrier Qatar Airways is building a worldwide network from there and already connects the city with destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Indian Sub-continent, North America and South America.
Moreover, other carriers that connect Qatar with the rest of the world are: British Airways, KLM, Air Canada, Alitalia, Pegasus among others.
See full list in https://dohahamadairport.com/airlines/airline-directory
Weather
The best time to visit the city is from December to March when the weather isn't too hot during the day. Temperatures at this time of year are usually around 25°C (75°F) during the day and between 10-15°C (50-60°F) during the night. It can drop below 10°C (50°F) sometimes but any recording below 5°C (42°F) is extremely rare. The record low is 3.8°C (38.8°F). 75 millimetres of rainfall in Doha on average annually and 95% of it is concentrated in months.
Electricity and Voltage
The voltage used is 220-240AC, 50 hertz. The plug sockets tend to be 3-pronged pins more often than not, but adaptors are easily available to buy.
Currency
The local currency is the Qatari Riyal (QAR). The current exchange rate against the US dollar is USD 1 = QAR 3.64 approx. Money changing services can be found at many shopping centres and hotels around the island, and the ATMs accept most main credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Qatar is a truly diverse country with less than 12% of the population being Qatari. The rest are made up of over 100 different nationalities. The official language of Qatar is Arabic, but English is prevalent in use as a second language and is well spoken and understood nationwide.
Qatar is an education hub, with a high literacy rate and high enrollment of females in the education sector in the region. The small country homes 8 national and 18 international universities, including CMU-Q, Texas A&M, Weill Cornell Medical School, Qatar University, Hamad Bin Khalifa University among others. The education city also houses three national research institutes: Qatar Computing Research Institute, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, and Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute.
Qatar founded Aljazeera, one of the world's largest news organizations. It provides in-depth news coverage of issues considered to be of great importance to the international Arab population, coveraging through 80 bureaus on a variety of media platforms in several languages, including Arabic and English.
Taxis
Taxis can be hired for short distances and trips beyond the city (for a surcharge). Karwa Taxi is operated by the state-run Mowasalat transport company. Besides having the biggest fleet of cars, it’s the only taxi brand licensed to operate at Hamad International Airport. Other available services are the app-based Uber and Careem taxis. Doha taxi fares are metered with a minimum tariff of 10 riyals, followed by 1.6 riyals per km during the day or 1.9 riyals per kilometre for trips at night. You can find taxis at roadside taxi ranks and almost every hotel and shopping mall. If you're not using a taxi app, call Karwa toll-free at 800-TAXI (8294) or at +974 4458 8888 (extra charge of 4 riyals levied).
Metro
Doha Metro is one of the newest forms of public transport available in Qatar. The Metro’s plan comprises 4 lines (Red, Green, Gold and Blue) covering around 300 km and 100 stations. All passengers need to buy a travel card to use the Doha Metro. There are 3 types available: Limited Use is a paper card (around 2 riyals) for a single journey. The Standard Travel Card is a reusable plastic card (around 10 riyals) and does not allow travel on the Gold Line, while the Gold Travel Card is a reusable card (around 100 riyals) that allows access to the Gold Club sections of the metro.
Tram
The tram routes operates in West Bay and Lusail. The Lusail Tram will cover 4 lines with 25 ground-level and underground stations in total. It will be the main transport hub for Lusail City, located around 23 km north of Doha (nearby location to the venue).
Bus
The Mowasalat transport service runs a modern and air-conditioned public bus around Doha and across Qatar, including several routes from Hamad International Airport. Fares start from 3 riyals for trips within Doha and from 4 riyals for trips outside the capital. Bus services usually run every day from 4am to 11pm. Passengers must first buy a Karwa smartcard, which is available at airport vending machines, Doha Bus Station, the Pearl Qatar, and dozens of merchant outlets. Bus smartcard options include a refillable Classic Card (30 riyals), a Limited Card for up to 2 journeys within 24 hours of purchase (10 riyals), and an Unlimited Card for unlimited trips within 24 hours of purchase (20 riyals). Those who board without bringing their smartcard will be charged 10 riyals.
Car Hire
Car hire is a relatively affordable transport option in Qatar. Several operators can be found at the international airport in Doha, or you could arrange for a car by calling ahead or making an online reservation. Car rental service is available from international brands like Hertz and AVIS, as well as local rental operators. When renting a car in Qatar, foreign drivers need to show their passport and carry either an international driving licence or a licence issued from a GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) country.
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