12 Random Facts about Qatar that Tourists ought to know

From its history and society, to its landscape and multicultural population, Qatar is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Whether you are visiting the country or are a resident, we have 12 random facts about Qatar that are worth noticing.

12 random facts about Qatar

1. Qatar is pretty flat and has the highest point at only a height 338 feet. It is higher than only Maldives that has a level of 6 feet. It’s good news for cyclists and runners but not for hikers or mountaineers. Qatar is two metres higher than it was 400 years ago. 

2. Hamad International Airport in Qatar is the best airport in the world. The Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024, has awarded the HIA the best International Airport in the World. It has the longest airport in western Asia, at 15912, and sixth longest in the world.

3.  The inhabitants of Al Khor island were the first to produce shellfish dye. Al Khor Island is one of the stunning spots in the whole of Qatar. It has a huge mangrove forest all around it. 

4. Qatar Airways, the national airline, has been given the award of best international airline carrier in the world by Skytrax Awards in 2021. Qatar Airways is one of the select airlines that flies to all the seven continents and has the longest flight operating from Doha to Auckland at 16 hours 30 minutes.

5. Khor Al Adaid is one of the only places in the world where the sea meets the desert. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Sight. 

6. It has been ranked as the safest country in the world and in 2015 & 2017, the city of Doha was given the safest city title too, while UAE ranked second.

7. According to the latest census figures of Dec 2023, men outnumber women at three to one. As per data, just 827,023 women are there in Qatar while men are at 2,605,405 meaning  3150 males per 1000 females. 

8. Just 15 percent of the population is Qatari whereas the rest are expatriates. The salary is also tax free there, drawing huge amounts of the working population from other nations.

9. The Arabian Oryx is an antelope that is Qatar’s national animal. It features in the logo of Qatar Airways too and was the mascot for the 2006 Asian games too.

10. Camel racing is hugely popular in the state of Qatar. And believe it or not, robots are used in the races. They have a racing track at Al Shahaniya Camel Racing Track and races take place between October and February. Earlier children were used in the races but due to safety reasons, robots have been used since 2004.

11. The Fifa World Cup 2022 was a historic event for the country, with the final getting viewing figures that rose to 1.5 billion. It was the first time that the world cup was held during winter and was the first carbon neutral world cup with an 800 MW solar energy plant constructed to power the whole tournament. 

12. The Doha Metro was a worldwide sensation as it broke the record for having the largest number of tunnel boring machines working simultaneously in a single project.