Western Asia

Qatar Travel Podcast with Maryam Al Thani

Hosted by Maryam Al Thani — a new episode every day from Qatar.

This podcast is a resident’s account of travelling in Qatar over time. The country is a flat, barren desert peninsula in the Persian Gulf, so journeys between places are often about exposure, distance and the changing light. Most people live around Doha on the eastern coast, which shapes the routes available.

The host moves through Doha, Ar-Rayyan, Al Zubarah and the inland dunes around Khor Al Adaid. Ar-Rayyan is a large city immediately west of the capital; Al Zubarah is a ruined fort town on the north-west coast; Khor Al Adaid is a tidal inlet where the desert meets the sea. Each place offers a different way into the peninsula’s history and terrain.

The show unfolds across seasons: mild winters for walking and camping, then humid summers that slow everything down. Places are revisited at different times of year, so a dune field or a corniche changes meaning as the weather shifts. Over time, the repetition builds a fuller picture of Qatar than a short visit could.

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The basics

Qatar at a glance

Capital

Doha

Population 2025

2,972,215

Area

11,586 sq km

Languages

Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

Time zone

UTC+3

Currency

Qatari rials (QAR)

GDP per capita 2025

$72,525

Life expectancy 2024

82.5 years

Urban population 2025

99.4%

Inflation 2024

1.3%

Internet users 2024

98.1%

Government

Absolute monarchy

Country file

Qatar in depth

Reference data on the country — geography, people, history, economy and transport.

Geography and climate

Location

Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Terrain

Mostly flat and barren desert

Climate

Arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Elevation

Highest point: Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Mean elevation: 28 m

Area

Total: 11,586 sq km
Land: 11,586 sq km
Water: 0 sq km

Size comparison

Almost twice the size of Delaware; slightly smaller than Connecticut

Coastline

563 km

Land borders

Total: 87 km
Border countries: Saudi Arabia 87 km

Natural resources

Petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use

Agricultural land: 6.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 93.4% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Haze, dust storms, sandstorms common

Note

The peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

People and society

Population

Total: 2,568,426 (2025 est.)
Male: 1,970,605
Female: 597,821

Nationality

Noun: Qatari(s)
Adjective: Qatari

Ethnic groups

Non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015 est.)

Languages

Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

Religions

Muslim 65.2%, Christian 13.7%, Hindu 15.9%, Buddhist 3.8%, folk religion <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)

Median age

Total: 34.4 years (2025 est.)
Male: 35.7 years
Female: 28.1 years

Life expectancy

Total population: 80.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 78.2 years
Female: 82.4 years

Urbanisation

Urban population: 99.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.66% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula

Largest cities

798,000 Ar-Rayyan, 658,000 DOHA (capital) (2023)

Background and government

Background

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo from some other regional countries, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of hosting international sporting events. Qatar became the first country in the Arab world to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022.

Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (the "Quartet") cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.

Government

Absolute monarchy

Capital

Doha

Time zone

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Dawlat Qatar

Independence

3 September 1971 (from the UK)

National day

National Day, 18 December (1878), anniversary of Al Thani family accession to the throne; Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

Economy and cost of living

Overview

High-income, oil-and-gas-based Middle Eastern economy; implementing “National Vision 2030” government strategy for economic development, diversification, and favorable business conditions to boost investment and employment; expansion of LNG sector expected to boost growth; Islamic finance leader

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $110,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $116,200 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $114,700 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1.3% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024: 0.2% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 0.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 0.2% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency: Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 3.64 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 3.64 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 3.64 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 3.64 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 3.64 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair

Agriculture

Dates, chicken, tomatoes, camel milk, vegetables, cucumbers/gherkins, pumpkins/squash, eggs, sheep milk, eggplants (2023)

Transport and connectivity

Airports

8 (2025)

Ports

Total ports: 6 (2024)
Large: 0
Medium: 1
Small: 2
Very small: 3
Ports with oil terminals: 5
Key ports: Al Rayyan Terminal, Al Shaheen Terminal, Doha, Jazirat Halul, Ras Laffan, Umm Said