Qatar is the second flattest country in the world
You’ve probably noticed by now that the country is pretty flat, but you probably didn’t realise just how flat it is. In fact, it’s the second flattest country in the world, with its highest point lying at just 338 ft.
Only the Maldives is flatter, with a high point of six feet. It’s good news for cyclists and runners, bad news for hikers.
But if you’re looking for the rocky parts, take a day trip to the Zekreet rock formations in the north west of the country.
. But maybe not for long: Qatar is 2 meters higher than it was 400 years ago
While it might not seem like much, over the past four centuries Qatar has slowly been rising due to geological uplift.
3. Hamad International Airport is the second-best airport in the world
Here in Qatar, we’re a pretty competitive bunch. Which is why we’re happy to be home to the second-best airport in the world, according to the AirHelp Awards. Oh, and it’s also among the ten busiest airports in the world.
If you’ve travelled through HIA, you’ll know why it’s so highly rated, from the fantastic public art to the smooth journeys. It’s also home to the longest runway in western Asia, at 15,912 ft, and sixth longest in the world.
Check out the award-winning garden oasis at HIA the next time you’re travelling. (Credit: Hamad International Airport). 4. The inhabitants of Al Khor Island were the first to produce purple shellfish dye
Al Khor Island is one of the most stunning spots to visit in Qatar, thanks to its huge mangrove forest that you can kayak around.
But have you ever wondered why everyone called this Purple Island?
Archaeologists have uncovered items dating back to the second millennium BC, and the area was the first in the world to produce purple shellfish dye, which is why it’s also known as Purple Island.
5. Qatar Airways has been named the best airline in the world
Qatar Airways is also one of a select few airlines that flies to all seven continents, and at one point, it had the longest regularly scheduled flight in the world between Doha and Auckland, at 16 hours and 30 minutes.
6. Khor Al Adaid is one of the only places in the world where the sea meets desert
The sand dunes of the desert are always breath-taking, but Khor Al Adaid, or more well-known as the Inland Sea, is extra special. This area was declared a nature reserve in 2007, and is one of the few places in the world where the sea meets the desert.
Al Zubarah Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, needs to be on your must-visit list (Credit: Shutterstock)It is one of the country’s best preserved example of an 18th to 19th century pearl merchant town, located about 80km northwest of Doha.
8. Qatar has a coastline of 563 kilometres
Qatar is a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on most of its sides, giving it a long coastline with a length of 563 km. You can’t have a running list of facts about Qatar without mentioning its gorgeous coastline.
And by 2030, 7 kilometres of pristine shoreline on Qatar’s eastern coast will be transformed into the ultimate destination with a theme park, new hotels, a luxury golf course and more.
9. Doha previously held a world record for longest continuous cycle path in the world
Olympic Cycling Track near Al Khor Road The Olympic Cycling Track in Doha held a Guinness World Record for being the longest continuous cycle path in the world, which is 33 kilometres long. Created by Ashghal, the public works authority in Qatar, the track was completed in 2020. It runs through 18 underpasses to ensure uninterrupted movement.
The track also holds the record for the longest piece of asphalt concrete laid continuously, with a length of 25.3 kilometres.
Al Qudra lane in Dubai has since surpassed the previous world record by a whopping 80.6km. Hey, Doha did hold onto it for a while, though.
Facts about Qatar: Humans and animals
10. Qatar is among the safest country in the world
That’s pretty safe, anyway you look at it.
11. Men outnumber women by three to one
According to the census from December 2023, men outnumber women in Doha by about three to one, with just 827,023 women in a population of 2,605,405. That’s 3,150 males per 1,000 females.
12. Just 15 percent of the country is Qatari
Qatar is undoubtedly an attractive country to expats, who come here for the hotter weather, laidback lifestyle and, of course, the tax-free salaries.
The pull of Qatar is so great that there are now more than two million expats living in the country, which means that Qataris are in the minority, at around 15 percent of the population, according to Visit Qatar.
13. The Arabian Oryx is Qatar’s national animal
This majestic animal, which was saved from extinction in the 1970s by zoos and reserves, is the national animal of Qatar. You might have spotted the oryx on the Qatar Airways logo, or, if you’re a sports fan, you might recall that an oryx named Orry (very original) was the mascot for the 2006 Asian games in Doha.
Now, you can still see Orry at the Doha corniche, that’s definitely one to add to your fun things to visit in Qatar list.
14. Robots are used for camel racing in Qatar
Yes, you read that correctly. If you don’t already know, camel racing is hugely popular in Qatar, with races taking place at Al Shahaniya Camel Racing Track between October and February every year.
Originally, children would be used as jockeys for the camels, but robots have been used instead since 2004 for health and safety reasons. The robots are controlled remotely by the camel herders who often drive alongside the track.
15. Qatar held the largest padel championship in the world
Credit: Supplied Sports lovers can’t miss one of the country’s fastest-growing favourites, padel.
On September 17, 2022, Qatar got the Guinness world-record for the largest Padel Championship, featuring 778 players. The week-long event spanned three categories: men, women, and juniors.
Facts about Qatar: History of Qatar
16. The name Qatar dates back to 50AD
Roman writer Pliny the Elder referred to the inhabitants of what is now Qatar as ‘Catharrei’ back in the mid-first century, and the name has gone through several iterations since then.
Catara was then used until the 18th century, when Katara became the more common spelling, and several variations, including Katr, Kattar, and Guttur, were also commonly used until Qatar was officially adopted as the country’s name.
17. From pearl diving to oil
Pearl diving was a mainstay of the Qatari economy for thousands of years, and is celebrated as a key part of the country’s culture. That all changed in the 1920s, when Japan began exporting cultured pearls, and the market was flooded.
Qatar, like many countries in the Gulf region, pivoted to oil, drilling its first well in 1939, and exporting crude oil as early as 1949. More fields were discovered in 1960, and again in 1970. Oil is now a huge part of the economy, and Qatar is even home to the longest drilled oil well in the world, at 40,320 ft.
18. Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world
Looking around at the glitzy skyscrapers and unbelievably ambitious projects like The Pearl-Qatar and Lusail, it should come as no surprise to you that Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world.
According to the International Monetary Fund’s 2020 estimates, Qatar’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is a whopping $138,910, putting it well ahead of Luxembourg’s $112,045 in second place. Also unsurprisingly, much of this wealth comes from petroleum and natural gas, which account for more than 60 percent of GDP.
19. Qatar’s flag has an interesting origin story
The flag of Qatar is all over the city, but have you ever stopped to wonder what it means? Well, we’re here to educate you. First off, the nine serrated edges are meant to signify Qatar’s inclusion as the ninth member of the ‘reconciled Emirates’ of the Persian Gulf during a treaty with the British in 1916.
The colour, which is defined as Pantone 1955 C, or Qatar maroon, is a nod to the country’s role in the purple dye industry on Al Khor Island. The flag is also totally unique, as it is the only flag in the world that has a width more than twice the size of its height.
That will probably push us over 25 fun facts, but we did say it had an interesting history.
20. Qatar’s ruling family has been in power since 1868
The House of Thani has ruled Qatar since 1868, following the end of the Qatari-Bahraini war. The current Emir is Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who has reigned over the country since 2013.
21. Qatar’s first school was opened in 1949, and its first hospital in 1947
While there had been centres for education way before the 20th century, the first formal school in Doha was established in 1949 by the name Islah al-Mohammadiyeh. It was staffed by one teacher and 50 students, but rapidly expanded.
The American Mission opened the first hospital in Qatar in 1947, but the first governmental hospital – Al Rumailah – opened in 1957 and still operates today. It has been extensively renovated since its inception, but retains its status as Doha’s oldest remaining hospital.
22. Qatar’s first hotel was built around 1950s
Credit: Souq Waqif
The Sheraton is often remembered as one of Doha’s earliest hotels, built in 1982. But one of the most interesting facts about Qatar is that the first real hotel in Souq Waqif and Qatar is the Bismillah Hotel, dating back to the 1950s.
Since then, it has been beautifully remodelled with top facilities. And the best part? You can still stay there. How cool would it be to say you’ve spent the night in the country’s very first hotel?
23. Qatar first discovered oil in 1940
If you don’t know many facts about Qatar, one of the first you’ll hear is that it’s home to one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves. These were first discovered in 1971 with the exploration of the North Field.
But before that, oil was discovered at the Dukhan field, now one of the country’s largest onshore oil and gas sites, located 80km west of Doha. The very first shipment of oil left Dukhan from the Mesaieed port terminal on 31 December 1949.
Random facts about Qatar to impress your friends
24. The FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar marks plenty of historical firsts
FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024. (Credit: Visit Qatar).
The World Cup was historic for a number of reasons, with Qatar becoming the smallest country and first Arab country ever to host the tournament.
The final was the most-watched in FIFA World Cup history, with viewing figures reaching 1.5 billion, up from the 1.12 billion who watched the 2018 showpiece. It will also be the first to be held during winter, and the first carbon-neutral World Cup, with an 800MW solar energy plant built to power the tournament, and all excess emissions offset with other projects.
Yes, it was a big deal.
25. Burj Doha has a unique design
This building is one of the most iconic structures in West Bay, and was even named the best tall building in the world in 2012. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the 46-storey tower has a number of unique features you might not have noticed.
First off, the building has no central core, and became the first skyscraper to use internal reinforced concrete diagrid columns, which blend in with the building’s façade.
The façade itself, alongside being beautiful and a reference to the ancient Islamic design Mashrabiya, protects the building from the sun, and varies in density around the building depending on where the sun hits it. That’s all pretty amazing, but we’re mainly fans of the building at night, when it lights up.
26. The Doha Metro is Guinness world-record breaking
Hopping on board the Doha Metro is a great way to get around the city for less, but did you know the project is actually world-record breaking? During construction, it was awarded a world record for the largest number of tunnel boring machines operating simultaneously in a single project. Try saying that five times fast.
27. Qatar National Day wasn’t always on December 18
If you’ve been in Qatar for a while, you’ll know just how big a deal National Day is, with top deals and firework shows aplenty across the country. December 18 is celebrated as it marks the day Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, who managed to unify the local tribes in Qatar, succeeded his father as ruler back in 1878.
But prior to 2007, National Day was actually celebrated on September 3 — the anniversary of Qatar’s independence from the British in 1971.
28. Machboos is Qatar’s national dish
If there’s one dish you have to try during a visit to Qatar, it’s undoubtedly machboos. The dish, made of rice, meat, onions and tomatoes, mixed with spices, is the national dish of Qatar. Most importantly, it’s incredibly delicious.
29. At Al Wukair Scrapyard, you’ll find 20,000 dust-covered vehicles stranded in the desert
Incase you hadn’t noticed, cars are kind of a big deal in Doha. So much so, that there are plans to build a Qatar Auto Museum along the 5/6 Expressway.
And if you head to Al Wukair Scrapyard, you’ll find more than 20,000 abandoned vehicles, in various states of decay. Some have been mined for spare parts, while others are intact, and waiting to be collected by their owners. You can find the scrapyard on Google Maps by clicking here.
30. Meryal Waterpark has two Guinness world record attractions
If you’re flying over Lusail, one unusual yet unmissable landmark is the Rig 1938.
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