Qatar has moved on from being a poor pearl fishing country to become one of the richest Gulf states, thanks to the exploitation of oil and gas fields since the 1940s.The majority of the country consists of sand dunes and salt flats. The capital city of Doha combines a rich mixture of traditional Arabic and modern architecture. The Grand Mosque with its many domes and the Abu Bakir al-Siddiq Mosque are particularly interesting. The north contains most of the historic sites, including Umm Salal Mohammed, a relatively large village dominated by the ruins of a 19th-century fort.Al Khor is the second-largest city, situated around a natural shallow harbour. On the west coast there are fine beaches at Umm Bab (‘The Palm Tree Beach’), Dukhan and Salwah near the Saudi border. The south is a region of sand dunes and beaches, offering opportunities to go pearl hunting, or to practise any of a number of watersports.

History

Qatar has a rich and vibrant history that can be traced back as far as 4000 BC. Throughout the centuries, the fishing and pearling trades have established Qatar as an important port in the Gulf. With the expansion and growth of its oil and gas industry, the port and the country maintain their international importance.

The Al-Thani family began its rule of Qatar in the 18th century and still today you can see the positive influences this family has on the growth and development of Qatar. When the present Emir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, came to power in 1995, he brought a modern and positive approach that transformed the country into an ideal host for major sporting events and international conferences, as well as a luxurious tourist destination.

Oil and gas reserves are the mainstays of Qatar's economy. With oil reserves of 13.2 billion barrels and gas reserves of 900 trillion cubic feet, Qatar has the highest per capita in the world and the second largest gas reserves in the world after Russia. The State is using the financial gains realized from these reserves to invest in various sectors, including tourism.

The people of Qatar are friendly and make visitors feel very welcome. Arabic is the official language, although English is widely used. Qatar is an Islamic state, which guides not only the religious beliefs of Qataris but also plays a large part in daily living.Beautiful mosques are located throughout the country for daily prayers, and Qataris are guided by the Muslim teachings and values. Primarily a Bedouin culture, Qatar's traditions are based on poetry and song, while amazing art is created through weaving. Using tools made from both wood and gazelle horn, weavers work with sheep, goat, and camel wool to create beautiful rugs, tents, and

The official religion of Qatar is Islam, and the vast majority of Qataris are Sunni Muslims. The country adopted Islam in the 7th century and has remained committedly devout to the faith since then.Qatar respects followers of other religions and it is expected that non-Muslims resident in Qatar should mutually respect the laws and customs of the Islam, the official religion of the country. This means adherence modest standards of dress and behaviour in public, in addition refraining from mocking or denigrating Islam in any way.

Qatar enjoys sunshine just about everyday of the year. The average temperatures during the summer range from 38°C to 42°C during the day and 18°C at night, while winter temperatures are 34°C during the day and 10°C at night. Swimming in the Arabian Gulf or in the many hotel pools, water sports, desert and city tours, shopping is a perfect location for visitors to soak up the sunshine. Once the sun sets, go star-gazing in the clear night sky, enjoy a moonlight stroll along the Corniche, or view the skyline from Doha Bay on a traditional dhow. This clean and pristine environment offers visitors ideal conditions to completely unwind and enjoy their time in Qatar.

In their daily lives, Qataris wear traditional dress. For men this means a long, white shirt, thobe, crisp and welcoming in appearance, worn over white trousers. A head covering, gutra, is secured with four black, tasseled cords which have been intricately braided.Women wear a long black flowing dress, abayah, and some women choose to wear a veil. The dresses are discretely interwoven with delicate threads and patterns, each one an individual creation.The contrast created between the men's white shirt and women's black dress is breath-taking. It symbolizes the difference between men and women, while the long shirt and dress indicates the similarities.For special events and times of tradition, Qataris don their ceremonial clothing. Decorated with elaborate embroidery in both gold and silver, this clothing has been the inspiration for many international fashion designers.

Currency:
Qatari Riyal (QAR) = 100 dirhams. Notes are in denominations of QAR500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 dirhams; however, only the 50 and 25 coins are in wide circulation.The Qatari Riyal is tied to the US Dollar.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs:
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted.

Traveller's Cheques
Widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Banking Hours
Sat-Thurs 07:30-13:30.

• Time: GMT + 3

• Electricity: 220-240 volts AC, 50Hz.

• Country Code: 974.

Custom Regulation

The following goods may be imported into Qatar without incurring customs duty:

• A reasonable amount of tobacco and perfume for personal use.

Prohibited Imports: All alcohol is prohibited. Firearms can only be imported with a licence obtained in advance from the Ministry of Defence.

Getting there by Road:
Access is possible via both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but the main international route from Saudi Arabia is unreliable and often impassable during the rainy season.

The road system is fair, but conditions are poor during the wet season. Driving is on the right.hese have black and yellow number plates, are painted orange and white, and are metered. Taxis can be hired on an hourly basis.Available from local and international companies at the airport and hotels.An International Driving Permit is required, but a temporary licence can be obtained on presentation of a valid UK licence.

Getting There by Boat
Main ports: Doha and Umm Said. The traffic is mostly commercial, but some passenger lines call at Doha..

Getting There by Air
Gulf Air (GF) and Qatar Airways (QR) are the major airlines serving Qatar.Doha (DOH) is 8km (5 miles) southeast of the city (journey time – 25 minutes). To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city with official rates displayed. Facilities: Car hire, banks, restaurant and a duty-free shop.

Nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman -- and British passport holders with right of abode in the UK do not need a visa to enter Qatar.

The big hotels in Doha arrange either tourist or business visas for their guests -- usually on the condition that you stay in the hotel for the duration of your visit, and are willing to surrender your passport to the hotel during your stay. In order to get a visa, contact the hotel with your passport details, reason for visit, arrival and departure dates and your flight information. The flight information is extremely important as the visa will be collected by you on your arrival at the airport. Normally, it takes about a week to process visa requests.

Once you have contacted the hotel, you should receive a fax or telex acknowledging receipt of your reservation and quoting your visa number.Upon arrival at Doha airport, go to the window where visa forms are distributed. Once you have the form, get into the passport control line as you would anywhere else. The Immigration Officer will complete the process for you.

A tourist visa is valid for 14 days and costs QR105. Business visas for 7 days cost QR120. If you have not already paid the visa fee, you must do so at the airport when you arrive. There is a bank next to the visa desk.Both types of visas can be easily extended for a small price. Tourist visas can be extended for an additional 14 days and business ones for another 7. The renewal is handled by the hotel or company acting as your sponsor.

Theoretically it is possible to obtain a 72-hour transit visa upon arrival at Doha Airport if you have an onward ticket. The fact is, however, that airlines are often unwilling to board a passenger who is unable to prove that he has a visa waiting for him in Doha.

Al Zubara is situated just 100 km north west of Doha lies the town of Al Zubara, an important archeological site famous for its old fort. This fort-turned-museum was constructed in 1938 during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani and was erected on the ruins of a neighbouring fort. The fort itself is square-shaped with circular towers in three of its corners and a rectangular tower in the fourth. With high, thick walls, this fort also served as a coast guard station and, until the mid-1980s, was used by the military.