From next November 20 to December 18, the State of Qatar will achieve something long desired: to be the center of almost all eyes. Those four weeks of 2022 will culminate an aspiration he agreed to almost 12 years ago. It was then that FIFA or the International Football Federation granted the country, then led by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, the rights to organize an absolute men’s World Cup.
During the World Cup, the authorities of this country of 2.5 million inhabitants (of which only 10% are Qataris), somewhat larger than Gambia and slightly smaller than the Falkland Islands or Malvinas, expect to receive more than a million visitors related to the 64 games that will be played in eight stadiums.
This will be the floating and self-sufficient hotels that Qatar builds for the 2022 World Cup
Qatar hotel.
In addition to aspiring to organize a World Cup in which everything goes well, the country’s authorities, now led by a 42-year-old sheikh, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, also want to leave a good image for those who, taking advantage of the time between matches, want to know this territory in the middle of the Persian Gulf that until 1971 was a protectorate of the United Kingdom. The Magazine was there a few weeks ago and these are our eight recommendations.
City of Qatar.
To understand the country
It is curious to learn about the recent history of the state by visiting the Msheireb Museums: Bin Jelmood House, Mohammad Bin Jassim House, The Company House and The Radwani House. Those are the names of four different houses that form an integral part of an interpretation center. Inside, the representation of life in the country a few decades ago and the explanation of who is who and what was done for the development and modernization of Qatar, a fishing village that in a few decades and thanks to oil and gas, It ended up becoming a country with an increasingly important weight in the Arab and international world.
Msheireb Museums, Bin Jelmood House.
Qatar and Arabic culture
The Katara Cultural Village is where almost all cultural events in this country are held: concerts, theaters, temporary exhibitions and fairs. Katara has an open-air theater, two mosques, large gardens, several art galleries, archives, and training centers. However, the great art museum of the country’s capital is the Islamic Art Museum, on the corniche or seafront, with the skyline of the skyscraper area as a background. 
Qatar Cultural Village.
Msheireb, a perfect ‘smart city’
It is such a perfect and impeccable area that it looks like a movie set where, at any moment, they are going to start shooting. It is the center of Msheireb, which is also known as the smart city of Qatar as it has been designed with all the means and infrastructures that cities will incorporate throughout this century, paying special attention to cutting-edge technology, including a public transport that runs silently and continuously. 
Msheireb, city of Qatar.
The souks
Even knowing the close relationship of the Arab world with falconry, a walk through the souk of the falcons surprises: there is an extraordinary culture and passion around these birds, which is also a huge business for local merchants. In addition to that, there is a hospital dedicated exclusively to falcons. Two blocks from the bird hospital you can also visit and enjoy the classic souk: Souq Waqif. This acts as a traditional market in Qatar and is one of the oldest in the country. 
Souq Waqif, Qatar.
Contemporary souks
The country of the 2022 World Cup is known as a shopper’s paradise. The main commercial center of the country is the Doha Festival City, with hundreds of international brands, entertainment in the form of movie theaters, dozens of restaurants and some local whims like a track and a mountain of snow that contrast with the outside temperatures, which are always warm. , when not really hot, which is why the World Cup is held exceptionally outside of summer.
Another magnet for lovers of searching and buying is The Pearl, an artificial residential island, with moorings at the foot of tall buildings, single-family houses and a notable gastronomic-commercial offer, including huge luxury car and boat dealerships. A third notable shopping area is Villagio. 
The Pearl, Qatar.
Books and architecture
The Qatar National Library, opened in 2012, is perhaps one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world. Much of the blame lies with its designer, the Dutch Rem Koolhaas, author of constructions on three continents and who was commissioned to erect a building in a university area to preserve the written heritage and culture of the Arabian Gulf. 
The Qatar National Library.
Sand, dunes and sea
When you spend more than two or three days in Doha, something absolutely normal if the trip is not a rest between two long connecting flights, one of the most typical excursions and at the same time very exotic for Europeans, is the visit to the inland sea , about 60 kilometers from the capital. These waters, also known as the Khor Al Adaid Inland Sea, are a high-value nature reserve. On the other hand, also outside the city and that can be added to the stay as a day trip, the walled coastal city of Al Zubarah can be considered, one of the centers of trade and sale of pearls at the end of the 18th century and early nineteenth. 
Khor Al Adaid Inland Sea, Qatar.
Underground Railroad and Airport
Until recently, to travel around this country it was inevitable to take a car or bus. Since 2019 it is possible to travel part of it in its brand new metro, one of the prides of Qataris. The Doha Underground Railway is one of the most advanced mass transit systems in the world. It already has three lines, 76 kilometers and 37 stations, several of them interchange.
