Qatar, a small nation in the Middle Eastern region whose capital is perhaps more popular than the country itself, is a popular destination among tourists. Qatar is also home to the wealthiest of all population, an individual’s spending power easily the double of even the most developed country. Being a country where money speaks louder than almost anything else, Qatar is quite welcoming towards immigrants and is, in fact, the only country in the world where the immigrant population exceeds the local population.
However, this leniency of the locals towards immigrants come at the price of free speech. Criticising the emirate is punishable by the constitution itself, and you are not supposed to publicly observe any religion other than Islam. When it comes to women and attire, the Qatari are rather open minded towards tourists, but still expect you to pay due respect and dress appropriately. As most of the attractions in Qatar are man-made and have been designed with comfort at the forefront of the mind, you would not feel restricted by your attire in any way.
One thing that will hit you when you visit Qatar, especially Doha, is that each and every structure is imposing and seems to be trying to outshine the other. Be it a hotel in Doha, or a shopping mall, there is always something truly unique about each structure. In fact, a simple glance at a renowned hotel like Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara would aptly illustrate this point of Qataris wanting to be in the limelight. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though, as it allows for the visitors to experience things that were not even dreamt of. This need for the Qatari to be above and beyond other nations have led to the creation of some of the most stunning pieces of architecture. If luxury living is your forte, you would feel right at home at Qatar.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.