Put dhow cruise in Doha, Qatar on your list

A dhow cruise in Doha, Qatar, is what a gondola ride is to Venice, Italy – a must on the visitor wish-list.

In Qatar, sailing on an ancient Arabic boat in the reflections of Doha’s swish skyscraper skyline at sunset is right up there with its desert safari, camel races and traditional market attractions.

A jaunt on a dhow at sunset or a night is one of the musts for visitors to Qatar.
A dhow cruise is a must for all visitors to Qatar.

You can enjoy this experience in style. Think private dhow, a knowledgeable guide, gentle music, a dip into the Gulf and lavish Arabic cuisine all savoured over several hours.

Or you can sightsee on the fly, (inclusive of those who are on a transit stop-over in Doha), and on the cheap.

Yes, how did you guess?

I enjoyed the spontaneous one, but will happily accept the former when, ironically, my proverbial “ship comes in”.

In the interim, here’s a beginner’s guide to dhows and enjoying a dhow trip in Qatar.

They’re everywhere, they’re everywhere

Dhows are to Doha what the ubiquitous London taxi is to the English capital. Except, of course, this form of transport is water-bound.

You will find these distinctive sailing vessels at the dhow harbour on the Corniche (beach front), near the landmark Sheraton Hotel, at Al Khor and Al Wakra. The latter two spots are outside of the city of Doha where dhows are still used daily for fishing purposes.

The old and new in the form of ancient wooden sailing craft and iconic skyscrapers respectively in Doha, Qatar.
This view of a dhow next to the dhow harbour on the Corniche is taken from the Museum of Islamic Art.
Sunset is probably the best time to enjoy a dhow trip off the Corniche in the heart of Doha.

All aboard a dhow

You can pre-book your trip or you can barter on the spot.

Innumerable companies offer a range of touristy options lasting anything from an hour to four hours. These trips can also include the likes of a city tour, a walk along the Corniche or a cruise with a barbecue or Arabic meal, along with the enriching insights of a qualified tour guide.

The decision is all yours – and that of your wallet.

For more, you can check out Qatar Tourism, Viator and Get Your Guide, among others.

Dhow know-how

There is no set cost for a spontaneous dhow cruise.

Of course, this is not the case if you are pre-booking. You will pay online upfront and then be collected from your hotel or the airport, and returned after your excursion. 

So, if you are “sailing solo”, it is best to do your homework before heading down to the Corniche.

I spoke to friends for advice. Here’s what they shared:

It’s easy.

It’s best to go at sunset.

Make sure you bargain for a good price.

Have a jacket during winter.

Do a half-day trip to the island and swim.

Let’s hire one and all go together. I am sure I can get a good price.

We always take our visitors on a dhow. For many, it’s the highlight of their trip to Qatar.

We had a church outing on a dhow and stopped off at the big island to have a picnic …

You mean, you haven’t been on a dhow cruise yet?

Armed with this knowledge and a good friend, I headed for the Corniche.

(You can walk from either of the DECC, Corniche or Souq Waqif Metro stations but it may be easier to secure an Uber or Karwa taxi to drop you off near the boats instead).

Dhow cruise costs

As a general guide, the greater the number of passengers, the more likely you are able to bring down the initial asking price.

From QAR100 each (about R550), we found a dhow team (all two of them) that was happy with QAR20 each. This boat already had at least 10 adults and as many people children on board.

However, this dhow was not headed across the water to the traditional market as we needed.

In the end, we paid QAR50 each for our 20-minute bolt across the bay from the Sheraton Hotel to Souq Waqif in the middle of the Corniche. 

There were only seven of us on board.

The costs for organised dhow cruises start at about R800 to R1600.  Or you can hire your own boat for at least QAR2435 for the day and drop anchor at Safliya Island. Such ventures are popular, for example, for introducing and welcoming new teachers to their new life in Qatar. 

On board the dhow

Today, most dhows are motorised. So, forget romantic billowing sails.

With the unguided option, there is no signage advising you of costs, departure times, length of the trip or what you can expect to do see.

Instead, think functional and fun. (We had to swop seats to avoid the diesel fumes in the stern.)

The Arabic style seating is situated around the curved sides of the boat. The middle of the boat is free for walking – and dancing.

This we learnt with the sudden introduction of beatbox music, complete with dodgy lyrics and disco lights. Two passengers leapt to their feet to boogie. The transformation from the sound of water lapping against the boat, while enjoying the sea breeze and beautiful vistas, to the loud pop tune was somewhat surreal.

But we soon discovered dhows are popular party places.

I should mention that none of these trips include alcohol since the consumption of liquor is not tolerated in the Muslim faith.

Dhows are popular with residents and visitors alike. They are great for viewing Doha's skyline.
The dhow comes with customary fairy lights, Middle Eastern-inspired décor and a wooden canopy to protect you from the sun and rain. You access the dhow via a narrow wooden gangplank.

The waters are generally calm. In fact, I have yet to see real waves in Qatar, so it’s fairly easy to move about.

This means you can change places to get those all-important photographs. 

Dancing on a dhow in Doha.

What you will see around the Corniche

A trip along the seven-kilometre, crescent-shaped Corniche by foot or car is great. But it’s even better on a boat … There is just something special about bobbing about on the water with a full panoramic view of Doha.

It’s from the Corniche that you enjoy the mini-Manhattan skyline of downtown Doha, and many other stand-out attractions.

Leaving from the wall-side quay close to the Sheraton Hotel, you will see:

The latter, the Sheraton Hotel, only opened in 1983, but it is the oldest coastal building on the mini-Manhattan skyline. I call it Beacon Isle because of its similarities to the Plettenberg Bay landmark.

The Doha Tower (left) and the Doha Tornado, with its blue lattice exterior, have both received numerous architectural awards for their modern design and innovation.
Leaving the informal harbour near the Sheraton Hotel just as Downtown Doha has put on her party clothes for the night. The building on the left is the Doha Tower, about the ninth tallest in Qatar, at 238m.
The Burj Al Mana is one of the stand-out skyscrapers on the Doha skyline.
The iconic Burj Al Mana building at 247-m tall was completed in 2023. It serves as a giant marketing screen, as shared in the photograph below.
Burj Al Mana serves as a giant billboard in lighting up the Doha sky at night.
Folk enjoy the view from the wall of the Corniche, the crescent shaped beachfront road around the bay that the dhows and other craft traverse. There are similar bays at Katara, the Pearl and Lusail each with a flavour of their own.

In fact, I have given many of the swanky skyscrapers new identities as I do not yet know their official names. There is the Red Pineapple, the Shard, the Blue Tornado, the Yellow Sail …

You can see why I still need to enjoy an official dhow cruise sightseeing tour!

It will also take you past the massive FIFA 2022 statue on Palm Island. You will also see the Doha new old port and the site of Hamad International Airport.

A 30-minute round trip is what you can expect, but of course, the more you pay, the longer your excursion can be.

Hundreds of dhows fill the dhow harbour on the 7km Corniche area.
The Museum of Islamic Art in the background is close to the main dhow harbour.

The importance of dhows

Dhows were key to maritime transport through the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea going back to the Middle Ages.
Ancient dhows have been part of Qatar’s culture. An annual festival is held at Katara in Doha.

Dhows are also to Qatar what ox wagons once were to South Africa, an ancient form of transport and part of the country’s heritage.

Back in the day, according to an article in the Khaleej Times, there were 4 500 dhows and 74 000 men in the Gulf during the peak of the pearling industry in the early 1900s.

Dhows were key to maritime transport throughout the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea going back to the Middle Ages.

Today, newer, sleaker ones are used for racing.

Dhows come in all different sizes and are a generic term for describing sailing ships with triangular shaped sails attached to the cross beam.
Dhows form part of mix at Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani’s private eclectic museum outside Doha.

Dhow is, in fact, a Swahili word. It is a generic term for describing sailing ships that have triangular shaped sails attached to the cross beam.

The ancient craft were more manoeuvrable than the square-rigged Chinese junks and Spanish and Portuguese galleons of the 16th century.

The Greeks refer to dhows on the East coast of Africa dating back as far as 600BC.  They were treasured for their manoeuvrability – being able to berth at harbour walls and small jetties.

The ancient wooden sailing vessel, the dhow, features on Qatar's one riyal note.
A dhow features on the Qatar one riyal note.

Types of dhows

Traditionally, a dhow is a one or two-masted Arab sailing vessel with lateen rigging (slanting triangular sails).

But, of course, there are variations. My Dr Google research unearthed the following:

  • A motorised dhow is called a lanj
  • A Jaliboot or Jalibut is a small craft with a two-person crew
  • A Sambuq is the largest type with one or two masts
  • A Bateel or Battil is a large dhow with distinctive bow and high sternboard

They are the most authentic style of transport in a country where everything from Bentleys to bicycles are commonplace. Check out my post on transport in Qatar.

The Katara International Dhow Festival showcases Qatar's culture and heritage, inclusive of the ancient dhows which are still popular today.
New wooden dhows cost between QAR1m to QAR4m and can take up to three years to make, like this handcrafted vessel on display at the Katara International Dhow Festival. Meranti is the most popular wood for dhows.

Katara International Dhow Festival

Boat building is still a practiced in Qatar where art, heritage and culture are richly valued.
Various crafts are displayed.

A highlight on the Qatar calendar is the Katara International Dhow Festival.

The festival usually happens in winter (November through to early December) at Katara, which is still one of our favourite places in Doha.

It’s a celebration of the country’s maritime heritage with displays, crafts, workshops and a focus on the traditional dhows over five days.

Dhows are yesteryear are still used today, but mainly for tourism and fishing purposes.
These dhows, in a photograph shared at Sheik Faisal’s Museum, were used in the pearling industry.

Please share this post

Please leave your comment below

8 Responses

  1. Thanks Debbie. Loved it. Now feel quite knowledgeable about shows! Would love to do the trip you and your friend did, but doubt I would get Ronnie to take us to Doha. BUT you never know. 😁👍

  2. Thank you so much Debbie for all the valuable information which we were not aware of inspite of staying in Qatar for more than 3 decades.

  3. Beautiful insight, thanks Debbie, you sure write and explain yourself Beautiful 😍, you should get paid for all this info, you should take all english tourists around and get paid.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *