If you’re coming to Doha, Qatar, for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, be prepared for so much more than a marvellous football feast.

As a super-rich, tiny peninsula country in the Gulf, the complexion and culture of this event is going to be very different from previous tournaments for the anticipated 1.5 million visitors.

Expect a cultural avalanche of experiences with a distinctive Arabic flavour.

If you happen to be one of these visitors, here’s a check list of what to expect and how to prepare for your time in the first Middle Eastern country to host the month-long tournament.

Kick-off is on 20 November.

(I am sharing these insights because I well remember my initial impressions of country far removed from my own in South Africa, and that of my birth in the United Kingdom).

Here’s my “C list”. It also includes links to previous blog posts to offer you additional details.

I hope it helps.

And, please feel free to subscribe to the blog (at the end) or share this post with friends.

C list for visitors

Clean

Doha, Qatar, is impeccably clean. Everything glistens. Teams of cleaners keep buildings, shopping malls and the streets clean. There are no beggars and very few infrastructure eyesores. In fact, empty lots of open desert wasteland have even been recently temporarily disguised behind branded hoarding.   

Folk don’t litter here. With fines of up to QAR25 000 (almost 6 000 pounds sterling or R124 000, or even a year in prison), you can appreciate why!  

Culture

Expect to be enveloped by a culture that is vastly different to your own (if you are from outside the Middle East). 

While the number of Qataris represents only about 12% of the 2.9 million people who live here, their arts, culture and heritage is deeply entrenched. They have intentionally invested vast amounts of energy and financial resources into public art.

By way of example, they have added another 40 public art works across Qatar since August this year.

The culture is also reflected in their governance (Qatar is ruled by the house of Thani as a semi constitutional hereditary monarchy, first-world technological systems, state-of-the-Arabic-art infrastructure and the Muslim faith of the host nation.

Qataris are recognised as hospitable people who place great value in family, friends and visitors.

They move to a different rythym here.

With as many 115 different nationalities living in Qatar, however, anticipate a multi-ethnic ambience where no two people dress or look alike.

Indeed, people of Indian descent have brought the second most number of tickets to the football matches.  

Clothing (what to wear)

You can identify nationalities living in Qatar by their dress. Each is respectful of their hosts and what is expected of them.

So, forget short, shorts, strappy tops, bikinis and the like – unless you are in the confines of an international hotel or western-styled housing compound. As long as your knees and shoulders are covered, you’re unlikely to disappoint your hosts.

The weather is still very warm, but likely to be ideal come mid-November. So short-sleeves and a light-weight top will be ideal should it get too chilly inside the air-conditioned stadiums, especially for those games starting at 10pm.

Costs

Qatar is an expensive country.

Very little, except fuel, is inexpensive. And yes, some prices have increased in the run-up to the World Cup.

We were, for example, among those who had to move from our former high-rise accommodation because of a sharp hike in rental prices.

There has been an increase in the price of alcohol at some international hotels and pubs, but not all. These venues and the specially demarcated areas for drinking before and after the games at the stadiums, are the only places where you will find alcohol.

Presently, a beer costs about QAR40 – that’s R200 or more than 9 pounds sterling!

With a small bottle of water costing a FIFA-inflated QAR10 (R45) within the stadium, I shudder to think what your favourite frosty is going to cost at the game.

To keep food costs down, use the local supermarkets, like Al Meera or Carrefour for your day-to-day catering expenses. And, if you want to eat out, head for Souq Waqif or the souq (traditional market) at Al Wakra for food from across the Arabic world and beyond. The former has a fan park area and is going to be open 24/7.

Cars (or getting around and about)

The World Cup organisers have introduced a massive transport plan to try to manage the sheer volume of traffic on the roads throughout the tournament.

This includes restricting daily movement within certain areas and at certain times of the day; special park and ride car parks have been created and dedicated bus and taxi lanes leading to and from the eight stadiums have been introduced.

The school year is ending on 18 November, to ensure there are fewer users are on the roads. Office hours have also been reduced and remote working reintroduced.

As Doha’s multi-lane highways are already busy, visitors will be encouraged to make use of the free public transport system instead. This is inclusive of a massive fleet of World Cup buses.

You also need to know that motorists, and the troublesome “Doha drifters” drive on the right-hand side of the road here. Navigating the highways and byways is not for the faint-hearted.

Hayya card holders will be able to use all public transport on the roads for free during their match days. The underground, light rail system, the Metro, was opened in 2019, especially to assist in transporting fans across the city for the games.

The latter is excellent, transporting multitudes of residents through the bowels of the earth every three minutes or so. Whether the Metro has the capacity to manage the increased numbers for the first few weeks of the tournament awaits to be seen.

Part of the transport plan also means the popular Corniche, the scenic 7km coastal route, will be closed to all traffic from 1 November.  

Corniche

The Corniche which skirts the coast and looks onto Doha’s mini-Manhattan skyline, and the adjacent areas, will be a focal point for visitors and locals alike. It will be for pedestrians only.

Apart from the view, the wonderful branding and the new public art installations, the Corniche, Souq Waqif and Al BIdda Park will all be magnets for football fans. They are among the many fan parks that will not only screen games, but host singers and other entertainment throughout the tournament.

Be sure to add them to your to-do list, along with some of the museums and other sites in Qatar.

Contrasts

Expect and embrace the contrasts.

The old and the new as found in the forgotten pearl fishing villages to the North of the country and the swanky, modern skyscrapers.

The hip and the traditional as in the Katara Cultural Village, which embraces both. The village is a recreation of a traditional village, but the many sites within, as well as the adjacent, high-end shopping street are ultra-chic and happening.

The markets and malls … bargain at Souq Waqif or break the bank at Place Vendome.

The desert and the green scene. Break away into the interior or inland sea for a desert experience, or marvel at what has been achieved within in the many parks with their green lawns and established trees within Doha.

Communication

You will be pleased to learn that WiFi is fairly ubiquitous. You’ll certainly be able to connect on the Metro and in most of the malls.

To stay on top of all that is happening … and it is hard to keep pace right now with the World Cup just days away, you might want to refer to the following platforms and sites:

@dohanews

@qatarliving

@iLQLive

@World­_Cup_Guide

@FIFAWorldCup

The Gulf Times – https://m.gulf-times.com

The Peninsula – – https://m.thepeninsulaqatar.com

@newindoha

And finally, in a country that is still undergoing rapid construction as part of its building Vision 2030 plan, you can also expect …

Cats

There are cats everywhere in Qatar!

They are mostly stray, alley cats wandering the forgotten wastelands, but you will also find felines on sale at the souq, wandering in my neighbourhood or living it up in high-rises across Doha.

If you’re an animal-lover, you’ll find the former heart-wrenching.

But methinks, it’s better to be forewarned and be ready to ship a cat or three back to wherever you’re from … or even a dog named Lucky, rescued by a friend more than two months ago.

In case it’s more than memories you wish to take home from Qatar, there are organisations and individuals happy to assist you with your cat or dog adoption.

Ask …

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but if you have any questions or concerns about coming to Qatar, I will do my best to advise or point you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me.

You can also follow me on Twitter @debbie_derry for daily insights from Doha.