Doha Named Arab Tourism Capital for 2023
By: Arab America Contributing Writer / Carrie Stewart
The Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism had its 25th session on Tuesday 12/13 and they named Doha (the city that hosted the world cup and the capital of Qatar) as the Arab Tourism capital for 2023.
“HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League Salem Mubarak Al Shafi, who chaired Qatar’s delegation to the meeting said,” “The State of Qatar proves its potentials for good organization, management and hospitality, he said, stressing that billions of people who watched the World Cup worldwide closely saw the tolerance, good treatment and hospitality, of the country’s leadership, government and people with hundreds of thousands of World Cup fans. This contributed to refuting the allegations and lies promoted by some parties with special agendas, that Qatar is unable to organize the World Cup, His Excellency added. His Excellency affirmed that the State of Qatar’s successful World Cup hosting is a success for all Arabs, adding that naming Doha as Arab Tourism Capital for 2023 bolsters this success, and represents an appreciation for the country’s tremendous efforts to reach this widely acknowledged prestigious position.”
He also “emphasized the tolerance, good treatment, and hospitality of the country’s leadership, government, and people, adding that Qatar has proven its potential for good organization, management, and hospitality after receiving hundreds of thousands of football fans during the World Cup tournament.”
“This helped to refute the charges and lies peddled by some parties with specific agendas that Qatar is incapable to conduct the World Cup,” he said, in reference to allegations by Western media against Qatar.
Doha’s designation as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2023 strengthens this success and shows appreciation for the nation’s enormous efforts to achieve this widely regarded prestigious position, he added.”
Travel to Qatar has been drastically increasing in past years. In fact, it’s up by about a third from before the pandemic. Something interesting is that non-GCC tourists made up 66% of the visitors in October this year.
Doha as a City
Doha is on the Persian golf and most of Qatar’s population lives there. It’s on the come up as a financial center in the Middle East. The city is about the size of Connecticut.
There are a variety of things to do in the city such as shopping at markets, walking along the waterfront, visiting mosques and museums, beaches, ice rinks, villages, malls, and much more!
One special thing in Doha is the Pearl. According to travel awaits, “One of the Middle East’s largest real-estate developments, The Pearl-Qatar is situated on an artificial island in Doha’s West Bay Lagoon district. Its name refers to Qatar’s past as a pearl exporter; the area rests on a former pearl-diving hot spot.
With a mix of residential and commercial properties, the Pearl is very pedestrian-friendly and boasts an extensive system of canals. Publicly accessible spaces like squares and plazas make it an ideal gathering area.”
If you are looking to travel in 2023, you should certainly check out Doha as a potential option!
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