Overview: The barren peninsula of Qatar extends into the Persian Gulf,
bordered on the landward end by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates. Its area may be very small, but the independent emirate
is exceedingly wealthy, with one of the highest per capita incomes
in the world, thanks to its oil and gas resources. For most of the 20th century Qatar was a British protectorate,
gaining independence in 1971, after which it became embroiled in
territorial disputes with its neighbours and suffered civil strife,
with the Emir being ousted by his son in a coup. In 1989 the country started issuing tourist visas, heralding a
new era of opening its doors to visitors. Tourism, despite the
establishment of glitzy hotels, has still to take off in a big way,
hampered as it is by the risky security situation in the Middle
East. The perception still is that Qatar labours under a high
threat of indiscriminate terrorist attacks against western
visitors. However, with the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to
Qatar, the country is in the process of overhauling these
perceptions, as it prepares to invigorate its tourist
infrastructure and begin to welcome foreign visitors on a mass
scale. Whether visiting Qatar for business or pleasure, most travellers
use the capital Doha as their base. Formerly a quaint and busy
pearl fishing village, Doha is today one of the most important
cities, and a major trading centre, in the Middle East. It has a
large British and American expatriate population (the Al Udeid air
base was headquarters for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003), which
has moulded the city into an interesting blend of eastern and
western culture and architecture. Tourists tend to spend their time on the Doha Corniche, a
palm-fringed public promenade that extends for four miles (7km)
along the seafront, lined with five and six-star resort hotels,
restaurants, shops, beaches and recreational areas. A short boat
ride from the Corniche is Palm Tree Island, a great escape full of
fun family amenities and a first-cl
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