Global Wanderer

28/3/24

I’m not one to pass up an opportunity to visit a new city, and Doha was no different. I’d originally intended to fly directly from Lahore to Baghdad with FlyBaghdad, however U.S. sanctions had been placed on the airline, and their flights had been cancelled. My alternative was a trip with Qatar via Doha, which left me with an 8 hour layover in the capital – plenty of time to see some of the city!

Lahore Airport was probably my first taste of genuine, militarised security (something I would become much more familiar with in Iraq). On the way to the airport, my car was stopped, searched, and I had my passport checked. Once I had arrived at the airport, I was asked for physical proof of a flight ticket – something I don’t think I’ve had to do in a long time – and went through a rigorous security scan, where all of the belongings in my bag were pulled out and searched, and my camera and lenses seriously inspected and bomb-swabbed. Thankfully, I’d arrived at the airport well in advance of my flight!

Secondary security, after passport control, was less rigorous than at the airport’s entrance, but was still more thorough than most other airports I’ve been through. As I was being patted down, the guard nearby looked through my visa at the religion status (you must declare a religion when applying for a Pakistani visa, there is no option for ‘no religion’, at least when I applied!), and suggested I convert to Islam!

Empty!

Upon arrival at Doha, I diverged from the majority of passengers and headed to Qatari immigration. There was a distinct lack of people, in stark contrast to the rest of the airport, presumably because significantly more people transit through Doha than actually VISIT! Much like the transit area, the airport’s arrivals area is incredibly easy to navigate, with big signs pointing me in the direction of the Doha Metro. Unfortunately, due to Ramadan hours, I wasn’t going to be able to visit the Museum of Islamic Art, so I settled on heading to Souq Waqif, part of Doha’s historic old town.

Doha Metro – Day Pass Transit Card (unlimited travel!)

The Doha Metro is incredibly slick – brand new trains, decorated stations, and, ubiquitous in the Gulf states, high powered air-conditioning. I bought a day pass for 6 riyals ($2.50AUD), and in the process discovered an interesting quirk of the system – the Metro actually has 2 classes of carriage, a standard one, and a ‘Goldclub’ class, which costs a little more, and presumably has nicer train seats? I’m not sure who exactly polices this system, and it made me wonder exactly who ‘Goldclub’ Class is for – as most high-flyers in Qatar would likely have a driver or a car!

Interesting additional note: check out the football-shaped handrail on the train. There’s a lot of pride amongst the Qataris for hosting the 2022 World Cup!

After a quick line change, the driverless train pulled into Souq Waqif station. In a rather odd, old-meets-new fashion, the glass-walled escalators from the metro station take you right out to the entrance of Souq Waqif, which despite rebuilding and reconstruction, retains the look and feel of an old Middle Eastern market.

Given it was the middle of the day, and during Ramadan at that, it was pretty quiet around the souq. It’s quite pleasant to stroll down, though, and once you start heading into the warren-like alleyways, you spot more people buying and selling things. Shops ranged from those selling cheap clothing and souvenirs to upmarket spice shops, saffron stores, and cologne/perfume stalls. Despite being quiet, there was still an interesting mix of people, including Westerners, migrant workers, and Arabs.

Some photos from around Souq Waqif

Even though it wasn’t quite April, it was starting to get quite warm, and I was still carrying my bag with me around the city – I knew I wouldn’t last too much longer around the city without getting sunburnt either! Luckily, however, I had scored a lounge pass, and so I headed back to the airport via the metro.

Doha’s electric buses! Almost ironic, given their huge oil-based economy!

Next time I transit in Doha, I’ll try and make sure I get the chance to visit the Museum of Islamic Art! If you do have a long layover here though, I definitely think that it’s worth checking out the city!

Now on to my next stop… Baghdad!