Museum of Islamic Art
Qatar is the fourth leg of Margo's trip to West Asia. Qatar's GDP per capita is among the highest in the world, and the main attractions are concentrated in the capital Doha. The Qatari government provides free health care, free education to high schools, and even housing and cars for its citizens. At the same time, Qatar is also one of the few countries in the world without personal income tax, so it attracts a large number of foreign people to work, according to the latest census, about 85% of Qatar's permanent resident population is foreign.
Qatar is visa-free for Chinese citizens, and biometric information (ten fingerprints and photographs) is required at the border checkpoint when entering the country. 1 The exchange rate of the Qatari riyal is close to 2 yuan, and the price is slightly lower than that of the Gulf neighbors Bahrain and Oman. The smallest banknote is 1 rial in denomination, and there are banknotes and coins in circulation, coins are only occasionally obtained when shopping at the supermarket, and the cost of taxis is not less than 1 rial. Taxis, like other Arab countries, can use Uber and careem software. There are dedicated taxi waiting points in large shopping malls. Qatar's travel is largely by taxi, and the public transport network is not well developed. Four metros are currently under construction in preparation for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Promenade
The exchange rate at Qatar airport is still acceptable, and there is no commission. Inside the grand mall and across the street from the Museum of Islamic Art, there are several foreign exchange points within a 5-10 minute walk (near the hotel where Marco was staying at the time). Margo recommended Western Union, and the exchange rate of his family is generally the exchange rate you find out on the Internet, which is very generous. A passport is required for exchange. Qatar uses English sockets, remember to carry a conversion plug.
Special attention is that when booking a hotel in Qatar with the booking website, China's credit card may be mistaken by the hotel as invalid, Marco has booked two have sent me emails to confirm repeatedly, the first was canceled; the second temporary booking was almost canceled, fortunately I was already in the hotel before the cancellation time limit! The same card, on-site card payment, no problem at all.
View the Doha skyline from the Museum of Islamic Art
Doha skyline
Doha's attractions mainly include the Museum of Islamic Art (a building designed by Master Pei, the entrance fee is 50 rials, which can be used repeatedly in three days), Mia Park (next to the Museum of Islamic Art), the promenade, the Old Market of Wajif (10 minutes walk from the Museum of Islamic Art, which is basically deserted during the day, and it is very lively at night), the National Museum (newly built for three months, the entrance fee is 50 riyals, which can be used repeatedly in three days), the Katara Cultural and Arts District, and so on. The Museum of Islamic Art is only a 5-minute walk from the hotel where Marco lived, and the museum has a large number of valuable antiques, especially Iranian treasures that have left a deep impression on Marco, because some of the treasures here have never been seen in the museum in Iran. The National Museum is more like a multimedia teaching hall, with few antique exhibits, more large-screen displays and various models, which is actually more suitable for students to visit and visit. The architecture of the Rijksmuseum is also very distinctive. Like Bahrain, many buildings in Qatar are also full of design, but in fact, many of the most creative buildings in Qatar and Bahrain can be compared with the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Whether at the Qatar Museum of Art, Mia Park or the promenade, you can see the most modern area of the city - the skyline of Doha, where the business high-rise complex is located.
National Museum
Doha street view
Doha's best shopping mall at present is considered to be Villaggio Mall, outside the mall is the famous torch-shaped hotel, if you enter through the main entrance, you can see a gondola river built in imitation of the Venetian water city, you can take a boat tour. The mall is home to a variety of shops, Carrefour hypermarkets and luxury areas, cinemas, coffee shops, restaurants, ice rinks and more. City Center Mall is now partly under renovation and partly still open. Mall of Qatar is a bit far away and didn't go.
Margo feels that Qatar and Dubai are the twin stars of the entire Arab world, two dazzling pearls. Qatar's locals and migrant workers are very friendly, and taxi drivers are also friendly, generally Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. Margo even met a driver who was a Pakistani Taliban who said he had no job at all in Pakistan and that his hometown was only 15 kilometers from the Afghan border. He said that the police here are very polite to taxi drivers, and if there is a mistake, they will correct you, unlike Pakistan... He said they Pakistanis liked the former Prime Minister, General Musharraf, but he could not return to the country; they liked Bey Bhutto, who was assassinated... Many of the foreign workers Marco met liked the country of Qatar, whether South Asians, blacks, or Filipinos. Probably influenced by the overall social atmosphere, most people appear to be polite and highly qualified.