Since last Sunday, Qatar has become the epicenter of the soccer world, and even of the world itself, by hosting the World Cup. A historic event for the Emirate, which will be able to offer its many assets to the world's fans. While Didier Deschamps' French team won their first match on Tuesday against Australia (4-1), they are getting ready to face Denmark this Saturday. The opportunity to take a closer look at this destination still unknown to the general public.
A destination transformed
At a time when tourism has developed and globalized, the Emirate remains to be discovered. What a privilege! Qatar is opening ever more sumptuous, yet affordable hotels for those who want to enjoy Middle Eastern idleness during the European cold weather, go shopping in gigantic malls or bask without restraint in the utmost luxury. The awarding of the World Cup to Qatar in 2010 has given a strong impetus to the development of infrastructure (stadiums, parks, hotels, airport), to which is added a cultural boom with the opening of new monumental museums, thus radically transforming the face of the capital. The visitor will be impressed by the pharaonic building sites, such as Lusail, a green and connected "smart city", just behind the artificial island of The Pearl, now almost completed. It's a pleasure to wander through the galleries of Souq Waqif, the nerve center of Doha, as well as the new eco-district of Msheireb or along the corniche where dhows are moored and head straight for the skyline of West Bay, whose towers are colored at dusk. The more curious will explore the Al Shahaniya camel track to see a camel race and visit the incredible Sheikh Faisal Museum nearby. Others will experience a Bedouin adventure in the desert dunes in the south, get lost on the wild beaches of Al Khor or visit the fortress of Al Zubarah in the north.
A desert at the gates of the capital
The real bonus of the destination is the accessible desert, as a medium-sized suburb of the capital. Less than a hundred kilometers from the buildings, we are in the heart of the giant dunes, in a landscape larger than the imagination. Delicious shift of this emirate knowing how to play several scales, from the city in VIP tempo to the escapes under the stars. In front of the waters of the "inner sea", the Little Prince in all of us wakes up and wonders. He trots on the barkhanes, looks at the constellations, gets lost (like us) in the immensity. The immensity of a playground that we will take pleasure in surveying
A story to tell
Second bonus of Qatar, what it does not show easily and that we have tried in these pages to discover. Such a young nation is still looking for the right formula to tell its story, which is why there are some reservations, some dead ends, some territories still hidden. We will start with the ramblas of Souq Waqif, we will go to Katara, then to the Museum of Islamic Art, and with this cultural appetite, we will dare to visit the "province", its rare forts, its abandoned villages, the lost petroglyphs, the excavation sites. For forty years, French archaeologists have criss-crossed the country to make its entrails speak. Because this land is something else than a collection of supermarkets and big hotels.
And the Emirate's history continues to be enriched by the juxtaposition of its many cultures. Qatar, a showcase for globalization, we are told. True, even if it prevents us from seeing the behavioral turmoil, the sourness sometimes, of many natives unprepared for this global landing. Since 85% of the population is exogenous, the tempo felt is that of the melting pot, of multiple and juxtaposed identities, of communities in their rites. Doha is constantly switching from one to the other, depending on the place and the time, the restaurant or the café. One of the challenges of the trip will be not to confuse the globarabic, Egyptian, Lebanese, Jordanian, etc., with the endemic Qatari, who is very secret.
Long live palaces and luxury boutiques!
More than anywhere else, however, the Gulf is a temple of luxury hotels, an open-air palace with multiple addresses. Thus, for a reasonable price, if you know how to make your ball-trap on the Internet, the traveler will offer himself a few nights in a palace shining with a thousand lights, like an oriental palace or ultra-design style. A way to get in the mood before window shopping in the many luxury boutiques. Chanel, Dior, YSL, Cartier, Vuitton, the most prestigious brands seem to have made an appointment in Doha, the land of choice for Gold cards! The malls compete with each other to attract customers, while the franchises of great chefs are gaining ground with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Gordon Ramsay or Alain Ducasse and the majors of the mignardise are putting down their ballotins, with Dalloyau, Fauchon, Lenôtre, Ladurée..
Qatar, stage for the 2022 Football World Cup
Didier Deschamps and Kylian Mbappé's French team has set down suitcases and balls in Qatar to defend its World Cup title won in Russia in 2018. Since November 20, the Blues have launched their tournament that they hope to extend until December 18, the day of the World Cup final. This global event, which brings the cameras from all over the world to the Emirate for a few weeks, is historic for the country. The country is offering the 32 participating nations stadiums inspired by the country's architecture, with extremely high security provisions and a large capacity - from 40,000 to 80,000 seats. All of them will be modular and can be dismantled so that they can be partly "relocated" after the end of the tournament, as Qatar plans to offer the modular components to other countries after the World Cup. And reduce the capacity of the speakers to best suit its needs. Note that for the first time in history, the World Cup is held in winter, the heat being too stifling in summer. So, before the second outing of the French team against Denmark, there is only one thing to say: go Les Bleus!
Smart info
When is it? Qatar's climate is desert-like, subtropical and arid. Between November and April, temperatures are pleasant, nights are cool and showers are light. From the end of April to the end of October, the heat is torrid and suffocating because of the humidity. In summer, the Shama, a hot and violent wind, causes sandstorms. The sea temperature varies from 20°C in January to 30°C in June. The World Cup will be held in the Emirate from November 20 to December 18, 2022
How to get there. Average price of a flight from Paris to Doha, in high and low season: around €800. You can fly direct with Qatar Airways, the local airline. The destination is also served by the Turkish airline, Pegasus, which offers flights with a stopover in Istanbul from Marseille or Lyon, but the seats are stiff (it's low cost)!
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