19 Interesting Qatar Facts: the Arabian Peninsula Gem

Qatar is one of the smallest yet mightiest countries in the Persian Gulf. Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, and also from its society and history to its multicultural population and geography, Qatar is one of the most fascinating countries on earth. Several facts about this Arabian country will definitely amaze you. 

So, in this article, we will now discuss some interesting facts about this country, known as Qatar.

1. Hamad International Airport is the world’s third-best airport

The main airport of Qatar, called the Hamad International Airport, is famous as the third-best airport in the world. Also, it is the best airport in the entire Middle East. This well-known airport is located in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and serves as the first impression of Qatar for numerous tourists visiting Qatar.

The airport is famous for making journeys smoother and providing loads of entertainment. It even has the longest runway in Western Asia, which is ranked as the 6^th longest in the globe.

2. Qatar is the world’s safest country

One interesting fact about Qatar is that in 2020, it was tanked as the safest nation in the world for the third time. Previously, this accolade was offered to this country in 2017 and 2019. Thus, many tourists and visitors are attracted to Qatar. 

3. Qatar Airways is the best airline

Qatar Airways, the country’s national airline, has been named the best airline on the planet for three consecutive years. It operates both international flights to all seven continents and domestic flights.

In addition, it is the only airline that can take passengers to countries on all continents. At one point, Qatar Airlines had the world’s longest scheduled flight between Doha and Auckland. It took more than 16 hours to complete.

4. Machboos is this country’s national dish

Another fun fact about this country is that the national dish of this country is known as Machboos. It is an incredibly delicious and popular dish amongst both tourists and locals. Many restaurants around Qatar serve Machboos, so tourists always wish to try this at least once.

This delicious dish is made of meat, rice, tomatoes, and onions mixed with spices and will definitely leave you wanting more.

5. There are no forests here

Almost all of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is a desert landscape with few greenery and forests. Most of the green landscapes and trees are human-made.

Also, Qatar is one of the world’s only four territories where there are no forests. Though they have some greenery, you will never see a forest here. 

6. In Qatar, the sea meets the desert

Qatar is one of the places where the sea meets the desert. While the long sand dunes in the country are an excellent sight to behold, Khor Al-Adaid is a different story.

The entire area was announced as a natural reserve in the year 2007 and is also famous as the Inland Sea. Also, this region has a thriving ecology, with some endangered marine species and even grazing camels around. Khor Al-Adaid has different archaeological and different cultural sites.

7. Qatar is the world’s second-flattest country

Qatar is famous as the second flattest country in the globe, behind only the Maldives. This country has an average elevation of about 91.9 feet, with the highest elevation being almost 338 feet.

Thus, you won’t see any rolling cliffs or hills while visiting Qatar. Instead, you will have to depend on skyscrapers to offer you a sense of the region’s grandeur. This country is full of flat expanses, which are very enjoyable.

8. A giant teddy bear lives at the airport

When you arrive in Doha, you will see a giant teddy bear in the main terminal building of the Hamid International Airport. This teddy bear has a lamp on its head and even sits in the middle of this airport.

This huge artwork has been reported to cost about $6.8 million and has a weight of almost 20 tonnes, catching many travelers’ eyes.

9. Qatar’s national animal is the Arabian Oryx

The national animal of Qatar is the Arabian Oryx. Various reserves and zoos saved This unique animal from extinction in the 1970s. It is an antelope with a long straight horn and a tasseled tail. 

10. Qatar was the first country that makes purple shellfish dye

Another interesting fact about Qatar is that this country is famous for being the first nation to make purple dye out of shellfish. This honor is credited to the inhabitants of Al Khor Island.

This island is one of Qatar’s most popular and beautiful tourist destinations. There have been discoveries of several items from the second millennium BC, and the island is known as the Purple Island because of the production of dye that happens here.

11. Qatar’s flag is unique

You will see their unique flag no matter where you go in Qatar. This flag is not only nice to look at but also holds great significance.

The nine serrated edges represent the inclusion of this country as the ninth member of the reconciled Emirates under a treaty. This treaty was signed in 1916 with the British.

The color maroon is called Pantone 1955 C or Qatar maroon, which represents the purple dye industry in Al Khor Island.

12. It has the world’s longest-drilled oil well

Most of the nations in the UAE believe in having oil wells, as that is how they make their money. Qatar is no different, and this country has the longest-drilled oil well in the world.

This famous oil well is known as BD-04-A and has a total length of almost 40,320 ft MDRT. This oil well is located in the offshore oil field of Al-Shaheen off the coast of Qatar. Also, this oil well holds a Guinness World Record, confirming its place as the longest in the world.

13. This country has very cheap gas

Qatar is one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and most of its wealth comes from natural gas and petroleum. The exports of these two vital things account for almost 60 percent of their GDP, and because of this, Qatar can enjoy many perks as well.

One of the most important perks is the cheap petrol. People of this country enjoy very low prices on their petrol and don’t have to invest a lot of money to fill up their tanks. 

14. Only 12 percent population of this country are Qataris

Another interesting fact about this nation is that many people move to this country to enjoy the great weather, the tax-free salaries, and the laidback lifestyle.

This country is so popular with ex-pats that almost two million of them live there. This figure shows that Qataris themselves have turned out to be the minority. Only about 12 percent of the total population are Qataris. Thus, this country has become a melting pot for various traditions and cultures.

15. Here, the weekend falls on Fridays and Saturdays

Throughout a lot of parts of the Western world, there are mainly two days for the weekend and five working days. Saturday and Sunday are the two days that most of us think about the weekends; however, in this country, the weekends fall on Fridays and Saturdays.

In Islam, Friday is a blessed day; hence, many countries in the UAE, including Qatar, don’t work on Fridays. The workweek in this country starts on Sunday and goes up to Thursday.

16. The national day of Qatar wasn’t always celebrated on the same day

The national day of Qatar is celebrated on 18 December, a day of fantastic fireworks displays and top deals worldwide. However, an interesting fact about this country is that this national day wasn’t always celebrated in December. 

Before 2007, this national day was celebrated on 3^rd September. This was the day when Qatar gained independence in 1971 from the British. However, in December 18, Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani succeeded his father as the ruler and unified the local tribes in 1878.

17. The name of this country dates back to 50 AD

Another interesting fact about this country lies in the name of Qatar. In the mid-first century, Pliny the Elder, the Roman written, called the inhabitants of this region “Catharrei.”

Since then, this name has gone through many iterations, and up until the 18^th century, the name Catara was used until Katara turned out to be the more common spelling.

After some more variations, the name of this country officially became Qatar.

18. Qataris are obsessed with falcons

Another interesting fact about Qatar is that Qataris like to hunt falcons and even keep them as pets. Also, there is a dedicated market in Qatar called the Falcon Souq where people can purchase not only falcons but also different kinds of hunting materials, such as leather gauntlets, hoods, and hunting pouches. 

In Qatar, falconry is deemed a vital sport, and many Qataris actively participate in this sport in their spare time. 

19. Here the ruling family has been in power since 1868

The ruling family of Qatar had remained the same since 1868 when Mohammed Bin Thani signed a treaty with the British. The royal family of Qatar is famous as the House of Thani, and it is the most powerful family in this country. It has a high amount of economic and political influence.

Also, the people of Qatar are loyal to their rulers and have enjoyed a prosperous life under them.

So, these are some amazing facts about Qatar. This country has a rich history, culture, amazing cuisine, attractive skyscrapers, and many more.

At the end of this article, we have come to know 19 really interesting facts about Qatar. These facts offer us a clear picture of this unique country of the United Arab Emirates. To get some additional amazing facts, you can see our website.