Other than being a constitutional monarchy with Doha as its capital and having the Qatari riyal as a currency, there are some interesting facts you may not know about Qatar.
Here are 8 things that could help you learn more about the smallest Gulf monarchy:
1 – Located in the Arabian Gulf, Qatar shares a land border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the South-West, while the rest of its territory is surrounded by the Persian Gulf.
2 – Qatar has one of the richest economies in the world, mainly due to its oil and natural gas. It has the highest per capita income with an estimate of USD 145,894.
3 – The country has the biggest ratio of immigrants in the world compared to its 2 million population. Today, Qatari nationals constitute about 13% of the population.
4 – Qatar National Day is held on December 18. Other annual national holidays are also celebrated like the Qatar National Sports Day, usually maintained on the second Tuesday of February.
5 – Since weekends fall on Friday and Saturday, most stores are usually closed on Friday mornings until the afternoon prayer.
6 – Arabic is, of course, the national language of Qatar while English is commonly used as a second language. Other languages are also widely used due to the big number of expatriates residing in the country.
7 – Qatar succeeded in becoming a globally recognized brand and will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In order to do so, it will build nine eco-friendly stadiums, some of which will host up to 72,000 spectators.
8 – It owns the Paris St-Germain football club, and in London alone Harrods, the Shard, the Chelsea Barracks site, the US embassy and the Olympic village site, among others. Qatar also co-owns Miramax Films with other investors.
