Timeless souks and gleaming malls offer a unique shopping experience, which is both traditional and modern

Qatar offers an ever-increasing number of shopping opportunities that suit every budget and taste. Futuristic shopping malls host branded items and designer clothes at tempting prices, often much lower than those found in Europe, while traditional souks are havens for beautiful jewellery and traditional handmade crafts that offer a unique insight into the country’s rich culture, as well as traditional herbs and spices that can make unique presents.

The souks
For many visitors the traditional souk is the genuine Middle Eastern shopping experience, conjuring up images of glittering stalls laden with every conceivable item. The spirit of such shopping can still be found in Qatar, and although many new souk complexes are indistinguishable from shopping malls, the old market area still holds much of the original magic. Just remember that your bargaining power is what secures the best price.

Souk Waqif
The most traditional of the souks, Waqif first started as a weekend market for local Bedouin, selling meat, wool, milk and other staples. Today, its maze of alleyways covering a large area with separate sections selling traditional clothing, hardware, perfumes, spices, incense, camping equipment and dried fruit.

Waqif Souk is an excellent starting point to buy the traditional bukhnoq – the beautifully embroidered headdress worn by young girls. Other traditional clothing items include the abayas (black cloaks worn by women when in public places), and the bisht – the ceremonial gown worn by men on special occasions.

For colour and scent, the spice traders in the souk add a special attraction to the atmosphere. Row upon row of sacks and boxes overflowing with every conceivable herb and spice take up floor space, and traders will happily prepare a sample box of the most popular spices for visitors to take home.

The perfume traders offer a wonderful introduction to the world of Arabian scents, often mixing essential oils to create a designer scent of your own. Top brands are also for sale at knockdown prices. Visitors even have the chance to sample the different grades of oudh – scented agar wood that is burnt as a sign of hospitality, as well as the valuable frankincense. Popular gifts include bokhur – scented balls made from oudh, sandalwood, ambergris, white musk, rose oil and mystica.

Souq Waqif is the one place in central Doha, which still attracts a large Qatari clientele, who otherwise spend their Riyals at the large new shopping malls. The old souk offers certain goods not easily found in other parts of town, such as traditional clothing worn by Gulf Arabs.

Like souks throughout the Arab world, Doha’s old souk is roughly laid out by the type of merchandise offered. The spice souk, for example, contains about two dozen stalls and shops, offering every kind of spice imaginable, often displayed in open bins and large burlap bags, filling the air with a strong, delicious aroma.

Gold Souk
A packed row of jewellery shops behind Al Ahmed Street make up the Gold Souk, which sells both locally crafted and imported gold jewellery. Most items are 22 carat, and all gold sold in Qatar is hallmarked to ensure genuine purity.

Visitors can try on any jewellery items, which are normally sold by weight plus a mark up for craftsmanship. As in all souks, bargaining is expected although do check the gram price in the newspaper first to ensure you start your haggling from a realistic starting point. The Gold Souk is also an excellent place to hunt for good-value gems and silverware.

Many of the other souks to be found in Qatar are of the more modern variety and are excellent places to find a vast range of essential day-to-day items such as travel luggage, tools, electrical items, kitchenware, clothes and shoes. Most popular are Souk Ahmed, which has fountains and greenery and makes browsing a pleasure, and Souk Faleh. Both venues offer a multitude of shops selling household items at bargain prices and there are also a number of tailor shops as well as general clothes shops.

Other souks worth visiting are the Souk Nasser bin Saif, Souk Asiery, Doha Souk, Souk Al Deira, and Souk Al Jabor. All sell a wide variety of items and fabrics, although Souk Al Deira is the place for more designer, heavy lace and beaded fabrics. Prices are clearly higher for such exclusive pieces, but still a lot less than in other countries. Above all, if that sought-after gift cannot be found, simply ask any trader and they will not hesitate to point in the right direction and even lead to the correct stall.

Landmark Shopping Mall
One of the most popular centres for shopping experiences has to be the Landmark in Doha. Opened four years ago, its success has already given rise to two expansion plans: the first completed in October 2002, and the second in August 2003. From this, the range of outlets has jumped by 40 percent and offers an even better selection for the discerning shopper.

Landmark was a concerted and successful project to bring elegant ‘high-street’ shopping to the city, where the whole family can find something enjoyable. Landmark is home to Circus Land – an indoor family fun park – and a new cinema complex.

The Landmark has been designed to live up to its grand name, and is a majestic and imposing shopping and entertainment complex with easy access. The mall has marketed itself as far more than just a shopping mall. It is also a destination in itself where visitors can have a snack or a full meal at any of the first-class restaurants, or enjoy a freshly brewed coffee at the inviting cafés. Multinational retail outlets, including M&S, BHS, Monsoon and Mango, plus Qatar’s first Starbucks Café, the familiar Opera Café, a large food court, a multiplex cinema and a vast range of video games.

The Landmark is frequently the host site for a variety of art exhibitions, public information and awareness campaigns and numerous special activities. The venue has also evolved into a leisure-time destination and meeting place as well as a favourite shopping venue.

Doha City Center
The City Center, located in the West Bay area and made up of five levels offering 350 outlets, is the largest shopping mall in the Middle East. The complex contains Carrefour, the giant hypermarket chain, two ice-skating rinks, a 14-screen multiplex cinema, 10 cafés and restaurants, two huge food courts, and a water park.

There is also a unique 6,500 square-metre entertainment centre, two 10-pin bowling centres and even two ‘rock climbing’ walls. The mall also offers exhibition space, conference facilities, a ballroom and function hall. Ladies can enjoy the exclusive use of one of the ice rinks and a 10-pin bowling centre, as well as a superlative spa and beauty facility.

Situated in a prime location in the heart of Doha, the mall is easily accessible, and, for its many visitors, City Center is rapidly earning the reputation of being a city within a city, with an estimated 50,000 visitors per weekday and approximately double that on weekends and public holidays.

The venue is also rapidly developing a reputation as a great place to eat due to the two generous food courts that each seat up to 650 diners, not to mention the other restaurants and cafés throughout the mall. Many international chains have a presence in City Center, including KFC, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, Nando’s, Fauchon, Colosseum and Burger King.

Doha City Center is unique in also offering facilities for conferences and exhibitions in a 15,000-square-metre purpose-built site on the exhibition level that incorporates all the latest audiovisual technology for any successful presentation. Moreover, facilities are still being added, including the addition of an international hotel, two office towers and four luxurious residential towers.

The Mall
One of the most popular locations in Doha for shopping, browsing and gathering is The Mall, an American-style complex, located on the D Ring Road, towards the airport, houses several shops and boutiques, a large supermarket, a superb new cinema, a food court, and children’s supervised play area. The layout comprises four broad avenues, designed in ‘boulevard’ style, making strolling around pleasurable and comfortable, in a climate-controlled environment.

In addition to providing a wealth and variety of shopping at prices to suit every budget, The Mall organises surprise activities every month, taking advantage of its spacious central courtyards to mount exhibitions, hold special promotions and stage a variety of events for all ages.

Hyatt Plaza
It is nearly impossible to miss the brand-new Hyatt Plaza shopping complex, thanks to the giant shopping cart located outside. Inside are many high-class retail outlets as well as a large supermarket. In addition, there is the children’s play area – Jungle Land. Children here are supervised, enabling parents to shop while their children play safely.