The Pearl
An island raised from the Gulf off northern Doha, its canals lined with coloured façades, yachts moored below the towers of Porto Arabia, and the crescent hotels of Lusail just across the water.
- Arrival
- Hamad International · DOH
- To the island
- About 26 minutes from Hamad by car
- Private jets
- Qatar Executive at Doha International
- Best time
- November to April
The city
Four square kilometres won from the sea.
The Pearl was unveiled in 2004 and built on reclaimed land, adding some 32 kilometres of shoreline to the capital; it was the first ground in Qatar that foreigners could own outright. Its quarters each keep their own style: Porto Arabia with its marina and promenade, Qanat Quartier with canals and a copy of the Rialto Bridge, Gewan Island with its Crystal Walk. Two hotels sit on islets of their own.
Across the channel, the Katara Towers rise over the Lusail marina, and Katara’s amphitheatre and beach are about seven minutes away by car. Visit between November and April, when highs run from 22 to 32 °C; by June the thermometer passes 40.
Arriving
Land at the old airport, cross to the island.
Hamad International is about thirty kilometres away, some twenty-six minutes by car. Business jets use the old airport, Doha International.
- Dubai 50 min
- Muscat 1 h 15
- Cairo 3 h 00
- Lagos 7 h 25 long-range jet
- Lisbon 7 h 50 long-range jet
When to go
November to April.
Desert heat tempered by the Gulf. Between November and April the afternoons range from 22 to 32 °C, with almost no rain. Summer is another matter: above 38 °C by day from May, and water at 34 °C in August.
- 22° J 13 20°
- 23° F 17 19°
- 26° M 16 21°
- 32° A 9 24°
- 38° M 4 28°
- 40° J 0 30°
- 41° J 0 32°
- 40° A 0 34°
- 38° S 0 33°
- 35° O 1 31°
- 29° N 3 27°
- 24° D 11 23°
What to see and do
Days in and around The Pearl.
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Landmark
Qanat Quartier
Canals, pastel façades and a replica of Venice’s Rialto Bridge, where the island’s first residents moved in in 2012.
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Landmark
Porto Arabia
The marina quarter, crossed by golf carts and boat taxis, with yachts moored below the towers.
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Landmark
Katara Cultural Village
A marble amphitheatre for 5,000, an opera house and a beach some 1.5 kilometres long, between The Pearl and West Bay.
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Culture
Museum of Islamic Art
Islamic art from the 7th to the 20th centuries fills Ieoh Ming Pei's 2008 building on the Corniche, reinstalled before reopening in October 2022.
Official site -
Culture
National Museum of Qatar
Opened in March 2019, Jean Nouvel's building of interlocking discs takes its form from the desert rose and encloses the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.
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Culture
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
More than 9,000 works by Arab artists from the 1840s to today make up the collection of this Education City museum, founded in 2010.
Official site -
Golf
Doha Golf Club
Its 18 hole championship course of 7,374 yards, opened in 1997 and a former Qatar Masters venue, lies a short drive from The Pearl beside a floodlit academy course.
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On the water
Al Thakira Mangroves
Guided kayak and paddleboard tours wind through the mangrove channels near Al Khor, where herons and flamingos feed in the shallows.
Official site -
Wildlife
Al Shaqab
Purebred Arabian horses are bred, trained and shown at this Qatar Foundation equestrian centre, whose guided tours include time close to the horses.
Official site
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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27–29 Nov 2026
Formula 1
Qatar Grand Prix
Round 23 of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, held at Lusail International Circuit.
Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, about 17 km away
In 4 weeks
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28–30 Jan 2027
Art
Art Basel Qatar
Doha edition of the Art Basel modern and contemporary art fair.
Msheireb Downtown Doha, Doha, about 10 km away
In 3 months
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31 Jan – 3 Feb 2027
Technology & AI
Web Summit Qatar
Annual technology conference in Doha run by Web Summit with Qatari government partners.
Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, Doha, about 6 km away
In 3 months
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3–5 Dec 2027
Formula 1
Qatar Grand Prix
Round 23 of the 24-round 2027 Formula 1 World Championship, held at Lusail International Circuit with a Sprint race.
Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, about 17 km away
In 13 months
Where to stay
On the island, and along the shore beside it.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
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Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl Apartments of one to three bedrooms above what Qatar’s tourism board calls the city’s longest private beach, with a spa built around pearl treatments.
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Raffles Doha In one of the two 211-metre Katara Towers on the Lusail Marina promenade, opened for the 2022 World Cup.
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The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort Each of its thirty-two villas has a pool of its own, beside the cultural quarter of Katara.
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Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl An islet given over to one hotel, with its own beach and a balcony or terrace for every room.
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Fairmont Doha Twin to Raffles in the Katara Towers, forty floors above the Lusail marina.
- The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl An all-suite hotel, each suite with a balcony over the sea, on an islet joined to Porto Arabia by a narrow bridge.
- Hilton Doha The Pearl Studios and suites at the entrance to the island, a few steps from Gewan Island, with a private beach.
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Rosewood Doha Rising over the Lusail Marina promenade, with shell-shaped interiors, nods to the dhow, and two MICHELIN Keys.
Where to dine
Three stars nearby, and the island’s own tables.
MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026: starred restaurants first, then restaurants in the selection.
- Alba One Michelin star Italian $$$$ Raffles Doha, Katara Towers, Lusail
- Jamavar One Michelin star Indian $$$$ Al Corniche Street, West Bay
- IDAM by Alain Ducasse One Michelin star French contemporary $$$$ Museum of Islamic Art, Corniche
- Em Sherif MICHELIN Guide Lebanese $$$$ Al Maha Island, Lusail
- Loris MICHELIN Guide Lebanese $$$ 125 Porto Arabia Drive, The Pearl
- Kai’s Songbird MICHELIN Guide Chinese $$$ Corinthia Yacht Club, The Pearl
- Chicago Rare MICHELIN Guide Steakhouse $$$ The Pearl
- Koo Madame MICHELIN Guide Chinese $$$ Rosewood Doha, Lusail
Elsewhere in Qatar
More reasons to come.
Flying to The Pearl?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.