Top Sports

Qatar attracts the biggest sporting events in the world, not least the World Cup 2022, the Asian (football) Cup, and the Asian Games, to name but three. Visitors have the opportunity to stay and watch some of the world’s most exciting sports events in football, tennis, golf, sailing, power-boating, cycling, motor racing, desert trekking, and many more. In Qatar, there are also opportunities for nearly every sport that visitors can experience and enjoy during their stay. Qatar offers it all - from bowling to cycling, dune-bashing to sand skiing, football and rugby to falconry, golf to ice-skating, horse racing to camel racing, horse riding to driving a jetski, motorsports to water sports, tennis to swimming, snooker to boating on anything from sailboats to traditional dhows to luxury yachts. Then you can kayak, dive, or water-ski in the beautifully clear and clean blue waters off Qatar’s shores.

Finally, Qatar offers superb world-class health and leisure facilities in 5-star luxury spas, gyms, fitness centers, and athletic stadiums – so visit Qatar to feel great.

Home To Sports

Sport has always played an important role in the lives of Qatar’s residents and most of Qatar’s sporting venues are open to the public to encourage residents to adopt a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise. Fast becoming one of the world’s leading places to enjoy sports, Qatar has invested US$2.8 billion in infrastructure over the last several years to support athletic competition.

Qatar is also home to the Qatar Sports City - ASPIRE Zone, a world-class complex for athletics, entertainment, recreation and wellness, where even the English football team has trained. Qatar has a well-deserved reputation in horse and camel racing. Known globally for the high quality of its stunning Arabian thoroughbreds, the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club carries on this long and distinguished tradition with a commitment to the pure breeding of Arabian horses and the enjoyment and challenge of horse racing. Camel racing, historically known as the ‘sport of sheiks’, continues today in the small town of Al Shahaniya, where Qatar’s main camel racetrack is located. Here, visitors are enticed with a rare opportunity to witness one of the more novel competitive events in the region.

Qataris are tremendous sports enthusiasts: the Qatari National League (football) is one of the best in the Middle East, and Qataris enjoy many spectator sports—from the PGA European Tour Qatar Masters to the ATP Qatar Open (tennis) to racing of all kinds, including motorcycle, auto, powerboat, horse and camel. With numerous state-of-the-art facilities plus varied and striking topography, Qatar is a perfect place to engage in physical activity. Kilometers of beautiful coastlines make watersports such as sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, diving, and water skiing a pleasure. For those looking for a different kind of adventure, the desert offers the opportunity to get out in the dunes to sand ski or sand board. Golfers can challenge their game on the championship courses at the Doha Golf Club or the Mesaieed Golf Club. Those interested in racquet sports and other forms of exercise can find what they seek at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex, which boasts 17 courts, a swimming pool, and a gymnasium. Although no longer a primary source of employment, pearl diving is still practiced by amateurs, as pearl oysters remain available in abundance off Qatar’s shores.

ASPIRE – a Sports Paradise

ASPIRE Zone is a 240-hectare property that houses an international standard sports stadium, medical facilities, education services sports academy, mosque, sports club, retail areas, and parklands. Located approximately 8km from Doha’s Central Business District, the complex was designed for the 2006 Asian Games. ASPIRE is also an academy for sports excellence, to discover and develop sports talents, transforming athletes into world-renowned champions. Trainees benefit from the latest knowledge and technologies with state-of-the-art facilities, and renowned specialists in a dedicated Aspetar Health Center for athletes.

- See more at: www.qatartourism.gov.qa/en-us/thingstodo/activities/sport.aspx#sthash.OViSGTPN.dpuf