Travel for Food Hub The Food Blog for Travel Lovers
Last Updated on July 17, 2023
It was time for me and my family to engage in one of our most adored pastimes – shopping, after spending some days enjoying the architecture and rich cultural heritage in Doha, Qatar.
We had our Qatar Airways booking a month before the trip with a reputable travel company, which helped us save money using the coupon code. We could find a direct flight to Doha from Dubai at a low fare. Qatar Airways offers many flights connecting major cities in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
The capital city of Qatar, Doha, lies in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula in the Persian Gulf. The rapidly growing city is renowned for its distinctive fusion of classical and modern architecture, as well as a flourishing cultural and business environment.
We had a memorable shopping experience in Doha, which offers everything from well-known luxury brands to normal and authentic products at upmarket boutiques and malls and conventional souks.
Being in Doha, we can hardly miss a shopping expedition to souks selling a wide range of handicrafts, souvenirs, clothing, spices, embroidered textiles, and accessories at bargain prices. The malls in Doha are known as shopping centres selling reputed brands, food outlets, bowling alleys, and kids zones, while the promenades offer clothing, jewellery, perfumes, and more.
A shopping paradise at par with the finest in the world, Doha offers numerous shopping places. Nevertheless, we have picked up seven places to help you fulfil your shopping needs in Doha.
1. Doha Festival City
When it comes to the most sought-after shopping destination in Qatar for high-quality fashion, dining, and entertainment, it is Doha Festival City.
The mall offers a unique shopping experience for your family with more than 550 stores specialised in the latest fashions, furnishing, watches, gadgets, sports goods, and jewellery. They represent distinguished retail brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Dior Beauty Boutique, Kiehl’s, Maybelline, Louis Vuitton, and Harvey Nichols – a few prominent ones in the curated boutique listing.
Other than shopping, Doha Festival City offers top-notch entertainment for its visitors. You can have fun with your family at the Snow Dunes – an indoor snow park with an Arabian theme, Angry Birds World amusement park, Virtuocity – a gaming theme park, and the 4DX multisensory movie experience at VOX Cinemas.
Further, it also houses over 100 dining options, ranging from upscale restaurants and fine dining options to casual eateries and cafes.
2. Souq Waqif
Souq Waqif is a historic market located near the Wadi Musheireb. Despite being a popular tourist attraction in Doha, Qatar, Souq Waqif seems out of place, especially when viewed against the city’s striking modern architecture. The narrow lanes provide a picture of local street life.
You can shop for diverse traditional products like Arabic spices, clothing for men and women, Arabic perfumes, household utensils, birds, including falcons and pigeons, gold, handicrafts, and antiques at this labyrinth (standing) market. The other attractions are art galleries, shisha lounges, and lush boutique hotels.
Takeaway: Shopping here calls for walking, mingling, looking around, exploring, haggling, and sampling to experience Qatari culture. We also had a falcon perched on our arms with the help of a guide on request.
3. City Centre Doha
City Centre Doha is easily accessible because of its location in Doha’s prime business districts. We had been to this place for shopping a few times. The mall has five storeys, offering a wide range of well-known retail products and services from around the world, the region, and the local community. You can find some leading retail stores dealing in health & beauty, jewellery, fashion, accessories, household items, and sports goods.
Furthermore, it has several family-friendly amenities, such as a family entertainment centre, 38 eateries, and a 14-screen movie theatre complex. Visitors can enjoy a variety of stunning performances, seasonal events, shows, and activities conducted for people of different age groups.
4. Wholesale Market
The Wholesale Market, which is located off Salwa Road in Doha, is a great place to buy large quantities of produce, goods, or commodities. Being here, you can experience Qatari culture and customs. Most entrepreneurs and restaurant owners visit the market haggling with the vendors on bulk orders of produce, herbs, and other ingredients.
You will come across crates of fresh vegetables and fruits in the market, having separate sections for local and imported produce. Besides, there is a section for fish, with subsections for displaying and storing different fish types.
Visitors can find a separate place for cleaning fish. When it comes to the section dedicated to meat and animals, you can buy meat (dressed) and farm animals (live). The market doesn’t promote retail selling, as you will not find any difference in the price when buying goods in small quantities. Nevertheless, bulk buyers will find this market suitable to save some money. The cost of the goods is noticeably lower in the afternoon.
5. Gold Souq
You can travel to the Gold Souq in Doha easily as it is located in the centre of the city. You can find innumerable gold shops selling stunning pieces of gold jewellery at affordable costs in the souk, which is situated near the renowned Souq Waqif. The Gold Souq Doha offers everything from imported bracelets to bridal jewellery, rings, and chains. What’s more, you can have an official authenticity document attesting to the gold’s authenticity and originality.
The gold hallmarked with an authenticity certificate is weighed in in the presence of the buyers. Gold can be the ideal gift to your partner, who will feel cherished and valued.
6. Galeries Lafayette
Galeries Lafayette Doha is renowned for offering a specialised and distinctive shopping experience to customers seeking Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, and other fashionable brands and high-quality goods.
The new Galeries Lafayette store in Doha, located at 21 High Street, gives customers a comprehensive shopping experience. The store has a rich 120-year history and is known throughout the world for its innovative fashion ideas. Other than the beauty section, clothing for men, women, children, and accessory collections, the store also features a variety of new, elite, and fashionable brands unique to Qatar.
The place is also known for creative and distinctive concepts, offering personalised experiences to shoppers. Some of them to mention are the Urban Retreat – a grooming facility for men and the nail bar, Christian Louboutin.
7. AL HAZM Mall
AL HAZM is an impressive venue with amazing designs and proportions located in the centre of contemporary Doha. It is constructed in a way that will continue to astound anyone who walks past its magnificent arches, pillars, and domes built in a conventional continental style showcasing the spirit of an Italian shopping arcade.
ALHAZM Mall is home to several opulent fashion brands like Style de Vie, Razza, etc., offering a fascinating selection of buying options to visitors looking for a great shopping experience having their desired brand.
The mall also offers its visitors the chance to experience the cuisine of upscale restaurants. They can explore some of the freshest ingredients and most authentic recipes, creating a unique fusion of Middle Eastern, English, and Italian cuisine concepts with the best flavours. Visitors can also visit some of the most prestigious and outstanding cafés, including Rosemary’s Café, for confectioneries and pastries, with a distinctive twist.
Doha offers an abundance of shopping opportunities, activities and sightseeing. Shopping is exciting, with abundant shopping centres and malls in Doha, offering several products, dining, and entertaining options.
