As Qatar rapidly grows, we find out what makes the country’s vibrant neighbourhoods special to the families living in them.
Al Gharaffa
Esra Chak is a stay-at-home mum living in Al Gharaffa with her husband Farhan, an associate professor of political science at Qatar University. They have two boys Faris (four) and Fateh (two). A German and Canadian household, they have lived in Al Gharaffa for about five years in a villa provided by Farhan’s work.
What’s the best thing about living in your neighbourhood?
It’s located so centrally. Everything is about the same distance for us, be it The Pearl, West Bay or Villaggio. We’re also connected to Shamal Road which makes day trips very easy.
How long does it take to get to school/work?
Faris attends the Early Childhood Center on the Qatar University campus, and my husband works at the university which makes school drop off very convenient. In the mornings it takes him about 10 to 15 minutes.
Where do you shop for daily items?
We have Ezdan Mall and Gulf Mall right next to us and, of course, Lulu Hypermarket. I get all my shopping done without even having to leave my area and being stuck for ages in terrible traffic.
Favourite place to eat?
Zaoq, which serves Pakistani food, now has a branch inside Ezdan Mall. Before we used to drive all the way to Salwa Road to enjoy their food. And for takeaway it’s our local Papa John’s pizza.
Best place for kids to play?
Funville in Ezdan Mall—it’s our perfect escape during hot summer days. On cooler days we prefer to go to Al Gharaffa Family Park. The playground offers different activities and there is a large green area for other games children want to play.
What’s your favourite weekend activity?
We tend to catch up with friends, and often drive along Al Shamal Road and head up north, sometimes to Barzan Olympic Park, the new Al Khor Park or even Al Ruwais city. It’s all such an easy drive from Gharaffa.
Al Aziziyah
Nour Elhoda Sedki Zaki is a full-time housewife with three part-time jobs, including selling home-grown organic produce. She lives in Al Aziziyah with her husband Yasser Sabry, CEO of The Firm Advisory and their two daughters, Nadia, eleven, and Enjy, seven. This Egyptian and Russian family has lived in Al Aziziyah since they arrived in Doha 12 years ago.
What’s the best thing about living in your neighbourhood?
As a mother of two children, I enjoy having Aspire Park as my back yard. And Doha Zoo—though currently closed for renovation—is just a five-minute drive by car and a great place for children to connect with nature. Vigorous sports activity is an important part of our lives, so having Aspire Academy in the area is a plus.
How long does it take to get to school/work?
My daughters both go to the German School, where I also work part-time as an assistant teacher; it’s just a 10- to 15-minute drive from home.
Where do you shop for daily items?
Quality Food Market is around the corner when we need a quick shop. 01 Mall is not far away and has a Novo cinema theatre and a Megamart with all the goodies that can’t be found in Carrefour or Geant stores. Our area is dotted with small local stores for buying a packet of gum or a bottle of water.
Favourite place to eat?
We have a whole street right behind our compound lined with fast food and traditional Turkish, Indian and Egyptian takeaway restaurants that also offer home delivery; our favourite is Marmara Istanbul.
Favourite weekend activity?
Pottering around the garden centres which are a stone’s throw away from our compound. There’s even a government-subsidised one selling plants local to the region.
Neighbourhood secret?
We’re five minutes away from the wholesale fruit and vegetable market and the fish market, offering an exotic shopping experience. It is also a budget-friendly choice considering the high cost of living in Doha.
Ain Khaled
Cathy Agarpao is a personal assistant at Manateq. She lives in Ain Khaled with her husband John, a site engineer and their six-year-old twin boys, Cedrick James and Jedrick Collins. Originally from the Phillipines, they have lived in Ain Khaled for just over three years.
What’s the best thing about living in your neighbourhood?
It’s close to my children’s school. Also we’re not too far from Aspire Park and lots of other amenities, including the religious complex which is central to our lives.
How long does it take to get to school/work?
My boys go to the Philippine International School Qatar which is only a five-minute drive. I think it’s important to live near your child’s school or near your office, as traffic in Doha can get pretty bad.
Where do you shop for daily items?
We usually go to one of the malls—Villaggio, Hyatt Plaza or Dar Al Salaam Mall. Sometimes we go to Safari Hypermarket which is about ten minutes away from us.
Favourite place to eat?
We love our local T.G.I. Friday’s. My kids enjoy the food and the friendly staff make it a pleasure to dine in. We also enjoy going to Ponderosa. The boys feel quite grown-up and responsible selecting their own food from the buffet.
Best place for kids to play?
In the cooler months it’s Aspire Park. The kids love to run, ride their bikes and play with other children; they chase grasshoppers, butterflies and other insects that they don’t normally see. They also love the lake and feeding the fish and ducks.
When it’s hotter we go to Jungle Zone in Hyatt Plaza or Gondolania in Villaggio. For a change, we may go to the play area at Burger King or McDonald’s on C-Ring Road.
Leghtaifiya (West Bay Lagoon)
Barbara Bibbo is a freelance journalist covering political affairs in the Gulf region and her native Italy. She has lived in Leghtaifiya (sometimes referred to as West Bay Lagoon or the Diplomatic Area) with her husband Mauro, who owns a construction company, their six-year-old son, Michelangelo, and their dog, Spike, since 2004.
What’s the best thing about living in your neighbourhood?
It’s very quiet, which is now rare in Doha, yet there are many schools and nurseries around here, which makes it great for families. It’s also a nice area to take our dog Spike for walks.
How long does it take to get to school/work?
My son attends Doha College and school is literally five minutes away when there is no traffic or 15 minutes away at peak time.
Where do you shop for daily items?
The closest shopping mall is Lagoona Mall, which has pretty much everything we need: a Carrefour Express, some coffee shops, restaurants and a selection of clothes shops. If we don’t fancy the drive there and need a quick grocery shop, we have a small Al Meera supermarket, which is walking distance from our place.
Favourite place to eat?
Unfortunately there are no restaurants in this area, as it’s mainly residential, but we can easily reach many of the eateries at The Pearl, Katara or the hotels in West Bay. One of the closest places to us is the St. Regis Hotel, and we go quite often to Hakkasan Doha or to the steak house there. There are only few takeaway places in the area like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut, but we don’t use them.
Best place for kids to play?
Our closest park is the one near Landmark Mall, called Dahl al Hamam Park. It is not our favourite, but it is the closest and we often go there during the winter season.
Al Sakhama
Maszleen Ramli works as technical assistant for an LNG company, whilst her husband Mohammed Aizal Ibrahim is a media management specialist for a TV channel. Originally from Malaysia, they have lived with their three children, Myra (nine), Maqeel (six) and Mishel (four) just outside Doha in an area called Al Sakhama for about a year.
What’s the best thing about living in your neighbourhood?
We love it because it’s close to the Lusail Circuit which makes it easy for both of me and my husband to go and cycle. Also the rent is cheap and we’ve got a stand-alone villa with a nice front area where we love entertaining our friends.
How long does it take to get to school/work?
My kids all go to Choueifat International School in West Bay. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes using Lusail highway, which isn’t bad at all.
Where do you shop for daily items?
We’ve got plenty of small grocery shops around the area, which makes shopping very convenient. If we need to do a big shop then it’s straight down Shamal Road to either Landmark, Ezdan or Gulf Mall for now, but when it opens we’ll have Doha Festival City on our doorstep.
Favourite place to eat?
For a dining-in experience we enjoy going to our local Afghan Brothers restaurant in Umm Salal Mohammed; they have delicious mandi rice. And when we feel like getting takeaway, we get the sandwich platter from Takeaway restaurant—they’re really tasty.
Best place for kids to play?
We usually go to Barzan Olympic Park—it is gated and safe for the kids to play around in.
Neighbourhood secret?
We have the Lusail Shooting Range five minutes from us, which is a good place to take visiting friends or family for an unusual day out. There’s also a huge safari-like open area where families enjoy picnics during the winter.
Al Sadd
Fatma Naib, is an Eritrean-Swedish filmmaker living in Al Sadd with her husband Mohammed Taha, an Egyptian taekwondo instructor, and their three-year-old daughter, Noor, for almost two years.
What’s the best thing about living in your neighbourhood?
We really like our building. The rent is very reasonable and the size of the flat reminds me of the old spacious flats in old Doha.
How long does it take to get to school/work?
It takes me 10 to 15 minutes to reach work in Madinat Khalifa, depending on traffic.
Where do you shop for daily items?
We usually go to Family Food Centre on Nasr Street and Megamart in The Centre for our favourite international brand food items. Al Meera is also an option especially for freshly squeezed orange juice from the fruits and vegetables section.
Favourite place to eat?
We are spoiled for choice; Doha Downtown Hotel is walking distance from us, and around it we have several dine-in options. Our favourite is the Syrian restaurant, Haret Jdoudna; they have a fab breakfast buffet daily from 6am to 10pm. Our other favourite is the Korean restaurant, Yee Hwa.
Best place for kids to play?
When the weather permits, we go to Al Soudan Family Park; it’s just around the corner from us, but Noor’s favourite place is the park along the Corniche by the Orient Pearl Restaurant.
Favourite weekend activity?
We love going to Royal Plaza as it’s not too busy and it has a nice play area for children called Ray’s Reef. We like to spend Saturdays with our daughter there. We usually go to the cinema to watch a matinee children’s show with Noor. Afterwards we play in Ray’s Reef and usually end the day with sushi at Oishi Sushi.
Neighbourhood secret?
We love grabbing takeaway from Turkey Central—the food is delicious, the portions are very filling and it’s very reasonably priced.
