12 Best Shopping Experiences in Doha

A stop at the Souq Waqif is a must when visiting Doha, with its labyrinth of market stalls brimming with textiles, jewellery, spices and local handicrafts. One of Qatar’s oldest markets, Souq Waqif was once a busy trading centre for the Bedouin who came here to trade camels and essential goods for their nomadic way of life.

It’s best to go to  Souq Waqif early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the daytime heat. Make time to stop for a refreshing tea break before going for another round of discovery.

The Gold Souq is a great place to explore for those who want to pick up some bling. Finely crafted gold jewellery and precious gems are the main draws in the market, but there are also affordable accessories to buy, including jewellery in white gold, silver and platinum.  

If visiting before a local holiday, you might find the souq to be busier than usual, as it’s a tradition for men to buy 22-carat gold bangles for the women in their family as a holiday gift.

Doha Festival City is a large mall with hundreds of retail outlets, but its entertainment options are what really make it a must-see place. Families are sure to flock to the Angry Birds park with bumper cars, trampoline park, a go-kart track, ziplines, and heart-racing rides like the Angry Coaster and Raft Battle to enjoy.

Escape the desert heat on the indoor snow slide and snow-covered hills of Snow Dune. Entry fees include cold-weather gear rental. And if all that shopping and snow scrambling stirs up an appetite, Doha Festival City has over 100 restaurants to choose from.

The Wholesale Market is fun to look around even if you're not planning to buy fresh produce in Doha. The busy souq is a haven for cooks in search of bargain-priced fish, meats and produce, which they can buy in bulk and have them wheelbarrowed out to their waiting vehicles.

Vegetarians might want to avoid the animal section, where there’s freshly butchered meat on display alongside pens of live goats, sheep and cows for sale. Find more local shopping action at Omani Souq, just a 5-minute walk of the Wholesale Market. 

The colourful Souq Al Deira offers high-quality fabrics, including lace, cashmere pashminas, and silk. Take some time to look around this large market. Prices aren’t fixed and haggling is expected here, so don’t jump in to buy something in haste. 

The souq is known for having skilled tailors who can turn your fabric selections into a perfectly fitted dress, jacket or outfit. It’s a popular place for locals to get custom-made Abaya dresses and traditional Arabic clothing.

Come to the Corniche Fish Market to see the source of delicious seafood dishes you might’ve been enjoying in Doha. Occupying the scenic Corniche promenade, the market is especially busy in the early morning when fishermen bring in their day’s catch.

Wander down the jetty to see rows of seafood on display on tent-covered metal tables, including safi (white-spotted rabbitfish), sea urchins and hamour (orange-spotted grouper). Enjoy the sea breeze while watching local fishermen busily repairing their nets and preparing their boats for the next day’s outing. It’s an all-sensory seaside delight at Corniche Fish Market.

City Center Doha is a handy shopping spot connected to 3 major hotels in Doha, including the Shangri-La Doha. Located in the busy West Bay business district, it has dozens of shops and restaurants to keep most people busy for hours on end. Ice skating, bowling, a kids’ play area and cinemas are also available at City Center Doha.

As one of Doha’s older malls, it may lack the cutting-edge style of some other shopping centres in the city, but it still draws a good crowd of eager shoppers. 

Lafayette Galleries covers around 15,000 square metres of retail space in Doha’s Katara Cultural Village. Also called Galeries Lafayette, the department store brings Parisian-style shopping to local and international shoppers, with 400 international brands and plenty of dining options. You can find the likes of Chanel, Berluti, Karl Lagerfeld, and Marc Jacobs at this Doha department store. 

If you’re feeling peckish after all that shopping, head over to Musk for afternoon tea at its shaded terrace or enjoy Café Pouchkine’s extensive menu of Russian and French dishes. Lafayette Galleries in Katara Cultural Village is located between West Bay and The Pearl Qatar in Doha.

Alhazm Mall is a shopping centre with around 125 shops, most of which carry high-end designer brands. The renaissance-style complex has Tuscan marble flooring, archways, open-air piazzas and walkways lined with olive trees. Outside the mall, you can also see a glass pyramid that resembles the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Magnolia Bakery, Café Pierre Herme, and Guylian Café are some of the many trendy dining venues in Alhazm Mall. After a day of shopping, you can unwind at the Alhazm Cultural Center (Alhazm Library). It has an extensive collection of rare books and magazines in English and Arabic.