Unsurprisingly, the country’s capital
is the go-to place for a fix of traditional
Saudi food (think lots of lamb, rice,
camel meat, and dates). First-time
visitors should visit Al-Najdiyah Village
on Abu Baker. Here, famous dishes
from the region (haneeth-style lamb or
hininy dates and bread) are served in a
traditional Saudi setting.
Left: A visit to a traditional
hammam is a popular pastime
and has been a source of
wellness for centuries Below:
The restored Souq Waqif in
Doha is a popular place to
explore Below right: Delicious
temptations abound with local
spices and dried fruit offering
a true taste of the area
Riyadh
The humble camel is still a prized
possession in Saudi. The animal is
still used for milk, meat, transport
and racing, which helps explain
how Riyadh’s camel market is the
largest in the world and sells, on
average, 100 camels per day.
20 ASCOTT LIVING
Photos: Getty Images; Corbis
Ships of the Desert
Doha
If you want to be at the epicentre of
the Gulf experience, Doha is where
it’s at. “Doha is the new Dubai,” says
Doha-based magazine editor Jessica
Davey. “There’s such a buzz here at the
moment — it’s the place everyone wants
to be at the moment.”
Doha’s energy and excitement
permeates its streets and wide
boulevards. Davey says that the best
way to acquaint yourself with the feel of
the city is to amble along the crescentshaped Corniche Promenade. “Start
the day at the Museum of Islamic Art
— although you can easily spend a day
here,” says Davey. “Then swing by the
Pearl sculpture at the end of Al Corniche
Street and follow the promenade up,
passing Al Biddha Park on the left.”
Once you reach Sheraton Park, cast
your eyes left to the spectacular skyline
of the Tornado Tower, reminiscent of
Norman Foster’s 30 St Mary Axe, better
known as The Gherkin in London. The
Al Bidda Tower is a gleaming 43-storey
glory, and it’s hard not to notice the
twin-tower complex Al Fardan office
tower or the under-construction Dubai
Towers Doha, which will be the tallest
building in Qatar when complete.
Within many of Doha’s glittering new
buildings lie a treasure trove of fantastic
high-end eateries. Patron chef JeanGeorges Vongewrichten has created a
menu that blends local Arabic culinary
traits while Gordon Ramsay‘s selfnamed restaurant in Doha West Bay is
one of the city’s top dining destinations.
There’s an unmistakable feel-good
factor about fine dining, an experience
to be savoured and one that can be both
relaxing and restorative.
With so much to see and do (and
eat!), kicking back and relaxing in
Doha is probably the last thing on many
visitors’ minds. However, the Atari
capital is also home to some of the best
spas in the Middle East.
The 3,345 square-metre Spa and
Wellness Centre offers a stunning
beachfront location, 11 treatment rooms
and its trademark luxurious Sodashi
facials and massages. The Après Spa
Café is a great place to grab a (healthy)
snack after your treatment.
If traditional pampering is more
appealing than the modern, the Eforea
Spa features a stunning Moroccan
hammam room, a well-equipped gym
and a spa specialising in ‘meditation
massages’. There’s also a nearby
Traders — perfect for post-spa
sundowners. Locals favour the Bliss
where the specialist pedicures and
manicures get rave reviews, along with
the comprehensive menu of wellness
treatments and full-body massages.
But Doha isn’t all high-end
restaurants and spa treatments. The city
was built around the ancient harbour
trading post, Souq Waqif, which, after
years of disrepair, was renovated in
2011. There’s an amusement-park
quality to the restorations, but the
souq remains a hive of activity for local
merchants hawking everything from
Qatari clothing to spices.
Doha
Going Places
You may have heard that Doha
will host the 2022 World Cup.
What you perhaps haven’t heard
is that the country is spending
a massive US$200 billion on
infrastructure projects over the
next decade. That’s US$100,000
per capita — 286 times more
money per capita than Russia
spent o