Souq Waqif is a hugely popular tourist spot in Doha. It is famous for its coffee shops, eateries, and markets selling traditional clothing and other artifacts denoting Qatar’s cultural heritage. I enjoyed coffee and some Tiramisu before entering a painting exhibition to see paintings. I also walked into a famous movie theatre for popcorn.
Qatar is a prosperous and famous country with a vibrant trade of almost 18 billion dollars with India. It sells LPG Gas to India and imports rice, food items, and spices from India. This is a trade partner of India.
Yesterday, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Doha and was given a state welcome by the Emir of Qatar. Modi was here to negotiate the release of eight Indian Navy workers who had been in prison for over a year and had been convicted to be hanged for espionage. Narendra Modi used his diplomatic channels to get these eight Navy officers released.
One US dollar equals 3.64 Qatari Riyal. That way, the currency is powerful. Qatar is a total of Opulent Mall selling all sorts of luxury goods and thus is a paradise for shoppers. The country has a large population of Indian expats, who make up almost 25% of the population. Most of them are from Kerala and work here as immigrant workers in hotels or driving taxis.
Qatar also has a vast population of Bangladeshi and Pakistani people, most running shops and other small businesses. So, for me, connecting with the locals was easy as everyone spoke Hindustani, and thus, navigating my way through the city was easy.
I spent the evening with my friend Taleb Mirza and his wife at one of the luxury malls in the city. I had sushi after a long while and enjoyed some great conversations with old-school friends.
My first impressions of the city are that it is excellent: it is clean, opulent, rich, and regal, and it’s straightforward to navigate one’s way through the city center. One can also use a metro to move about the city, but I choose to ride around in a Taxi cab instead.
Tomorrow will be more exploration of the same till then, enjoy the pictures and videos of the city center of Doha.
