If you’re planning a trip to Qatar, shopping should definitely be on your agenda. Qatar has everything from old souks to opulent malls, so it’s bound to bring out your inner shopaholic. Visit the historical markets of Qatar known as souqs and pick up some extravagant items from luxury brands or quirky trinkets to take home as mementos.
The unique and colorful souqs in Qatar are great places to learn about the local culture and pick up gifts for friends and family back home. Explore the vibrant souks of Qatar for authentic local artwork, handicrafts, textiles, spices, and more.
Gifts that are developed or manufactured locally are not only considerate but also beneficial to the community. Whether you are a visitor or a local, you will notice these features everywhere you go.
There is a wide variety of genuine, made-in-Qatar products available for purchase. Find the best-handcrafted presents from Qatar, from clothing and cosmetics to traditional toys and arts and crafts, with our list of the best places to buy handicrafts in Qatar.
Top 4 places to buy handicrafts in Qatar
- Souq Waqif
- Museum of Islamic Art
- Omani Souq
- Souq Al Deira
1. Souq Waqif
One of Doha’s most popular attractions, Souq Waqif, is also one of the region’s oldest and most authentic marketplaces. Historically, this was where Bedouins brought and sold their livestock, spices, and other goods.
Today, the old souq has been restored, and the new one looks like a Qatari market from the 19th century, complete with mud shops, exposed wooden beams, antique shops, modern art galleries, and a wide selection of restaurants and divan-like outdoor cafes where one can smoke shisha and drink chai-karak, the local tea.
Men’s and women’s traditional dress from Qatar, as well as spices, antiquities, pearls, and oud (both incense and perfume created from agarwood), may all be found here. There’s a wide variety of souvenirs that you can purchase from this market which makes it one of Qatar’s best places to buy handicrafts.
The market is protected by the Heritage Police, who ride majestic Arabian horses and wear 1940s-style costumes. Bargaining is standard practice in any genuine market. While many souq stores close at 1 p.m. and reopen at 4 p.m., many eateries and cafés are open all day.
2. Museum of Islamic Art
Every Saturday throughout the fall and winter, the Museum of Islamic Art Park plays host to the bazaar, which is one of the best places to buy handicrafts in Qatar. Over 150 vendors sell everything from jewelry to imported clothing to books to souvenirs to delicious homemade cuisine to a wide variety of unique and interesting presents.
The bazaar is more than simply a location to buy unique goods from local artisans; it is also a melting pot of many nationalities, languages, and accents. There is a stand with Filipino cuisine, a Colombian vendor selling hobo-chic clothing, a Thai woman selling yoga pants, a baker known as “The Cookie Man,” and many more.
Visitors have from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. to peruse the booths, enjoy a picnic on the park’s immaculately maintained grounds, launch a kite, or simply lie on the grass and gaze up at the endless blue sky.
3. Omani Souq
Behind Wholesale Market is where you’ll discover the tiny and modest Omani Souq, which is bursting with treasures which makes it one of the best places to buy handicrafts in Qatar. Visitors may discover anything from true Omani frankincense to dried fish from Oman to camel sticks to spices, nuts, and plants under its large corrugated iron roof and along its tiny walkways.
White truffles may be found here at rock-bottom costs if the desert has received just the right amount of rain at the proper time of year.
The Omani Souk is a modest open bazaar that specializes in the sale of truffles, dates, ceramics, hand-engraved clay pots, straw hats, woven baskets, and a few other locally grown foodstuffs. Daisies, hydrangeas, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, pansies, and even the occasional bonsai tree may all be found in the flower and plant area of the souq.
4. Souq Al Deira
Those looking for high-end textiles often visit Souq Al Deira, which is right across the street from Souq Waqif on Al Ahmed Street. Souq Al-Deira is not a luxury market, but it contains every kind of fabric you can think of, including genuine Indian silk, high-quality needlework, and true cashmere pashminas. This market is one of Qatar’s top places to buy handicrafts and fabrics, which are popular souvenirs in Qatar.
The quality is superior, but the prices are a little more than at the other local souqs. Feel free to haggle to your heart’s content; doing so is customary and appropriate. You may go to the souq in search of fabric and leave with a perfectly made garment since there are excellent tailors to be found there as well.
Conclusion
taking back a memento from your travels is like taking a piece of the destination back home with you. You may learn more about Qatari culture by going shopping there. Souvenirs are a wonderful way to keep your travels fresh in your memory and heart. In addition, giving a keepsake to a loved one might help you grow closer.
There is a wide variety of traditional souvenirs available to purchase in Qatar. We hope that after reading this guide, you have a good idea of what to bring back as a memento from your next vacation to Qatar and, most importantly, where to buy it.
