Sports
Football in Qatar is a nationwide passion. Aside from hosting the biggest football tournament in the world - the 2022 FIFA World Cup - football is played by an ever-growing number of people across the country. There are professional leagues, amateur leagues, workers leagues, community leagues and leagues for women and children.
Football may be the most popular sport, but there are a host of other sports played by the nation with equal vigour - cricket, futsal, basketball, handball, tennis, beachball, athletics, golf, motor racing, rallying, any number of water sports, and a host of outdoor activities.
More traditional sports, such as falconry, camel racing and horse racing, are also widely practised.
If the people of Qatar aren’t playing a sport, they are watching it and supporting it. Qatar has a host of stadiums, sports facilities and venues that people crowd to, to cheer on their favourite sportsmen and women.
Indeed, Qatar has hosted a huge number of sporting events over the years, local, regional and international. The nation’s rulers identified a need for alternative industries to support their country many years ago. One industry, sports, has seen phenomenal investment - in sporting infrastructure, sports-related industry and expertise. The result being, they have attracted sporting events from all over the world to use their facilities.
So, for visitors to the country and residents, there are a great number of sports in Qatar to participate in and to support, and many, many sporting events to attend - the World Cup being just one of them.
Modern Traditions
Raising Dust in The Desert - Qatar’s Camel Races
Experience the thrill of camel racing in Qatar at the Al Shahaniya Racetrack where age-old tradition meets modern sports in the heart of the desert.
From watching the races to breeding, training and racing horses, both at home and around the world, this sport has become increasingly popular in Qatar.
Caring for the Arabian horse, one of the oldest, most respected and loved breeds in the world, plays an essential role in preserving Qatar's cultural heritage.
If you want to see and ride some of the most beautiful horses in the world, there are plenty of places in Qatar waiting to welcome you.
Learn about the costs associated with raising a racehorse, why the benefits far outweigh the costs, and how Qatar is capitalising on the market.