Best Souqs in Doha – Where Culture Meets Shopping

The Wholesale Souq is the place to go if you're looking for fresh, great quality produce. The souq offers meat, fish, vegetables and fruit at fantastic prices and is patronized by numerous commercial and individual buyers looking to buy in bulk. Haggling is generally allowed, however, it's often unnecessary as almost all vendors at the souq sell items at roughly the same price. A purchasing tip is to buy all or most of your items from the same seller and then negotiate a discount. To get the best and freshest pick of fish from the fish market visit the souq as early as possible!

An entire marketplace that sells only jewellery. The Gold Souq houses rows upon rows of shops selling gorgeous chains, earrings, bangles, bracelets and every other kind of jewellery made of gold and adorned with precious stones. All Qatari gold is tested, approved and stamped by their government so there is no question of the authenticity of the gold pieces sold! There are plenty of shops selling jewellery made of silver, white gold, platinum and pearl and even a small cluster of stores that also sell diamond jewellery. The gold souq offers a number of other services too, including repair, resizing and engraving (which often can be done on the spot!).

Najma souq is a one-stop souq that sells a myriad of items that range from fresh fruit and vegetables to brightly coloured clothes and accessories to furniture, electronics and building materials to the odd quad bike or two. Najma Souq may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of souqs but it is definitely the most useful one in Doha.

Souq Waqif is possibly the most popular souq in Doha, and is built on the site of an old Bedouin Market, giving it an ancient and traditional look and feel. The narrow maze of streets that run through the souq is lined with stalls selling everything from Qatari dresses, clothing, perfumes, local honey, dried fruits, carved wooden chests, paintings by local artists, Bedouin weaving, souvenirs and much, much more. Keep in mind that all prices are up for negotiation! There are also numerous restaurants serving food from across the Middle East, including mouthwatering local specialties. Souq Waqif is especially delightful during the evening when the marketplace comes alive with spellbinding cultural shows and traditional dance and music performances. Being the only traditional souq in the Gulf, many tour operators, travel agencies and 5 star hotels in Doha, such as the Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, offer tours to the souq.

The history of Falconry in Qatar dates back thousands of years and is a tradition that still exists today. The Falcon Souq, which is part of Souq Waqif, contains a showroom dedicated entirely to these majestic species, where the people of Qatar can purchase them. The birds are sold with their very own passport that states their identity, origin and ownership and allows them to travel on Middle Eastern airlines with their owner! The main showroom is surrounded by stalls that sell falcon-related and falconry-related products and there is even a Falcon hospital. An outdoor area of the souq is used to exercise the showroom birds several times a day – the activity is fascinating to watch.