Doha makes quite a name for itself as a leading meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions destination for global business. To accomplish this, it plays to its strengths, drawing from Qatari culture and tradition and blending them with state-of-the-art facilities and personalized service that exemplify hospitality.

Venues with award-winning designs and features prove ideal locations for standout events, but the city’s global connectivity and tourism support help make Doha an attractive destination for event organizers. Hamad International Airport, named World’s Best Airport by Skytrax for 2024, enjoys a prime location between Europe and Asia that positions Doha as one of the most accessible cities for business, pleasure and bleisure travel, thus giving it an impressive global appeal.

Qatar Tourism, a driving force behind MICE tourism for the country, created an incentive program designed to make planning, organizing and implementing an event a smooth and seamless process. A simple online application gets the ball rolling for a dedicated team that helps organizers find venues, connect with government and private entities on the ground, coordinate cultural events and activities, conduct site inspections and facilitate visas.

Qatar National Convention Center © Typhoonski | Dreamstime.com

The organization partners with the national airline, Qatar Airways, for an added level of support. The airline, named World’s Best MICE Airline 2023 and Middle East Best MICE Airline 2023 by World MICE Awards, helps bring the world to Qatar with a reach of more than 170 destinations and countless partner airlines.

The airline’s innovative QMICE program offers attractive incentives for both event organizers and attendees. Benefits include savings on airfare; flexible booking and travel dates; and Avios points for those registered in the airline’s rewards program, Beyond Business. The carrier also offers the option of eco-conscious travel with its voluntary carbon offset program.

Two large-scale event spaces in Doha offer award-winning amenities and features. Doha Exhibition and Convention Center covers 970,000 square feet, with the capacity to accommodate up to 34,000 attendees. Ideally situated in the city’s business district, West Bay, the facility consists of one primary event space dividable into smaller venues as needed, and it offers the luxury of proximity so visitors can easily attend events. More than 20 hotels lie within walking distance of DECC, providing more than 6,000 rooms at a range of price points. For attendees staying farther away, the facility partners with Rent Solutions, a local limousine service, and offers on-site valet services to make arrival and departure easy and convenient.

Qatar National Convention Center offers even more options for hosting events such as auditoriums, meeting spaces, exhibition halls, media and V.I.P. lounges, and a business center. The space occupies about 2 million square feet; and while it has been nearly 15 years since its construction, it continues to function as the city’s premier event space. The building itself, designed by renowned architect Arata Isozaki, is a nod to the country’s culture by way of a massive sculpture of a tree trunk adorning the entrance.

The National Museum of Qatar © Fauzan Fitria | Dreamstime.com

Intended to depict the sidra (cider) tree, prized throughout the region for centuries for its health benefits and medicinal qualities, the building’s design is a symbolic emblem of Qatari heritage. Traditionally, sidra trees also served as a common meeting place for scholars to share and discuss ideas, making QNCC the perfect place for visitors to come together. Both venues offer ideal places to host any type of event, from a small, informal get-together to a large-scale gala affair. With the assistance of Qatar Tourism and its partners, not only can the planning and implementation process of organizing an event in Doha be a seamless operation, but it can also bridge the gap between business and culture.

UNIQUE VENUES
Unique cultural experiences are one of the many reasons Doha emerged as a standout MICE destination, and Al Shaqab Equestrian Center proudly sits at the top of the list of places to discover Qatar’s rich history. This world-class facility pays homage to the centuries-old Qatari tradition of breeding and racing Arabian horses, offering tours and up-close experiences with its equine residents. The facility, which can accommodate events ranging from intimate gatherings to large, upscale affairs with more than 1,000 attendees, also holds another historical distinction. The 242-acre property sits where Bedouins fought an epic battle, ultimately leading to Qatar’s independence.
alshaqab.com

National Museum of Qatar offers a different approach to MICE spaces with distinctive architecture depicting a desert rose. These roses, actually gypsum-rich sand crystals formed by the elements into structures resembling the petals of a rose, are a true symbol of the desert. French architect Jean Nouvel designed the 430,000-square-foot museum, which can accommodate up to 1,500 guests. It pairs desert symbolism with some of the country’s most treasured artifacts and sits within walking distance of notable attractions such as the waterfront promenade, known as the Corniche, and the traditional Souq Waqif.
nmoq.org.qa