The Doha Corniche is a waterfront promenade and dual carriageway extending for seven kilometres (4.3 mi) along the crescent-shaped Doha Bay in Qatar’s capital city, Doha. A lush, semi-circular linear public space, the Corniche serves as the central location for national celebrations, including Qatar National Day Parade and National Sports Day, as well as various religious, civic, and sporting events, making it one of the most popular tourist and recreational destinations in Qatar.
The Corniche links the modern central business district of Al Dafna in the north to the historic sections of old Doha in the south. It serves as a route for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, a continuous strip of open space, and a symbol of Doha’s modernization.
Wrapping around Doha Bay, the Corniche comprises a seafront promenade and dual carriageway extending for seven kilometers from the West Bay area’s Sheraton Hotel in the north to the Al Khulaifat district’s Doha Club Park in the south, passing Doha Port and its facilities.
Peripheral parking areas near the Corniche allow visitors to park their vehicles and reach the waterfront via shuttles or pedestrian pathways, such as the Corniche’s many underpasses. Seven of the 37 stations of the Doha Metro are near the Corniche.
The Corniche’s southern end provides access to Doha’s oldest districts—Al Jasrah and Msheireb—and the Souq Waqif marketplace, all among the country’s preeminent cultural sites. The area is also among the country’s most heavily-trafficked and congested. Souq Waqif sat along the coastline until land reclamation during the Corniche’s construction shifted the coastline eastward.
There are three main areas of the Corniche: the Corniche Park and Promenade, Corniche Street, and the Government zone. Corniche Street is a divided highway that connects Doha’s Al Dafna business district with the south of the city and Doha International Airport. The Government zone, which commands a view of the bay, is home to administrative buildings such as the Amiri Diwan.
By placing contemporary institutional buildings along the coastline, instead of in the city’s historical section, the Qatari government enhanced its architectural profile, presenting itself as a modern, independent entity while creating a physical separation from the traditional urban landscape.
The Corniche also connects the mainland to a three-kilometer island created in 2008 for the Museum of Islamic Art and nearby development.
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