Al Khor is a coastal city in northern Qatar, located 50 kilometres north of the capital, Doha. It is the capital city of the municipality of Al Khor. The name of the city means creek in Arabic as the town is located on a creek. Al Khor is home to many employees of the oil industry due to its proximity to Qatar’s northern oil and natural gas fields, and due to its proximity to the Ras Laffan Industrial City. Due to the continuous expansion at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the number of facilities and services available in the town is rapidly increasing. In October 2015, Ashghal (Public Works Authority) revealed that it would be investing billions of Qatari riyals into developing infrastructure in Al Khor. Its plan includes the creation of additional hospitals and schools, and the refurbishment of the road system. Families of RasGas and Qatargas are provided with accommodation in Al Khor Housing Community, one of the most sizable residential complexes in the country. An investment of over Qatari riyal 2 billion has been afforded on the complex over the years by Alaqaria, a subsidiary of Barwa Group.
One major sports stadium currently exists in the city: Al-Khor SC Stadium, whose tenants are Al Khor SC. Al-Khor Stadium is planned to be completed by the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Al-Khor Stadium, which translates to ‘the house’, is designed to replicate a traditional tent used by Qatari nomads. The seating capacity will be 60,000 spectators and it is set to host one of the semi-finals. The Italian industrial group Salini Impregilo was contracted to oversee the stadium’s construction operations for a fee of QR 3.1 billion.
Attractions in Al Khor include Al-Sultan beach hotel & resort, a palace that turned into a hotel, and its large concentrations of modern and historical mosques. The main industry of the city is fishing. There are several beaches surrounding Al Khor, and the beaches south of it are home to many beach houses owned by both residents of the city and residents of Doha. Al Khor Mall is the primary mall in the city, opening its doors in 2012. The city’s first cinema was slated to open in Al Khor Mall at the end of 2015. The city has one of the largest parks in Qatar with an area of 240,000 sq m. Starting in June 2010, the government has invested QR 250 million in refurbishing the park. This has resulted in the development of new facilities in the park such as a mini-golf course, a railway station and a museum.
Al Khor Island (commonly known as Purple Island) is located near the city. Considered to be a domestic ecoturism destination, the island is connected to Al Khor by a tapered dirt path which runs through a number of streams. A fenced-off beach known as Al Khor Family Beach provides a recreational space for families. It is situated on the Farkeeh Coast and accommodates bathrooms, a playground and a concession stand.
Three historic watchtowers remain near Al Khor’s shoreline, having been built in the late 19th century to early 20th century. Their primary purposes were to provide a vantage point and to scout for potential attacks. The three towers, each cylindrical in shape, have walls that are 60 cm thick and diameters of approximately 4 m each. Comprising two houses adjacent to a marketplace, the Al Ansari Property is situated in the central part of Al Khor. It was constructed around 1930 for members of the Al Ansari family, whom also owned the neighboring Al Khor Souq, which dates back to 1910. The houses underwent several expansions after their construction in order to lodge more family members.
