Doha Nightlife (Qatar): Best Bars and Nightclubs - World Cup 2022
By
Tibs
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This article was entirely re-written with the latest updates on Doha Nightlife during the World Cup 2022. At first sight, Doha, the capital of Qatar, may not seem like the best place for nightlife: Alcohol is hard to buy and ridiculously expensive. There is a strong gender imbalance in bars, with much more guys than girls. Pre-marital sex and adultery are both punishable offenses, and you are not even allowed to speak or to hang out with Qatari women. Despite all these restrictions, it is still possible to have fun, as long as you have enough money. Bottle service is often required in the best venues, so it is easy to spend USD500 in one evening. If you are on a backpacker budget, forget about partying and save your dollars for elsewhere. If you are on a business trip, an expat living in Qatar, or visiting for the World Cup, read this guide and you will know everything there is to know about Doha nightlife.
Note : I updated this review in April 2021 while the COVID pandemic is still active. I removed several venues that have shut down and added a few new ones. Some are only momentarily closed so you might want to check their Instagram page to see what their status is. Generally speaking, most nightclubs in Dubai are now closed, but bars, cafés, and restaurants are still open with few restrictions. Dubai nightlife is the best I've tried so far in the Persian/Arab Gulf region. Compared to that of Doha , Abu Dhabi , or Muscat , it is less conservative and far more foreigner-friendly. Even though drinking alcohol is restricted, you can find nearly a hundred bars and nightclubs, some of which are busy even on weekdays. There is a huge diversity of venues: Jazz lounges, rooftop bars, expat pubs, open-air nightclubs, beach cafés, speakeasies, etc. There is even a brand-new warehouse with Berlin-style techno parties once a month. However, not everything is perfect. The maj
With 1,8M inhabitants, Abu Dhabi is the second-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Dubai . Even though the country is officially Islamic, it has a decent nightlife that caters mostly to expats, tourists, and businessmen. There are around 10 lively bars and nightclubs, almost all of which are located in 4- or 5-star hotels. You can find a crowded event most days of the week, except during Ramadan when everything is closed. That said, not everything is perfect. The main problem is that very few women go clubbing in Abu Dhabi, so it is not rare to have a bar full of guys (minus the prostitutes). To avoid that, select your venues carefully and keep an eye out for ladies nights. Another issue is that prices are generally quite high. A cocktail in a high-end bar will easily reach US$20, and a beer US$10. To order bottle service, be ready to spend at least US$500 for one bottle. It is a good idea to check for happy hours, usually from 5PM to 8PM. If you want
You shouldn't expect much from Muscat nightlife. There are very few bars, even fewer nightclubs, and you won't find a party atmosphere like in Dubai . That said, if you are living in the city, or if you are visiting for a few days, you can always find some decent venues to have fun, to meet people, and to drink alcohol. Just scroll down to learn more about the best party spots in the capital of Oman.
If you've tried to access a porn website while in Saudi Arabia, you've probably seen an error message that looks like this one: There is a special agency within the government of Saudi Arabia whose task is to track down any website with pornographic or erotic content. Even something very mild may be flagged and added to the "forbidden" list. Porn websites are not the only ones blocked by the government. Any website with "haram" content such as homosexuality, bestiality, nudity, vulgarity, drugs, or gambling will be impossible to reach in the country. The block will also affect websites that promote atheism, hate speech, and of course those who are opposed to the Saudi monarchy. In total, there are millions of websites that are blocked, which can be annoying for someone who is traveling to the country for a short period of time.