Last Updated: January 11, 2022
Dubai Vs. Qatar: Middle East’s Two Greatest Travel Options
Dubai vs Qatar, the ultimate comparison of the Middle East’s two greatest travel options. If you’re tempted to visit or to live in the Middle East then Dubai and Qatar are likely to be your top contenders but how do you choose between the two? Which will you prefer? That’s what we are here to help show you.
In this Dubai vs Qatar article, we are going to dive into the details of both options to try and help you make the right decision but this comparison is a little tricky, as Dubai is just a city while Qatar is an entire country, so we will have to refer to Dubai vs Doha, the capital of Qatar quite a lot to draw the right comparisons.
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What are they like?
Before we dive into all the details of each, let’s first take a bigger picture look at Dubai vs Qatar. I often find getting some general knowledge about a place is the best way to picture it and see yourself there and if you like what you see then you’re onto a winner.
Dubai
Dubai isn’t a country on its own like Qatar, it’s actually a semi-autonomous state with the United Arab Emirates and a part of a 7 state confederation in the Middle East.
Located in the center of the Middle East, Dubai is just an 1100 km sq area that runs from the Sharjah border along the coast towards the Abu Dhabi border.
From Dubai, you can drive right over the border into Oman, Saudi Arabia, and through to Qatar and Bahrain, all within a day. There are also some stunning mountains around Dubai which are awesome to explore when you want a break from the dazzling sights of the city.
There are 3.31 million people living in Dubai making it the most populated city in the Middle East. It has a population density of close to 860 people per square km, so it’s a busy happening place.
Qatar
Qatar sits on a small peninsular jutting out into the Persian Gulf. It shares a border with Saudi Arabia and you can catch a direct ferry to Bahrain which takes less than 2 hours. From Qatar, you can also drive to Oman and Dubai through Saudi Arabia in the day.
One fun fact about Qatar, it is its own country, not an autonomous state like Dubai, and has a land area of 11,571 km² which is a whole 11 times that of Bahrain. But, that’s not a fair comparison and if we look at Doha’s land area of 132 km² we get a better number, and it is much smaller than Dubai as a city.
When we take a look at the population of Doha, which is just 647,000 people it has a population density of just 252 people per square km, so it’s far less busy than Dubai.
Qatar in general is very flat and desert-like, so there isn’t much landscape to explore similar to the mountains outside of Dubai but with Qatar Airlines and Hammada Airport in Doha, there aren’t many parts of the world that aren’t a direct flight away.
Verdict
The main difference here is that Qatar and Doha are far less populated than Dubai and in general will have a much less busy place than Dubai with a population density that is 4 times smaller. Dubai on the other hand has a more interesting landscape close by where you can go camping in the mountains.
Otherwise, they are very similar cities with access to the sea, other countries in the middle east by car, and direct flights to almost anywhere in the world.
Things To See And Do
Taking a look at the things to see and do is an important task when you’re trying to work out which country to travel or move to, and when you look at Dubai vs Qatar, you have two of the most happening cities on the planet to compare.
Dubai
I always think of Dubai as a city that has been designed to incorporate a theme park. There are never-ending things to do and see in Dubai and this is all by design and tailored to tourism and luxury tourism at that.
Everything is made bigger and better in Dubai with gigantic shopping malls littered with every shop you could ever want to visit with hundreds of cafes and restaurants alongside. If you like spending your time browsing in huge air-conditioned malls, you can do it for weeks in Dubai.
The sea also provides a load of entertainment options from hanging out on the beach and swimming to scuba diving, snorkeling, riding jet skis, and there is also some great fishing to found off Dubai too. While there isn’t any surfing happening in Dubai, you will find a man-made wave that is awesome to ride whenever you need a fix.
If you love being active or are looking for some fun things to do with kids, horse riding is on offer along with camel racing, waterparks, sky diving, and even water parks.
Being the business center of the Middle East, Dubai of course has a great network of fantastic golf courses that are world-class. It’s quite crazy to be playing golf on lush green courses in a desert by the sea, it makes you think about how much water goes into keeping the grass alive.
There is are also a lot of things to see in Dubai, as architecturally it is one of the most modern cities on the planet. Dubai is home to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world with an amazing view, along with stunning gardens, fountains, a global village, and lots more.
From a cultural perspective, Dubai does have museums and galleries available and you can get into the Middle Eastern cultural side, but it’s all a bit plastic fantastic and doesn’t seem very genuine.
Qatar
While Dubai is super modern and sleek, when you’re in Doha and Qatar, you feel like you’re in the Middle East with all the benefits of still have a modern design to it. It’s the best of both worlds in my eyes.
Just like in Dubai, you’ll find gigantic shopping malls of the same quality in Doha and they are also very similar with the same shops, and products, and sometimes even layouts. If you’re worried that you’d miss the mall culture of Dubai in Qatar, you’d be wrong, as it’s just as good.
Being by the sea, Qatar and Doha also offer great ocean experiences including good fishing, great beaches, nice waters to swim in, and a load of water sports. You can do Scuba Diving, wakeboarding, parasailing, windsurfing, kite surfing, and more. They don’t have an artificial wave in Qatar if you like surfing though.
For kids, you have loads to do in Doha including waterparks, horse riding, zoos, aquariums, plus the whole family can enjoy going to a desert safari or explore the stunning coastline of Qatar for the weekend.
If you love golf, don’t worry. Qatar has world-class golf courses just those in Dubai too as it races to compete as a major business center in the Middle East.
One thing Qatar has which Dubai doesn’t is spectacular art galleries and museums while also feeling quite genuine in its middle eastern culture. You can still find traditional garments, spices, and handicrafts at the souq in Doha and they want to hold onto their Islamic Heritage.
The Qatari Royal Family are also great collectors of art and have a constant change over of pieces running through the gallery. You’ll also find the Museum of Islamic art in Doha, and the National Museum of Qatar which all showcase the country and region’s history.
Verdict
While Dubai has a lot more going on than Qatar and is generally a lot busier, it lacks the cultural side of things. There isn’t much about Dubai that makes you feel like you’re in the Middle East whereas in Doha you can find a balance. The Islamic Culture is showcased and lived in Doha alongside the amazing things to do which are similar although less in number than those in Dubai.
The Weather & When To G0
The weather is usually a very important consideration when picking where to go on holiday or a country to move to. In the Dubai vs Qatar comparison, it’s less important when looking at the differences as their weather is on average pretty much exactly the same.
After all, they are very close together and in the middle of the desert, so in this section, we are going to look more at the kind of weather you need to be prepared for and if you’re going on holiday, when is best to go.
Dealing with the heat is a big part of being in Dubai and Qatar. During the summer months of May to September, you are going to experience minimum average temperatures of 27 °C and maximum average temperatures of 42 °C.
It’s extremely hot and humid in both Dubai and Qatar and you should expect to stay inside in the air conditions a lot during summer, even the wind is hot.
I’ll never forget a story I was told about an English businessman in Dubai in July who went for a meeting and when it was done, he needed to cross the street to go to another meeting. The reception offered to get him a taxi but he said: “no, I’ll walk, it’s only across the road” and after his 5-minute walk, he arrived at his next meeting with his suit drenched in sweat.
Outside of summer, the temperatures in Dubai and Qatar are lovely ranging from 35°C to 14°C making winters very manageable.
The best time to visit either Dubai or Qatar is October/November or March/April. The days are warm with a cool sea breeze but not too hot too windy.
The Food Scene
A big part of going anywhere new for me involves tasting delicious dishes from the region and maybe going to a fancy restaurant or two that blows your taste buds away.
When it comes to looking at Dubai vs Qatar and their food scenes, you couldn’t be more spoilt for choice, after all when you’re trying to be the best city on the planet like Dubai is, how can you not have amazing restaurants?
Dubai
The luxury food scene in Dubai is booming and you can find more and more incredible restaurants popping up everywhere, and there are even celebrity chef restaurants too.
You can’t really leave Dubai without going to Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace. The kitchen at Hell’s Kitchen is incorporated into the restaurant and thus dining there is a little bit like eating on Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen TV show as you hear all the drama that goes on in the kitchen. Plus, you get to taste some of his amazing dishes like Beef Wellington.
For a more traditional dining experience of the region, head to Aseelah for traditional local fish dishes, camel stew, Samak, and more.
In Dubai, you can even eat in the sky, at SkyDive Dubai. Your dinner is served to you and you get to eat suspended from a crane 50 meters up in the air.
While there are loads of fine dining options in Dubai, the local more affordable options aren’t lacking either. You will find traditional food from the region on offer as well as western-style brunches, and fast food too.
Qatar
In Doha, you’ll find a lot of traditional Qatari food being served everywhere so if you like middle eastern food then don’t worry, you will get your fix of lamb, fish, beef, and more all served up with spices, wonderful bread, vegetables, hummus, and more.
When it comes to fine dining, Doha also has some fantastic options but they aren’t quite as extreme as hanging 50 meters above the ground while eating your diner. The range of cuisines available from the top restaurants in Doha is excellent and you can find everything from Southeast Asian food to Cantonese, Italian, Spanish, and even a steak house.
If we have to narrow it down to two restaurants to visit while you’re in Qatar they would be Spice Market and The Cellar.
Spice Market is known as the best restaurant in Doha and it serves up delicious Southeast Asian cuisine including dishes from Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, and Taiwan.
The Cellar is a Spanish tapas restaurant that serves incredible little dishes all traditional to Spain. There isn’t a better place to meet friends and hang out having a glass of wine and eating loads of little delicious dishes as you go.
Verdict
Both Dubai and Qatar have a vibrant food scene to explore that incorporated both traditional food for the regions as well as a huge range of top-quality restaurants that showcase food from around the world.
The main difference is that Dubai has way more options if you want to “Dine with the stars” whereas Qatar is far better when it comes to traditional dishes.
Public Transport
When you get to either Qatar or Dubai, you’re going to need to get around in order to explore all the magical things that are on offer. Luckily both the cities of Dubai and Qatar have great public transport systems and they are very affordable as they are subsidized by the government, but which is better.
Dubai
Dubai has one of the best public transport systems in the world which are way better than the likes of New York’s or London’s, but they did have a blank canvas to start from.
Taxis and buses are regular and very affordable in Dubai and you also have metro and train lines that will connect you at high speed from one part of the city to another. The average cost of a single ticket on public transport in Dubai is just $1.20 so it’s super affordable too.
Qatar
We are going to focus on public transport in Doha in this section as it’s the only way to compare it to Dubai.
Doha like Dubai also has one of the best public transport systems in the world and they are very proud of their new high-speed metro which was completed in 2019. It is an entirely driverless train network and is the faster of them in the world. you’ll find 37 stations across 76 km of tracks, meaning there is a station about every 2km so you can get anywhere in the city with ease, and it costs just $0.82 for a single journey.
You’ll also find the buses and taxis are very affordable and super-efficient.
Verdict
Both Dubai and Qatar have amazingly efficient and affordable public transport systems and are an example for the rest of the world to follow. No matter which one you choose, you can trust that you’ll be able to get around quickly and in comfort for next to nothing.
Dubai Vs Qatar – The Verdict
So which one are you going to choose in the Dubai vs Qatar conundrum? I see one clear difference between the two cities which is that Dubai pushes things to the extreme in terms of things to do, sights to see, and adventurous activities.
Whereas, Qatar is far more connected to its Islamic heritage and creates a far more authentic vibe while still competing with Dubai on the glittery side of things.
If I have to choose somewhere to visit once it would be Dubai simply for the experience. If I had to pick a place to live or travel to every year I would choose Qatar as it’s far more of a genuine middle eastern experience combined with the joy of a modern city such as Doha.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
