AI Rayyan Road heads west from Doha Fort and the souk area, all the way out of town and towards the district of AI Rayyan on the outskirts of Doha. Certainly worth knowing about is tro location of the Hamad General Hospital and tro neighboring Women's Hospital. These can be found occupying a plot of land that is bordered Al Rayyan Road, Mohammed bin Thani Street and Ahmed bin Ali Street. The Al Amal Oncology Hospital is also nearby, just across Ahmed bin Ali Street. As elsewhere in Doha there is a good deal of construction work taking place in this area including new apartment blocks at the junction of AI Rayyan Road and Jawaan Street (next to sports Roundabout). One block further north is the site for the Athletes' Village, designed to house the competitors and officials for the 2006 Asian Games. Located right next to the existing hospitals, the plan is to convert the Athletes Village into a state-of-the-art medical facility once the games are over. AI sadd Street runs parallel to AI Rayyan Road ar: this area is also seeing lots of development. Already home to the Royal Plaza shopping mall and the Merweb Hotel, these will soon be joined by new shopping centres and hotels including new premises for Millennium Hotels and La Cigale.

The Diplomatic Area is at the north end of the corniche, just after the Sheraton Hotel. So-called because it is home to the embassies and consulates of various foreign countries, the district is now undergoing a lot of development, with new construction projects constantly springing up. just beyond the Sheraton, Doha has a new landmark in the shape of the West Bay Complex, with an imposing office tower, two apartment towers, 20 townhouse villas, a 110 berth marina, and the fife star Four Seasons Hotel which opened its doors in 2005. The area just inland is home to a number of ministry headquarters and the Qatar International Exhibition Centre. Opened in 1991, the QIEC hosts major trade fares and conferences throughout the year, and in 2005 it was the venue for a variety of shows and performances from around the world as part of the Qatar summer Wonders Festival. Next to the Exhibition Centre is one of the country's best-

Known shopping destinations _ City Center Doha. With 350 shops, a water park, ice rinks, children's amusement centre and countless food outlets, City Center was for a long time the biggest shopping mall in the Middle East (that title was snatched by Dubai with the opening of the Mall of the Emirates). City Center really does have something to keep the whole family occupied, whether you love shopping or hate it. Salam Plaza department store is also nearby, on Al Wahda Street as you head back towards the corniche. In the opposite direction along Al Wahda Street you'll reach another useful landmark for Doha's motorists, the Rainbow Roundabout. Actually the sculpture in the middle of the roundabout is more reminiscent of an arch than a rainbow, especially as it's almost entirely blue in colour.

If you go straight at the roundabout and pick up Al Jamiaa Street you eventually reach the impressive and sprawling Qatar University campus, while a right turn onto Al lstiqlal Street takes you parallel to the coast in the direction of the West Bay Lagoon. Before the lagoon, on the right, the road leads to the Hotel Intercontinental and Qatar's biggest amusement park Aladdin's Kingdom (aka Entertainment City). The huge construction site just north of Aladdin's Kingdom will eventually become the Cultural Village. This new attraction will portray the heritage of the region, with traditional architecture and handicrafts, and the complex promises to make a pristine stretch of beach available to the public.

Continuing north along the coast reveals even more construction, with palatial villas springing up within the West Bay Lagoon development, and villas, towers and a hotel planned for the area nearest the coast. This is also the point where the prestigious Pearl Qatar joins the mainland, its causeway connecting between the Diplomatic Club and the imposing Ritz Carlton.

To the north of the lagoon sits another Qatar institution, the Doha Golf Club. The club is home to the annual Qatar Masters tournament and, not to be left out, is currently undergoing some redevelopment that will see improved facilities both on the course and in the clubhouse.

At the moment this end of town is relatively quiet (save for the construction noise) and there's very little traffic on the roads (save for the construction trucks), but that will undoubtedly change once more and more villas are handed over and once the first residents move onto the Pearl.

Khalifa Street runs from the Oryx Roundabout near the corniche to the three-level interchange near the Immigration Department, where it becomes Al Luqta Street and continues west. This road heads cross country, eventually reaching Dukhan on the west coast.

The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex is located near the Oryx Roundabout, on Majlis Al Taawon Street. This is the venue for the annual Exxon Mobil tennis tournament for men and the Total Open event for women, both of which attract some of the best players in the world. It will also be a venue for the Asian Games and is undergoing some redevelopment in preparation.

Further along Khalifa Street you'll pass the AI Jazeera and Qatar TV headquarters, just before the appropriately nicknamed TV Roundabout. Beyond this is Markhiya, one of the older areas of Doha and a mainly residential district with some old-style villas. There's a large selection of independent restaurants that are popular amongst the expat and local communities. Markhiya has not escaped the developers though, and many of the old homes are being demolished to make way for new retail and residential complexes, while new buildings are also appearing on every available plot of vacant land. To the south of Khalifa Street is the Doha Player's Theatre, the Doha English Speaking School (DESS), and the Qatar Centre for the Presentation of Islam (QCPI) which provides Arabic language courses and workshops on Islamic culture.

Continuing west, Khalifa Street then divides Madinat Khalifa, a built-up district of both old and new villas, apartments and compounds. This is also the location of the Traffic Department where you'll need to go to arrange driving licences and to register vehicles. Just after the Traffic Department is the big triple-decker f1yover where Khalifa Street meets the D Ring Road. One block north from here (on the D Ring Road/AI Shamal Road) is the popular Landmark Mall, with a wide selection of local and international outlets. The mall has lots of free parking, but can get very busy especially in the evenings and at weekends. Back at the big interchange, a left at the roundabout followed by a quick right brings you into a neighborhood of large old-style villas, where you'll find Doha's Weaponry Museum. The museum displays quite an impressive selection of ancient weapons and Islamic artifacts, but casual callers are not always welcome and it may be better to arrange a visit through one of the local tour companies.

The Immigration Department is located just by the interchange, and from here AI Luqta Street continues west towards the Qatar Foundation and Education City. A regional centre for teaching and research excellence, and home to a number of international university campuses, Education City is an impressive development that is set to grow further with the addition of the Science and Technology Park and a speciality teaching hospital. Behind Education City is AIShaqab Stud and Stables, where visitors can view thoroughbred horses and take lessons at the riding school.

After Education City a left turn will take you to Wajbah Fort, the site of a famous battle where Qatari forces defeated the Ottomans.

The main road passes the unmissable Royal Palace on the left and carries on west to AI Samriyah and AI Shahaniya. Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim al Thaana has a farm at AI Samriyah, and it is here that he has established a museum featuring an astounding collection of ancient weaponry. Textiles, woodwork and metalwork, currency, vintage cars, and much more.

A few kilometers along the road brings you to the Oryx Farm on the left and the camel racetrack on the right. Both the museum and the Oryx Farm are open to the public, but visits must be arranged prior to arrival (the local tour companies will be able to do this).

Salwa Road

Not so much an area, but a main artery that heads in a straight line from the Ramada Interchange out of the city and eventually towards Saudi Arabia and the highway to the UAE. The Ramada Interchange is another Doha mainstay. Where Salwa Road and Suhaim bin Hamad Street (C Ring Road) cross, each of the four corners has a variety of shops and outlets (including the big Jarir Bookstore on Salwa Road). But it is the abundance of fast food joints and American-style. Eatery (including McDonald's, Burger King Pizza Hut and KFC) that has led many expats renames this 'cholesterol corner.' It's not? Burgers, pizza and chicken though, as there are some more up market restaurants here too, including the ever-so-hip Mint cafe.

Away from the city centre. Salwa Road heads south-west towards the triple-decker interchange with the D Ring Road (AI Amir Street). On the right hand side, just before the interchange, you'll find Bateel Cafe which is a good spot for lunch or just a coffee, and for picking up freshly baked bread and pastries. For those with an extra-sweet tooth they have a wide selection of ice-cream and confectionery, and you could even sample the wares of the chocolate shop next door. After the interchange, Salwa Road turns into a seemingly endless parade of shops and garages set back from the road. There isn't that much variety, but if you want car spares, tyres, or furniture, you'll be spoilt for choice. Sporty types would be advised to track down the Skate Shack, selling bikes skateboard gear, and watersports equipment. (' it's on the left as you drive away from Doha, just after the roundabout for the wholesale markets).

The markets are worth exploring for the experience alone, even if you have no intention of buying Anything. Nearest Salwa Road are the fruit, vegetable, and fish markets, and then the huge bales of straw on trucks beside the road announcing your arrival at the livestock market? The traders buying and selling sheep and goats here are a real friendly bunch, who always have time for a wave and even a chat (language barrier depending!).

North of Salwa Road, just off Al Waab Street that runs parallel, you'll see the redevelopment of Khalifa Sports City taking place in preparation for the Asian Games. The arched structure of the Khalifa Stadium's roof is quite a sight. The Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence is also based nearby. Offering unrivalled coaching and training facilities for various sports, Aspire aims to produce the sporting champions of tomorrow and will further help to promote Qatar as a top-class sporting destination.

For those that prefer flexing their plastic rather than their muscles, Hyatt Plaza mall is further along Al Waab Street (just look for the giant shopping trolley in the car park). It is soon to have a new neighbor in the form of Villagio, billed as retail, leisure and sports destination.

After Hyatt Plaza, a left onto Al Furousiya Street takes you past Doha Zoo and back to Salwa Road at the Fort Roundabout.

North of Doha

Al Shamal (meaning north) Road heads out of Doha city and leads all the way up to the northern tip of the peninsular at Madinat Al Shamal. About 15km out of town the road passes Umm Salal Mohammed, with its fort and the Barzan Tower. Another 20km or so and there's a right turn that takes you to the coastal town of Al Khor. Road '1A', which starts by the Doha Golf Club north of West Bay Lagoon, runs parallel to the Al Shamal Road and is actually a smoother drive and has less traffic. It passes the new Losail Moto GP circuit, the sleepy village of Simaismah (which has a deserted beach and a couple of shops), and then leads straight to Al Khor.

Al Khor is a pleasant coastal town, with a corniche, a dhow harbour, a museum (on the corniche near the fish market) and watchtowers dotted along the coast. Near the dhow harbour there's a public lending library that actually has a small selection of English language books, as well as the daily English language newspapers (open 07:00 - 13: and 16:00 - 18:00, except Friday mornings).

Further up the coast is Ras Laffan Industrial C (RLC), which is at the heart of Qatar's mass investment to exploit its substantial natural g? Reserves. RLC is managed and administered:

Qatar Petroleum. As the name suggests, this something of an industrial area so there is not much for visitors to see or do, but the proposed growth will see more and more people moving the area which means more leisure, retail, and entertainment facilities.

Continuing in a loop around the coast takes you by the Al jassasiyeh carvings and numerous Sunday beaches such as those at Fuwairat and Al Ghariya. Madinat Al Shamal is a relatively new town that primarily acts as an administrative centre for the smaller towns and villages in this northern par. the country. The north-west coast has numerous fortifications and ancient buildings, including those at Al Jemail (also spelt Al Gamel) where you'll find an abandoned village with the ruins of houses and a small mosque. Further down the coast is Al Zubara with its striking fort and museum, and the nearby archaeological dig that is uncovering the remnants of a settlement buried in the sand.

South of Doha

Ten kilometers south on the road past Doha airport brings you to the fishing town of Al Wakrah. There's an interesting dhow harbour, a museum, a beach (admittedly not that clean), and a park that's green and pleasant enough but with facilities that could do with a little TLC. Al Wakrah has lots of old traditional houses and mosques, some renovated but others crumbling, and is a real treat for ancient architecture fans. Messaieed (or Umm Said as its sometimes written) is a further 20km south but like Ras Laffan in the north and Dukhan to the west, this is chiefly an industrial area so has little entice or amuse visitors. The coastline that stretches south though has kilometers of good beaches and at the Sealine Beach Resort you can hire quads and hit the dunes right beside the sea From here it's a thrilling off-road trip through the desert to the 'inland sea', or Khor AI Udeid, where you'll marvel at the impressive dunes and the calm waters meandering through the sand like a rive

West of Doha

The road west from Doha takes you through, Rayyan and passes a number of sites of interest.

AI Wajbah Fort is on the left, just before the grandiose palace of the Emir. About ten kilo metres further is the village of Al Samriyah where Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim Al Thani has his museum housing a comprehensive collection of rare antiques. The Oryx farm is located in the next village, Al Shahaniya, as is the camel racetrack which is a hive of activity on race days during the winter months.

On the west coast, Zekreet, just north of Dukhan, has fine sandy beaches but facilities are somewhat limited. The name of Dukhan holds an important place in Qatar's history, as it was here that the first oil discoveries were made in the 1930s, and the area is still home to the country's oil industry at Qatar Petroleum's Dukhan City. There are some further pleasant beaches, despite the unlikely location, along the west coast bordering the Dukhan oil field, especially the one near Umm Bab (known as 'Palm Tree Beach'). There are also beaches at Salwa near the Saudi border, but again there's little in the way of facilities.