Classroom lesson · Doha's Modern Skyline · 🇶🇦 Qatar

Doha's Modern Skyline

A city of gleaming towers rising from the desert beside the sea

The glittering towers of Doha reflected in the calm waters of the Corniche at dusk

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

What is it?

Doha is the capital city of Qatar, and its skyline is one of the most exciting in the world. Skyscrapers of every shape - twisted, curved, pointy, and round - line the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Just fifty years ago, most of this was open desert.

Tell me more

Qatar is a small peninsula that sticks out into the Arabian Gulf like a thumb. Doha sits right on the coast, so tall buildings and sparkling blue water sit right next to each other. At night the towers light up and reflect off the sea, creating a mirror image of the city on the water.

One of the most famous buildings is the Torch Tower, shaped like a giant flame. Another is the spiral-topped Doha Tower, which looks like a giant screw reaching into the sky. Architects from all around the world have come to Qatar to design daring buildings that could not stand anywhere else.

The Corniche is a long curved promenade where families walk, cycle, and enjoy the sea breeze right in front of those famous towers. From a boat on the water you can see the whole skyline at once - it is one of the great views in the Middle East.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

  1. 01If you could design a building for Doha's skyline, what shape would it be and why?
  2. 02What might it feel like to live in a city where the desert is very close but the sea is also right there?
  3. 03How do you think a city can grow from desert to skyscrapers so quickly?
Try this

Classroom activity

Look up the Doha skyline on the classroom screen. Each child picks one tower and draws it, then the class arranges all the drawings in a row on the wall to make their own skyline.