Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government

[Overview] Doha, the capital city of Qatar, is located in the central part of the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula. The city covers an area of 132 square kilometers and has a population of 1.54 million.

[Politics] Doha does not have a mayor. The city is governed by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, while the Qatar Central Municipal Council is responsible for offering advice on municipal management to all cities in the country.

[Economy] As the economic center of Qatar, Doha hosts most of the natural gas liquefaction, petrochemical, power generation, cement manufacturing, plastics, fish processing and seawater desalination facilities of the country. It is also a major port in the Persian Gulf with its deep-water port completed in 1970.

[Culture and Education] Doha is home to the National Museum of Qatar, which presents the history of the country, as well as Qatar University, the largest institution of higher learning in the country.

[Relations with Beijing] Beijing and Doha officially became sister cities on June 23, 2008. On October 22, 2006, part of the torch relay for the Asian Games held in Doha occurred in Beijing. Altogether 89 torch bearers participated in the event, including outstanding figures from all walks of life. The two cities also shared their experience in security and volunteer management for large events.