One of the Qatari capital’s most recently developed neighbourhoods, West Bay hugs the waterfront opposite the Doha Port. It’s home to towering skyscrapers that include the award-winning Burj Qatar, together with high-end hotels, and a large expat residential community.
The City Center Mall lies at the heart of West Bay, packed full of retail shops, food outlets, a cinema complex and indoor ice skating rink. It’s flanked on either side by luxury hotels that include the Marriott and Shangri-La, while the Doha Convention Centre and Tower is situated just to the south. The Corniche boulevard follows the waterfront to the east, with both the Sheraton and Four Seasons boasting enviable locations overlooking the coast, and the Msheireb Enrichment Centre showcases Qatar's historic past and future ambitions on an artificial island to the south. The northern part of West Bay is occupied by the Qatar International School and a number of international consulates and embassies, reflecting its popularity as a residential area for expats.
Shuttle buses connect West Bay with Doha’s city centre, with bus stops outside all its major shopping malls and landmarks. There are also plenty of air conditioned taxis waiting at designated points within the neighbourhood to transport commuters swiftly from A to B in the Qatari heat.
Until the British made Doha an administrative centre in 1916, it was a small fishing and pearling village with little infrastructure. That all changed with the discovery of oil in 1949.Doha was established as the capital of an independent Qatar in 1971 and rapid expansion catering to its burgeoning population was further exhibited in neighbourhoods such as the affluent West Bay.