Doha, << DOH huh >>, also called Ad Dawhah (pop. 796,947), is the capital, largest city, and chief port of Qatar, a country on the Persian Gulf. Doha lies on the east coast of this Arab state.
Doha was a minor fishing port until the 1950’s, when Qatar’s rapidly developing oil wealth caused the city to change greatly. Doha became the commercial center of Qatar, and its population grew quickly. Many Arabs from nearby countries moved to Doha.
The city began a modernization program in the 1950’s. This program included construction of an international airport and of a new harbor to serve oceangoing ships. Air-conditioned apartment and government buildings, hospitals, hotels, and schools replaced many of Doha’s mud-walled houses.
