What is the capital of Qatar?
Doha lies on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of Qatar.
Doha is the capital and seat of government of Qatar, a role it has held since 1971. Qatar itself has an estimated population of 2,972,215 (2025).
Doha is also the largest city in Qatar, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Doha at a glance
| City population | 1,186,023 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇶🇦 Qatar |
| Founded | 1820s |
| Capital since | 1971 |
| Largest city in Qatar | Doha |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (AST) |
| Currency | Qatari riyal (QAR) |
About Doha
Doha was founded in the 1820s as an offshoot of the older settlement of Al Bidda.
Doha has been the capital of Qatar since 1971, Doha was officially declared the country's capital in 1971, when Qatar gained independence.
More than 80% of Qatar's entire population lives in Doha or its surrounding suburbs.
The city hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is home to Education City, a campus district hosting branches of international universities.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Doha.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Qatar?
Is Doha the largest city in Qatar?
What is the population of Doha?
Where is Doha located?
When did Doha become the capital of Qatar?
What time zone is Doha in?
What currency is used in Doha?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Qatar on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.