Doha to Dubai by road : Qatar versus UAE hols
Qatar versus UAE is a very tough choice for holidays, so we settled for Doha to Dubai by road, a wonderful trip between beach bars and parties, luxurious hotels, restaurants and tones of culture; desert, wadis and inland sea; green mangroves spread by turquoise waters, safari, diving and some more exquisite dinning under the stars. Both Arabic speaking and by the Persian Golf, Qatar to UAE make a wonderful roadtrip, filled with sunshine, culture and fun.
Both independent from the UK in 1971, United Arab Emirates and Qatar re-invented themselves greatly in the last 10 years; tourism and renewable energy included, whilst their cities feel truly global and vibrant. For our Qatar dedicated article, including best restaurants in Doha, finest cocktails and wines, head here. Doha to Dubai is an easy trip, barely 1 hour flight away and well serviced by Qatar and Etihad Airlines.
There are 7 emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and Dubai is one of them, 430 miles away from Doha. For the intrepid travellers and explorers, Doha to Dubai by road is a mere 6.5 hours drive and one could stop and indulge into the desert, Inland sea (Qatar, a bit of detour given the highway, but well worth it), Al Shahaniya Camel Racetrack (Qatar), Sir Bani Yas island (UAE), Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed Mosque (UAE), Yas Island (UAE) or Jubail Mangroves Park (UAE) to mention just a few.
A road trip from Qatar to the United Arab Emirates / Doha to Dubai by road crosses Saudi Arabia as there is no direct border between Qatar and UAE. For Qatari and GCC nationals that may be a straightforward trip; for Brits and other passport holders, we reckon an Arabic speaking driver / guide is a gold asset. Prepare your passports, visas at crossings has been smooth with the help of our guide; Qatari nationals are not required to have visas for Saudi but UK passport holders will pay roughly ~£90 per person.
We could not recommend any warmer our Jordanian driver @Golden Sand Adventure @ Q Explorer Tourism: ensured lots of fun and adrenalin for the kids at the Inland Sea of Qatar and dune bashing, played fantastic Arabic music on the way to, filled us with lots of colour and tales on the area and made sure all borders crossings were smooth and efficient.
From Kempinski Pearl Island in Doha we have stopped for 5 days at the wonderful Sir Bani Yas : Maldives looking like beaches meet Africa, a wonderful regeneration and sustainability story, safari, wind farms, fab diving and snorkelling. Anantara runs 3 boutique hotels in here: Al Yamm villas, Desert Island the main hotel, very family friendly and Al Sahel, lush savannah and wild experiences awaiting. And yes, from Doha to Sir Bani Yas made a lot of sense to drive : 4.5 hours in total rather than fly to Abu Dhabi and drive another 2.5 hours; dedicated post on this wonderful UAE island coming shortly.
And having spent a fantastic Christmas by white sand unspoilt beaches, snorkelling with huge angel fish and groupers, soaking in sunsets boat riding, safari with giraffes, ostriches, oryxes, cheetahs and gazelles, fully recharging batteries, we were ready for the next destination on our roadtrip from Doha to Dubai!
Abu Dhabi, UAE capital we got to love 10 years ago. Spending 5 days in here is so much fun, between the stunning Louvre, white sand Saadiyat island filled with great beach bars, kayaking in green mangroves and crystal blue water, indulging into great cuisine by the sea or high up, jaw dropping huge Grand Mosque, chilling by the pool or the Corniche or having a blast at Ferrari World, the craziest, fastest world rollercoaster, Formula Rossa.
Doha versus Dubai? Which one makes a better family holiday spot friends have asked? Both are super cultural and family friendly, filled with luxurious hotels and dining spots, fantastically designed museums and jaw dropping architecture. Doha culture and fun lures from National Museum of Qatar to OliOli, an interactive play museum in Katara Cultural Village, to Bedouin camps, falconry and dune bashing to water and theme parks: from Desert Falls Water & Adventure Park to Quest roller coasters, to Kidzania and Museum of Illusions.
Dubai is the city that never sleeps and our kids love the jaw dropping architecture, from Burj Khalifa and its fountains, the Museum of Future, Burj Al Arab and Atlantis’ treats to the newly revealed Royal Atlantis which is very likely the most luxurious hotel we’ve ever experienced.
But Doha and Dubai make equally fine family holidays: UAE tends to be a more modern setting, busier and more party focused, whilst in Qatar one can taste more the mix of traditional Middle East with a truly global scene. But the luxurious hotels and fantastic parks options make Doha one of the most underrated family friendly destinations.
And both Doha and Dubai are fab for foodies: from traditional dishes, to great sushi and finest international cuisines. Doha is slightly more compact than Dubai and with young kids in tow it may be easier to go from vibrant souks selling spices and traditional handicrafts to the beach, to the stunning Museum of Islamic Art or strolling along the Corniche. Dubai has glitz and glamour, buzzing nightlife, shopping malls – one larger than life city that our kids fell in love with and keep asking about going back to. In Doha we indulged into the highest, exquisite sushi at Zengo: 61st and 62nd floor at Kempinski and ended up the evening in extinguished company: an ambassadors reunion, Japan, Nigeria, UK, Indonesia and so much more. In Dubai we have started the year with dinner under the stars at glorious Arabic Ayamna at Atlantis and the night after with Persian cuisine Ariana at Royal Atlantis – dare we say the most glam, artistic hotel we have ever experienced?!
We had to go back again to Doha for another week December 2024, from fine dining to kids friendly and fusion cuisine, more sushi on rooftops over sunset and gorgeous beach bars, gardenia terraces by the canals or in the middle of the desert and by the Inland Sea nature reserve. Our verdict and recap: best brunch with kids head to Farm to table Lagoon Ritz Carlton; best sunset drinks and bites from rooftop at Provok; best seafood night with live DJ St Regis at the Vine; best chilled vibes and beach at Vilebrequin La Plage or Novikov; fun night and fab cocktails at Hakkasan; best desert stopover or overnight for Inland Sea at the Outpost Al Barari.
For more inspiration in the UAE, head to our best roadtrips from Dubai in here; Dubai with a baby; Christmas in Abu Dhabi and what to wear in here. For best restaurants in Doha and some of Qatar finest cocktails and wines, head here. For more roadtrips within the area and sunshine, check Jordan and Petra head here ; 10 days Oman adventure holidays in here (Muscat, Al Hajar mountains, the wadis, dessert and Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve); Morocco roadtrips in here, whilst Egypt’s pyramids and Red Sea diving here. Qatar and UAE you have spoilt us so much, once again! For a violin love ode from RC Ras Al Kaimah from a certain 11 years old head here; and for a love ode from Doha head here. We will be back!
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