JUST a few years ago, you could almost hear tumbleweeds blowing through this city, the capital of Qatar. These days, any remaining tumbleweeds are colliding with the giant skyscrapers and sprawling megaprojects that are exploding from the sands. Still plump with petrodollars despite the continuing economic rollercoaster, the home of the Al Jazeera network has been bingeing on luxury hotels, world-class spa villages, Vegas-sized supermalls, cultural venues designed by top-shelf architects and artificial islands that aim to blow those of its neighbor-rival Dubai out of the water.
Friday
6 p.m. 1) THE ROYAL TREATMENT
You've probably had a long flight to Doha, so a late-afternoon trip to the Six Senses Resorts & Spas at the sprawling, Moorish-style Sharq Village and Spa (Ras Abu Aboud Street; 974-425-6999; www.sixsenses.com) is a no-brainer. Sugar scrub with hydrating date wrap? Desert hot stone massage? Moroccan hammam therapy? The globe-trotting menu is packed with treatments you might find in the Hamptons — and others you definitely won't. One-hour massages and treatments typically range between 500 and 700 rials ($135 to $189 at 3.7 rials to the dollar). For those looking for that post-meal mellow, the spa, which is part of a chain with properties in 16 countries, is open every day until 11 p.m.
8 p.m. 2) FROM SEA TO TABLE
Within the candle-lit confines of Al Dana restaurant (974-425-6227; www.sharqvillage.com) in Sharq Village, chipper waiters deliver global fusion specialties with an emphasis on seafood: oysters in chili-lime sauce; mussels in Thai curry and coconut milk; lobster from Oman with jasmine rice. The grilled Gulf tiger prawns, as meaty as undersea steaks, get an excellent zing from Goa-style red curry, while the lemon-grass crème brûlée with pineapple compote brings some Thai zest to the creamy Gallic classic. A dinner for two, without wine, runs about 400 rials.
9:30 p.m. 3) A SPECIAL KIND OF HIGH
With its D.J.-spun lounge music, glowing surfaces, plush low couches and knockout views — courtesy of a 15th-floor location in the stylish La Cigale hotel — the outdoor Sky View Bar (60 Suhaim Bin Hamad Street; 974-428-8204; www.lacigalehotel.com) couldn't exude more sex appeal if they mixed the drinks with pheromones. The clientele is heavy with the tie-sporting British financiers, air-kissing Lebanese socialites and sundry international wheeler-dealers who make up the city's robust expat crowd. Order a So High in the Sky cocktail (Martini Rosso, Tanqueray gin and Campari; 70 rials), turn your view outward and relish the ever-changing Doha skyline. Reservations recommended.
Saturday
10:30 a.m. 4) THE ARABIAN ARTS
No building more boldly trumpets Doha's upsurge than the new Museum of Islamic Art (Corniche; 974-422-4444; www.mia.org.qa), which had its gala opening last November. Designed by I. M. Pei, this poetic jumble of white cubes and rectangles is filled with exquisitely wrought creations — furniture, books, tilework, textiles, scientific instruments — spanning more than a millennium and covering territory from Morocco to China. Some of the most dazzling pieces include sleek medieval Central Asian ceramics and intricate 14th-century Moorish astrolabes whose golden dials, levers and gears rival the work of the finest Swiss watchmakers. Admission is free.
2 p.m. 5) A PERSIAN PAUSE
Yemeni, Turkish, Iraqi, Moroccan: the culinary options along the main drag of Doha's huge Souq Waqif — an early 20th-century bazaar that got a stylish refurbishment in 2006 — offer a crash course in Arab and Middle East cuisine. Tap your inner sheik and sit in a plush cushioned alcove at Isfahan Gardens (pedestrian walkway, Souq Waqif; 974-528-7521). This Iranian restaurant features a dazzlingly colorful décor that combines intricate mosaics, ornate chandeliers and thousands of tiny mirrors. After complimentary warm flatbread with sesame seeds, try the juicy jojeh kababmasti (chicken marinated in yogurt with sweet red cabbage) or one of the daily-changing stews. A three-course meal for two runs about 250 rials. No alcohol.
3:30 p.m. 6) BEDOUIN BARGAINS
It's tough to find a decent sport falcon these days. Fortunately the Souq is also home to Birds Center (Bird Souq, Souq Waqif; 974-468-4366 or 974-468-7029). Even if you don't have thousands of rials to drop on a feathered friend, the shop's ranks of falcons and accessories (landing pads, electronic guidance systems) offer a fun window into this Qatari pastime. Something like a Bedouin outlet sale unfurls at Al Rumailah (pedestrian walkway, Souq Waqif; 974-672-4152), which is filled with daggers, jewelry, striped blankets and other collectibles. Inside Al Zubair Shop (pedestrian walkway, Souq Waqif; 974-657-2004), Arabian autoharps, 12-string ouds and darbuka drums put you on your way to a Middle Eastern jam session. In each shop, haggling is essential.
By Seth Sherwood