Dukhan Beach

Dukhan Beach is a stretch of Qatar's west coast near the oil town of Dukhan, about 80 km west of Doha along the Dukhan Highway, where the Gulf faces Bahrain and the sun sets over the sea. The public beaches are free and suit a half day of swimming and water sports; the town itself needs a QatarEnergy gate pass.

Dukhan lies on the west coast of Qatar in Al-Shahaniya Municipality, about 80 kilometres west of Doha along the Dukhan Highway. The coast faces west across the Gulf, so the sun sets over the water. About 3 kilometres to the north is the Bay of Zekreet, which feeds seawater into the Dukhan sabkha, a salt flat inland.

Oil was discovered here in 1937, and the first well was drilled from 1939 to 1940, making Dukhan the centre of Qatar's onshore oil industry. The town is still administered by QatarEnergy, and entry to the town itself requires a QatarEnergy gate pass. The name means smoke, and the hills of Jebel Dukhan, rising about 30 to 90 metres above the surrounding land, were described as a smoky mountain, after clouds around the summit and smoke from the gas flares of the oil camp.

The beach is used for swimming and spotting marine life, and it is known as a surfing spot when the wind is up. Dukhan Water Sports, formerly the Dukhan Sailing Club and formed in the 1960s, offers powerboating, jet skiing and windsurfing, and holds an annual regatta and raft race.

Public beaches on the wider Dukhan coast, such as Umm Bab to the south and the Zekreet area to the north, can be reached without entering the restricted town.

There is no entry fee for public beaches, but check gate-pass rules before heading for any beach inside the town. Bring water, food, shade and water shoes, since rocks lie under the surface in places. The cooler months from November to March suit a day on the west coast best, and a late-afternoon arrival leaves time for a swim before sunset.

The drive from Doha takes about an hour, and there is no public transport. Dukhan Water Sports sits 9 km along the coast road, Zekreet and Ras Abrouq are about 25 km north, and Umm Bab Beach lies 30 km south. The sand is soft, with no boardwalks or accessible facilities, and driving on the dunes is not allowed. November to April is the comfortable season.

Visit Qatar describes Dukhan's shore as cliffs and wide sandy beaches suited to quiet sunbathing and sunset watching, about 1 hour 15 minutes west of Doha on the Dukhan Highway. Zekreet, to the north, adds rock formations and open desert for camping and stargazing, about 80 minutes from Doha near Film City.