Qatar

Qatar's capital glints across the Persian Gulf — futuristic skyscrapers along the Corniche, I.M. Pei's Museum of Islamic Art on its own peninsula, and Jean Nouvel's desert-rose National Museum. Souq Waqif preserves the old market vibe with falconry shops + Persian-style restaurants. The Pearl-Qatar artificial island and Katara Cultural Village extend the modern face; the Inland Sea desert at the Saudi border delivers dune-bashing day trips. World Cup 2022 host. Hamad International is Qatar Airways' superhub — many travelers arrive on the stopover program.