Doha

Doha grew from a small fishing and pearl-diving village called Al Bidda on the eastern coast of the Qatar peninsula. The Al Thani tribe settled the area in the early 19th century, and the town became notable enough to be attacked by the British Navy in 1821 for alleged piracy. Pearl diving was the economic lifeblood until the 1930s collapse of the natural pearl market devastated the region. The discovery of oil and then the world's largest natural gas field transformed Qatar beyond recognition — Doha went from a modest Gulf town to a global city of gleaming towers, world-class museums, and international ambition within a single generation.