Al Khor is a coastal city in northern Qatar

Qatar

Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

, located 50 kilometers north of the capital, Doha

Doha

Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...

. The name of the city means creek

Creek (tidal)

A tidal creek, tidal channel, or estuary is the portion of a stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean tides, in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean, sea or strait. Thus this portion of the stream has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle...

 in Arabic as the town is located on a creek. Al Khor is home to many employees of the oil industry due to its proximity to Qatar's northern oil and natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

 fields, and due to its proximity to the Ras Laffan Industrial City

Ras Laffan Industrial City

Ras Laffan Industrial City is an industrial hub located north of Doha, Qatar. It is administrated by Qatar Petroleum.Ras Laffan Industrial City is the Qatar's main site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid...

.

History

Al Khor was ruled by the Al Mohanadi tribe before the independence of Qatar in 1971 and continues to be today. It is believed that the Al Mohanadi tribe who live in Al Khor was formed in the 18th century. The tribe consists of 7 Bedouin

Bedouin

The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...

  families. Nowadays, the majority of Al-Khor's citizens are from that tribe.

Sights

Al Khor is known with Al-Sultan beach hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

 & resort, a palace that turned into a hotel, and for its large concentration of modern and historical mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s. The main industry of the city is fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

. There are several excellent beaches surrounding Al Khor, and the beaches south of it are home to many beach houses owned by both residents of the city and residents of Doha.

Facilities

Due to the continuous expansion at Ras Laffan Industrial City

Ras Laffan Industrial City

Ras Laffan Industrial City is an industrial hub located north of Doha, Qatar. It is administrated by Qatar Petroleum.Ras Laffan Industrial City is the Qatar's main site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid...

the number of facilities and services available in the town is rapidly increasing.
Currently they include:

• Al Khor General Hospital
• Medical Center
• Police and Fire stations
• Vehicle testing center
• Traffic department
• An air field
• A driving school
• Housing community
• Fishing harbour
• Football stadium in al khor sporst club
• An assortment of small and medium sized shops (these include opticians, pharmacies, tailors,supermarkets, a coop etc.)
• A growing number of restaurants and fast food stores
• A small industrial area

Currently Al Khor's first shopping mall is under construction