Al Khor
Al Khor, officially Al Khor and Al Thakhira, is a municipality in northeastern Qatar. Al Khor City, the municipal seat, is located on the northeast coast of Qatar, around from the capital, Doha and is considered to be one of Qatar's major cities. Al Thakhira is the second most significant settlement in the municipality after Al Khor City.
The region was ruled by the Al Muhannadi tribe, which consists of seven Bedouin families, before Qatar gained its independence in 1971. Tourism has been increasing in recent years owing to the municipality's various resorts, natural areas and cultural attractions. Fishing was the historical mainstay of most of the municipality's inhabitants.
Etymology
Al Khor Municipality derives its name from the city of the same name. In Arabic, Al Khawr means "bay"; it was so named because Al Khor City was near a bay. Formerly, the city was known as "Khor Al-Shaqiq".History
Al Khor Municipality was established in July 1972, alongside Qatar's four other initial municipalities, and supervises the city of Al Khor in addition to other settlements in the municipality. As of 2017, Ibrahim Issa Nasser Al Fadalah was the mayor of the municipality.Municipal seat
, the municipal seat, is a coastal city located north of the capital Doha. In the past, it was well known for the role it played in Qatar's bustling pearling industry, as well as for its harbour which is filled with fishing boats and small crafts. Several beaches, renovated forts and cultural attractions are found in the city.Geography
Al Khor is situated in northern Qatar, bordered by the municipalities of Al Shamal to the north, Al Daayen and Umm Salal to the southeast, and Al-Shahaniya to the southwest. In addition to the main municipal headquarters in Al Khor City, there are Ministry of Municipality and Environment branches in Al Thakhira and Al Ghuwariyah.Much of Al Khor's territory lies along the Qatari Peninsula's eastern coast, including the eastern boundaries of the municipality's two main cities – Al Khor City and Al Thakhira. Numerous beaches are located in this area, including Al-Farka Beach in Al Khor City and Al Thakhira Beach. A seafront promenade stretched over a area known as Al Khor Corniche runs through the municipal seat.
File:Al Khor Island overlooking the mainland.jpg|thumb|Mangroves in Al Khor Island overlooking the mainland
According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality accommodates 170 rawdas, 49 wadis, 57 jeris, seven jeryan, seven plains, 22 hills, five highlands, 13 sabkhas, 17 capes, four bays, and three coral reefs. Four islands are found off its shores, the most important of which is Al Khor Island.
White mangrove forests in Qatar can be found in greatest abundance near Al Khor and Al Thakhira. This species of mangroves is well-adapted to the saline conditions of the northeast coast. At least eight mangrove sites exist in Qatar, and all are protected areas as of a 2006 Emiri decree.
Climate
The following is climate data for the municipal seat, Al Khor.Administration
The municipality is divided into 3 zones which are then divided into 454 blocks. Two of its main districts, Simaisma and Al Jeryan, are geographically located in Al Daayen. Additionally, the village of Madinat Al Kaaban is geographically located in Al Khor but serves as an administrative district for Al Shamal.Administrative zones
The following administrative zones are found in Al Khor Municipality as of 2015:Districts
Other settlements in Al Khor include:- Abu Al Qararis
- Al Egda
- Al Heedan
- Al Khor Industrial Area
- Al Khor Island
- Al Rashida
- Al Waab
- Ras Matbakh
- Rawdat Al Faras
- Rawdat Bakheela
- Umm Al Hawaya
- Umm Al Maa
- Umm Al Qahab
- Umm Anaig
- Umm Ethnaitain
- Wadi Al Harm
- Waab Al Mashrab
Education
The first school outside of Doha was opened in the city of Al Khor in 1952. Al Khor International School, located in Al Khor Community, is one of the largest schools in the municipality, accommodating 4,000 students of families employed by QatarEnergy LNG.
Healthcare
The 2015 government census indicated that there are 9 healthcare facilities registered in the municipality. Residents near Al Khor City are currently served by Al Khor General Hospital, which is under the auspices of Hamad Medical Corporation. It has a bed capacity of 115 and was opened in 2005. Health services provided by the hospital include general medical care, general surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics and neonatal care.Eight pharmacies were recorded in the municipality in 2013 by Qatar's Supreme Council of Health.
Culture
The Al Khor Archaeological Museum, located in a former two-level police station on the coast of Al Khor City, houses artifacts collected from expeditions carried out in the municipality. On the ground floor of the museum, handiwork relating to Qatar's cultural heritage are on display, and there are exhibits on the maritime traditions historically engaged in by Qataris, such as fishing and shipbuilding. Ancient artifacts obtained from excavations, including those done on the dye industry in Al Khor Island, are hosted on the first floor, as well as geographic maps of Al Khor. On the second level, visitors are provided with a view of the bay and docks near the museum.Al-Khor SC is active in organizing social events through its cultural division, the Al Khor SC Social and Cultural Committee. A number of partnerships have been signed between the committee and local schools and organizations. The committee is responsible for organizing the Al-Khor SC's summer camps which include educational lectures and physical activities. Programs put into effect by the committee include the Midar Maritime Festival at Al Khor Port, the Phantom Jets Championship in January 2015 at Al Khor Airport, diving classes, and natural history tours of various archaeological sites in the country.
Al Khor Mall is an important cultural venue. It accommodates the first three cinemas to be constructed in the municipality, with a combined capacity of 600 viewers. Theatrical performances take place in the mall, as part of Qatar's annual Eid Al Fitr Festival.
Economy
Natural gas
was discovered off of Qatar's east coast in the 1970s, in an area that came to be known as the North Field. The north-east portion of the municipality, known as Ras Laffan, was converted to a natural gas processing center. At present, Ras Laffan accommodates the world's largest GTL plant, the Pearl GTL, which was constructed as a result of a partnership between Royal Dutch Shell and QatarEnergy. Qatar is also the world's second largest supplier of helium, which can be extracted from natural gas. All of the country's helium is produced by Qatargas' two helium plants in Ras Laffan, which were commissioned in 2005 and 2013, respectively. In June 2017, amidst the Qatar diplomatic crisis, the government ordered the two plants to be shut down indefinitely.Agriculture
Agricultural activities such as fishing and pearling were traditional mainstays of the inhabitants of this region. Despite being overtaken in importance by the extraction and construction industries, agriculture is still one of the largest industries in Al Khor. Domestically, 35% of Qatar's total farmland was based in Al Khor in 2015, putting it just behind the municipality of Al Rayyan which had a 36% share of Qatar's farmland. Al Khor, however, had the highest density of farms. There were 344 farms spread out over 16,943 hectares, 220 of which were mixed operations, 119 were occupied solely by crops, and 3 reared livestock. The municipality had a livestock inventory of 160,675, the majority of which were sheep. Livestock numbers surpassed that of all other municipalities. Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, onions and fodder beets are some of the most important crops produced by Qatari farms, the latter of which is grown in large quantities at Al Dawoodiyah in Al Khor.In terms of artisanal fishing vessels, Al Khor had the highest amount out of any city surveyed in 2015 at 234 vessels. The city also had the most sailors and was also the only major city to record an increase in the rate of sailors from 2010 to 2015.
After Qatar was embargoed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in June 2017, it launched a project to fly 10,000 cows to Qatar to reach its goal of food self-sufficiency. This project is based on a two-million square meter plot owned by the Baladna agricultural company in the Umm Al Hawaya locality of the municipality.
One of the most important agricultural research stations in Qatar is located in Rawdat Al Faras. The research station, established in 1976, consists of a laboratory, a warehouse and five palm tree fields hosting thousands of palm trees.
Capitalizing on the municipality's rich maritime tradition, the facility of the Aquatic Fisheries and Research Centre was completed in Ras Matbakh by Ashghal in 2017 at a cost of QR 237.7 million.
Three major government-owned plant nurseries are located in Al Khor; two are in the village of Al Rashida, and one is in Rawdat Bakheela. Plants grown in these nurseries are used for research and also distributed to government ministries. The nurseries in Al Rashida each span and were established in 2003. There is a farmers' market in Al Khor Yard.
Housing
Al Khor's municipal council announced plans to open two workers' cities in the Abu Al Qararis area in 2016. These cities are planned to facilitate 45,000 inhabitants.Barwa Group carries out real estate projects in Al Khor through its subsidiary, Barwa Al Khor. In November 2008, the group unveiled its major 'Urjuan' project, which had a projected cost of $10 billion. Located near the city of Al Khor, Urjuan was described as a planned city capable of hosting 63,000 inhabitants spread over 5.5 million square km. The project had a planned completion date of 2013 and its plots were to be sold through several phases. However, in December 2009, the project was indefinitely put on hold.
Shell Project, a real estate project featuring 350 housing units, a supermarket, and a mosque spanning an area of, was completed by Barwa Al Khor in 2016 and its ownership transferred to Royal Dutch Shell.
Al Khor Community constitutes the biggest housing community in the country at about 15,000 residents. Located in Umm Enaig near Al Thakhira, it hosts 15,000 people and has well-developed infrastructure, including a medical center, five sports facilities, a library, schools, a skate park and playgrounds.