Al Shamal


Al Shamal is a municipality in Qatar. Its seat is Madinat ash Shamal and it is considered to be one of the major cities in Qatar, although its population is barely over 7,000. The seat's name translates to "city of the north".
Ras Rakan, the Qatar Peninsula's northernmost point, is included in the municipality, and is surrounded by the Persian Gulf in all directions except for the south. It borders the municipality of Al Khor. The municipality is divided into three primary zones.

History

Al Shamal Municipality was established in July 1972 alongside Qatar's four other initial municipalities.
Accommodating less than 9,000 inhabitants, Al Shamal is the least populous municipality in the country. As it comprises the northernmost portion of the country, its historic importance is attributed to its more moderate weather and close proximity to Bahrain.
The traditional mainstay of its inhabitants was fishing and pearling. As early as the 16th century, Al Huwaila, located on the east coast of Al Shamal, served as Qatar's chief town. It was eventually overtaken by Al Zubarah, a town located in the western section of the municipality, which grew to be the largest and most important settlement in Qatar during the 18th century. A survey conducted by the British Hydrographic Office in 1890 reflects on the subsequent abandonment of Al Zubarah and also provides details of the surrounding area's geography:
A unique partnership between coastal and inland villages was historically prevalent. Groundwater was very difficult to obtain from settlements located directly on the coast due to the intrusion of seawater. Thus, coastal villages would trade marine resources such as fish in exchange for resources obtainable only from inland areas such as freshwater and crops. Examples of these historical partnerships include the Fuwayrit–Zarqa partnership and the Al Ghariyah–Al `Adhbah partnership. Another way settlements obtained freshwater was by excavating depressions to create small reservoirs that would fill during the rainy season.
Proceeding the discovery of oil, most of Al Shamal's population migrated to the capital Doha. In the mid-20th century, the region once again experienced significant population outflow due to upper aquifer salinization resulting from the overuse of diesel-powered water pumps. Nonetheless, once Qatar began reaping profits from its oil extraction activities, many northern settlements became repopulated as it became feasible to transport water over longer distances.

Geography

Accounting for roughly 7% of Qatar's overall landmass, Al Shamal is the northernmost municipality, its outermost point being Ras Rakan. It has around of coastline. According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality has 101 depressions, 41 wadis, 51 streams, 77 plains, 13 hills, three highlands, 12 sabkhas, 12 capes, one bay, and three coral reefs. Three islands are found off its shores: Jazirat Al Khuwayr, Jazirat Umm Tais, and the northern extremity of Jazirat Ras Rakan.
Abu Dhalouf and Ar Ru'ays were the largest villages on the northern coastline until the 1970s, when the Qatari government enacted a plan to establish Madinat ash Shamal between these two villages. Throughout the 1970s, a road system and a port were built to connect the three villages. Development of Madinat ash Shamal continued through the 1980s and 1990s, whereas urban developments were carried out on the adjacent settlements of Abu Dhalouf and Ar Ru'ays in the 2000s. At present, these three villages are the commercial and administrative centers of the municipality.
The majority of Al Shamal's settlements are rural, consisting mainly of small villages and farms. Most of Qatar's archaeological sites, abandoned villages and protected areas can be found in the municipality. Development is mainly oriented towards the three adjacent villages of Madinat ash Shamal, Abu Dhalouf and Ar Ru'ays, and the village of Ain Sinan, with the bulk of development occurring in Madinat ash Shamal.

Climate

The following is climate data for the town of Ar Ru'ays on the northern coast.

Administration

The municipality is divided into 3 zones which are then divided into 162 blocks. According to municipal officials, there are approximately 28 rural settlements of varying sizes situated outside the Madinat ash Shamal area. The majority of these settlements are nestled along Al Shamal Road. There is also a high propensity of abandoned villages scattered throughout the municipality.

Administrative zones

The following zones were recorded in the 2015 population census:

Other settlements

Other settlements, abandoned villages and sites of interest in Al Shamal include:
  • Ain Al Nuaman – village near the municipality's south-west coast.
  • Ain Mohammed – abandoned village near the municipality's north-west coast. Hosts the Ain Mohammed Fort.
  • Al `Adhbah – village near the municipality's north-east coast.
  • Al `Arish – abandoned fishing village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Al Ghariyah – village near the municipality's north-east coast.
  • Al Ghashamiya – village near the municipality's east coast.
  • Al Huwaila – abandoned village near the municipality's south-east coast. Previously served as Qatar's main town before the emergence of Zubarah and Fuwayrit.
  • Al Jumail – abandoned fishing village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Al Khasooma – coastal area near the municipality's north coast, east of Ar Ru'ays.
  • Al Khuwayr – abandoned fishing village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Al Mafjar – abandoned village near the municipality's north-east coast.
  • Al Marroona – village near the municipality's south-east coast.
  • Al Nabaah – abandoned village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Al Qa`abiyah – village near the north-center of Al Shamal.
  • Al Zeghab – village on the outskirts of Madinat ash Shamal.
  • Ar Rakiyat – village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Ath Thaqab – village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Freiha – abandoned village near the municipality's south-west coast. It is closely associated with the historic town of Zubarah.
  • Ghaf Makin – village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Jebel Jassassiyeh – abandoned village near the municipality's north-east coast.
  • Khidaj – abandoned village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Lejthaya – village near the municipality's south-east coast.
  • Lisha – village near the municipality's east coast.
  • Murwab – abandoned village near the municipality's south-west coast. It constitutes one of Qatar's largest Islamic-era settlements.
  • Ras Al Shindwie – village near the municipality's northern tip.
  • Ruwayda – abandoned village near the municipality's north-west coast. It constitutes one of Qatar's largest archaeological sites.
  • Safya – village near the municipality's east coast, to the immediate south of the original village of Fuwayrit.
  • Sidriyat Makin – village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Umm Al Ghaylam – village near the north-center of Al Shamal.
  • Umm Al Hawa'ir – village near the municipality's north-east coast.
  • Umm Al Kilab – village near the center of Al Shamal.
  • Umm al Qubur – abandoned village near the municipality's south-west coast.
  • Umm Al Shuwail – abandoned site containing a fort located 1.1 km east of Zubarah.
  • Umm Jasim – village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Yoghbi – abandoned village near the municipality's south-west coast. It accommodates the earliest known Islamic-era settlement in Qatar.
  • Yusufiyah – abandoned village near the municipality's north-west coast.
  • Zarqa – village near the municipality's north-east coast.

    Organizational structure

Ash-Shamal Municipality comprises four principal departments headed and managed by Hamad Jumaa Al Mannai, mayor of ash-Shamal Municipality as of 2016.
The director's office, heading the director's assistants and the heads of the following departments:
  • Municipal Control Department
  • Services Department
  • Public Affairs Department
  • Technical Affairs Department

    Infrastructure

Education

Government statistics indicate that in 2015 the municipality accommodated 8 schools. The majority of these schools are located in the northern portion of the municipality.

Healthcare

There is one primary healthcare center in the municipality, located in Madinat ash Shamal. Residents in Al Shamal's eastern section, including Ain Sinan, are served by healthcare centers in Al Khor.

Development projects

Commercial fishing activities and cargo transport take place primarily at Ar Ru'ays Port, one of the three primary ports of Qatar. Starting in 2010, the Public Works Authority in Qatar carried out development on the port. The development included construction of a basin, deepening the channel at 2900 meter length, passenger jetty, commercial crew jetty, protection wall, storage areas, government offices, workshops, and passenger terminal building. Ar Ru'ays Port Development Project, which has the stated aim of "transforming Ar Ru'ays Port into northern Qatar's pathway to the world", was launched in January 2015.
North of Fuwayrit, a major desalination plant is under development, while an expansion of a sewage treatment situated south of Madinat ash Shamal will supply local farmers with treated sewage effluent for agricultural use.
The Public Works Authority unveiled in October 2017 that they had begun the process of implementing more than 20 construction projects in the municipality at a cost exceeding QR 2.2 billion with a planned completion date of 2022. Roughly 60% of the total budget was to be spent on improving already-existing infrastructure while the remainder would be spent on funding new projects.
As part of the plan, the municipality's transport system would see major improvements with its road system being renovated and the construction of 12 new intersections, of sidewalks, 8,000 parking spaces and 3,680 light poles. Most of these renovations and additions are set to take place near the municipality's major cities on its northern tip and its eastern section, near Al Huwailah. Also in the works was a sewage network. Most major sanitation facilities are to be located near Madinat ash Shamal and Ar Ru'ays. In Madinat ash Shamal, a healthcare facility and six educational institutes are to be constructed as part of this project. Furthermore, several of the construction projects are intended to supplement the Ar Ru'ays Port.