Abu Hamour () is a
Qatari
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares its sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the ...
district in the municipality of
Al Rayyan
Al Rayyan (; also spelled ''Ar Rayyan'') is the third-largest municipalities of Qatar, municipality in Qatar. Its primary settlement is the Al Rayyan (city), city of the same name, which occupies the entire eastern section and is a part of the Do ...
.
Known to some as the "Wholesale Market District", it is a part of the
Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
Metropolitan Area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
.
Etymology
In
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, "abu" translates to "father" and in this context is used as a prefix for a specific characteristic of the area. The second part of the name, "
hamour
The name "hamour" or "hammour" () is used to describe a number of fish, mainly the goldspotted rockcod (''Epinephelus coioides'') and brown spotted reef cod (''Epinephelus chlorostigma''). At the same time, it is the name given to a variety of ...
", is a specific type of fish that is common in Qatari waters. According to local tradition, the district was named after the type of fish most commonly caught by resident fishermen.
Administration
When free elections of the
Central Municipal Council
The first municipal council in Qatar was formed in the early 1950s and it was reorganized in 1956. Doha Municipality, Doha municipality came into being in May 1963. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs was established in 1972 as a government body re ...
first took place in Qatar during 1999, Abu Hamour was designated the constituency seat of constituency no. 12.
It would remain constituency seat in the next three consecutive elections until the
fifth municipal elections in 2015, when it was split between constituencies no. 10 and no. 11. In the inaugural municipal elections in 1999, Hamad Mubarak Al Marri won the elections, receiving 36.4%, or 207, of the votes. Runner-up that year was Hafeez Salem Al Nabat Al Marri, whose share of the votes was 111, or 19.5%. Voter turnout was 75.7%.
Khalid Mohammed Al-Ma'adid was elected in the 2002 elections. For the
third municipal elections in 2007, Hamad Rashid Al Nabat was elected constituency representative. In
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, Saleh Jaber Al Marri won the elections.
Areas
Baluchi Camp

A large area in Abu Hamour has been set aside by the government to house members of the
Baluchi ethnic group. Originally, the Baluchis hail from Oman, Iran, and Pakistan, but began migrating to Qatar beginning in the 1950s, when Qatar started to reap the benefits of its oil drilling. First, the government designated a Baluchi housing area in
Fereej Abdel Aziz
Fereej Abdel Aziz () is a Qatari district located in the municipality of Ad Dawhah.
Etymology
''Fereej'', the first constituent of the district's name, translates to "neighborhood" in English. The second part of the name, ''Abdel Aziz'', was giv ...
in the 1950s, and later relocated them to
Nuaija
Nuaija () is a Qatari district in the municipality of Ad Dawhah. One of Nuaija's zones, Zone 41, was formerly known as Al Hilal West but was incorporated into Nuaija as of the 2010 census. Municipal authorities are developing district as a major ...
, before finally settling on Abu Hamour. There are currently thousands of Baluchis living in the camp, some of whom have positions in Qatar's government and army but do not possess Qatari citizenship.
The Qatari government provides the residents with building materials, although many of the structures do not meet regulations and contain illegal modifications. Infrastructure in the area is poor, with many of the 900 to 1000 houses lacking sewage and running water. There are two supermarkets and five mosques found in the camp.
Wholesale Market Area
The Wholesale Market Area in Abu Hamour previously accommodated Abu Hamour Central Market, one the largest marketplaces in Qatar. In the early 20th century, the wholesale market was located in the
Al Jasrah
Al Jasrah () is a district in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ad Dawhah.
It hosts Souq Waqif, one of the largest souqs in Qatar. Other points of interest in the district include Souq Jaidah, the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital, the Souq Waqif ...
area of Doha in what is presently
Souq Waqif
Souq Waqif () is a marketplace ( souq) in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The souq sells traditional garments, spices, handicrafts, and souvenirs. It is also home to restaurants and shisha lounges. The original building is a specimen of traditional ...
. As urban expansion continued unabated in Doha throughout the later 20th century, it was decided that the wholesale market would be transferred to Abu Hamour and remain under the jurisdiction of Doha, thus becoming the new western boundary of Greater Doha. While it still operated, the Abu Hamour Central Market contained a fresh vegetable and fruit market, a livestock market and an ornamental plants market. In early 2017 all wholesale shops in Abu Hamour Wholesale Market were shut down, most being shifted to the Umm Salal Central Market in
Umm Salal Ali
Umm Salal Ali () is the seat of the Municipalities of Qatar, municipality of Umm Salal in Qatar.
Etymology
In Arabic language, Arabic, "Umm Salal" roughly translates to "mother of rocks". The name "Ali" added onto the end refers to Ali bin Jas ...
.
The fruit and vegetable market was moved to
Al Sailiya
Al Sailiya () is a district of Al Rayyan City in Qatar, located in the municipality of Al Rayyan.
Etymology
The word "sailiya" is derived from the Arabic term "sayl", which translates as "to flow". It gained this name from the fact that part of ...
, while the livestock market, which frustrated locals had attributed a foul odor to, was transferred to
Abu Samra
Abu Samra () is a settlement in Qatar, located in the municipalities of Qatar, municipality of Al Rayyan (90 km from Doha). It used to be part of the Jariyan al Batnah municipality before the municipality was incorporated into Al Rayyan.
N ...
in southern Qatar. Municipal officials plan to convert the now defunct Abu Hamour Central Market into a commercial complex.
Industry

As a result of its central location, Abu Hamour is an increasingly popular choice for retailers. A number of retail outlets from elsewhere in the country have relocated to the neighborhood. Historically, Abu Hamour hosted the largest wholesale market in the country, but in April 2017 the wholesale market was transferred to
Umm Salal Ali
Umm Salal Ali () is the seat of the Municipalities of Qatar, municipality of Umm Salal in Qatar.
Etymology
In Arabic language, Arabic, "Umm Salal" roughly translates to "mother of rocks". The name "Ali" added onto the end refers to Ali bin Jas ...
.
Abu Hamour is the site of a refined petroleum products distribution depot which formerly belonged to the National Oil Distribution Company (NODCO), a subsidiary of
QatarEnergy
QatarEnergy (), formerly Qatar Petroleum (QP), is a state-owned petroleum company of Qatar. The company operates all oil and gas activities in Qatar, including exploration, production, refining, transport, and storage. The President and CEO is S ...
, until 2002 when newly-established
Qatar Fuel
Qatar Fuel Company Q.P.S.C., d/b/a WOQOD, is a Qatari oil and gas company focused on the distribution and sale of refined petroleum products supplied by QatarEnergy. It is the only fuel retailer in Qatar and is publicly listed on the Qatar Stock ...
assumed responsibility for the depot's management.
Transport
Currently, the underground Abu Hamour Metro Station is under construction, having been launched during Phase 1A. Once completed, it will be part of
Doha Metro
The Doha Metro (, ''Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Mitru ad-Dawha'') is a rapid transit system in the Doha Metropolitan Area of Qatar's capital city Doha, which became operational on 8 May 2019. It has three lines with an approximate overal ...
's Green Line.
Education
The following schools are located in Abu Hamour:
References
Populated places in Al Rayyan
{{Al Rayyan Municipality