Al Shamal () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

. Its seat is

Madinat ash Shamal Madinat ash Shamal () is the capital city of the municipality of Al Shamal in Qatar. Located more than north of Qatar's capital Doha, the city was founded in the 1970s, shortly after the country gained independence. It was delimited in 1988 and ...

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 Ras Rakan () is the northernmost point in the Qatari Peninsula and is located in Al Shamal. It is the north-western point of an islet called Jazirat Ras Rakan, but as the channel between this islet and the mainland is not passable for boats, Ja ...

, the Qatar Peninsula's northernmost point, is included in the municipality, and is surrounded by the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

in all directions except for the south. It borders the municipality of

Al Khor Al Khor (; also spelled ''Al Khawr''), officially Al Khor and Al Thakhira, is a Municipalities of Qatar, municipality in northeastern Qatar. Al Khor (city), Al Khor City, the municipal seat, is located on the northeast coast of Qatar, around f ...

. 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 Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

. The traditional mainstay of its inhabitants was fishing and pearling. As early as the 16th century, Al Huwailah, 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 Fuwayrit (; also spelled as Fuwairat) is a Qatari coastal village in the municipality of Ash Shamal approximately north of the capital Doha. It is an important site for Qatar's oil industry. Archaeological evidence suggests that it may have been ...

–

Zarqa Zarqa () is the capital of Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Its name means "the blue (city)". It had a population of 635,160 inhabitants in 2015, and is the second most populous city in Jordan after Amman. History Although the area has been inhab ...

partnership and the

Al Ghariyah Al Ghariyah () is a village on the northeast coast of Qatar located in the municipality of Al Shamal. It was founded in 1885 by settlers from the town of Al Wakrah. It was a site of contention between Qatari tribes allied with the Ottomans and S ...

– 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 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 ...

. 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

. It has around of coastline. According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality has 101 depressions, 41

wadi Wadi ( ; ) is a river valley or a wet (ephemerality, ephemeral) Stream bed, riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs. Wadis are located on gently sloping, nearly flat parts of deserts; commonly they begin on the distal portion ...

s, 51

streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long, large stream ...

, 77

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

s, 13 hills, three

highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

s, 12

sabkha A sabkha () is a predominately coastal, supratidal mudflat or sandflat in which evaporite-saline minerals accumulate as the result of a semiarid to arid climate. Sabkhas are gradational between land and intertidal zone within restricted coast ...

s, 12

cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used th ...

s, one

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

, and three

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

s. Three islands are found off its shores: Jazirat Al Khuwayr, Jazirat Umm Tais, and the northern extremity of Jazirat Ras Rakan. View to the east from Jebel Jassassiyeh

Abu Dhalouf Abu Dhalouf () is a town on the north coast of Qatar, in the municipality of Al Shamal. It was demarcated in 1988 and is bounded by Madinat ash Shamal to the immediate east, with Ar-Ruʼays to the immediate east of Madinat ash Shamal. Etymology I ...

and

Ar Ru'ays AR, Ar, or A&R may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Artists and repertoire * ''AR'' (EP), the debut EP by Addison Rae Periodicals * '' Absolute Return + Alpha'', a hedge fund publication *''The Adelaide Review'', an Australia ...

were the largest villages on the northern coastline until the 1970s, when the Qatari government enacted a plan to establish

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

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 Ain Mohammed () is an abandoned village in northern Qatar, located in the municipality of Ash Shamal. It lies about 1.5 km southwest of the abandoned village of Freiha. To the north is a series of small hills known as Al Jebailat. The site compri ...

– 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. *

– 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 Al Jumail () is an abandoned village in north-east Qatar located in the municipality of Al Shamal. It was an important town in the northern peninsula prior to the 21st century. Nearby settlements include Ruwayda to the south-west and Yusufiyah a ...

– abandoned fishing village near the municipality's north-west coast. * Al Khasooma – coastal area near the municipality's north coast, east of

. *

Al Khuwayr Al Khuwayr () is an abandoned village in northwest Qatar, located in the municipality of Al Shamal. It is a popular domestic tourist attraction due to its history and ruined structures. History 18th century Al Khuwayr was previously known as ''Kh ...

– abandoned fishing village near the municipality's north-west coast. *

Al Mafjar Al Mafjar () is an abandoned village in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ash Shamal in the north. There are plans to redevelop ruins of the ancient village as a tourist attraction. * 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

. *

Ar Rakiyat Ar Rakiyat () is a village in Qatar, in the municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional ...

– village near the municipality's north-west coast. *

Ath Thaqab Ath Thaqab () is an abandoned village in Qatar, in the municipality of Al Shamal, approximately away from the capital Doha. It is close to the settlements of Al Ruwaydah and Al Khuwayr, the latter of which is only away. Thaqab Fort is located i ...

– village near the municipality's north-west coast. *

Freiha Freiha () is a small deserted village on the north-western coast of the Qatar Peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality. It lies in the Zubarah region, located north of Zubarah town. It was founded by the Al Bin Ali tribe, an Utub tribe, in the firs ...

– abandoned village near the municipality's south-west coast. It is closely associated with the historic town of Zubarah. *

Ghaf Makin Ghaf Makin is an abandoned settlement in Qatar, in the municipality of Ash Shamal. In 1917, it was described as a Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the de ...

– village near the municipality's north-west coast. *

Jebel Jassassiyeh Jebel Jassassiyeh () is an area with early petroglyphs, residential ruins and pottery remnants (from the 15th century) in northeast Qatar. The carvings, in fossil sand dunes ("''jebel''s"), include geometric shapes, animals and ship shapes. I ...

– 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 An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

. * Safya – village near the municipality's east coast, to the immediate south of the original village of

. *

Sidriyat Makin Sidriyat Makin ( ) is a settlement in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ash Shamal, about 100 kilometers north of Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the count ...

– 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 Yoghbi () is an abandoned village in north-west Qatar located in the municipality of Al Shamal. It accommodates the earliest yet-discovered Islamic-era settlement on the Qatar Peninsula. It is about to the north of Umm Al Maa and to the southw ...

– abandoned village near the municipality's south-west coast. It accommodates the earliest known Islamic-era settlement in Qatar. *

Yusufiyah Yusufiyah (; also transliterated as Yusafiyah, Youssifiyah or Yusifiyah, occasionally prefixed with Al-) is a regional township in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq. Background Yusufiyah is named after Yūsuf (Joseph). It is about south of Baghd ...

– abandoned village near the municipality's north-west coast. *

– 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

. Residents in Al Shamal's eastern section, including Ain Sinan, are served by healthcare centers in

Development projects

Commercial fishing activities and cargo transport take place primarily at

Port, one of the three primary ports of Qatar. Starting in 2010, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) 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

, a major desalination plant is under development, while an expansion of a sewage treatment situated south of

will supply local farmers with treated sewage effluent for agricultural use. Beach in Ruwais Qatar

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) 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.

Transport

Al Shamal Road is the major highway facilitating travel to the capital

, as well as between many villages within the municipality. Another important road is Al Zubarah Road, which links

Zubarah Zubarah (), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined, ancient town located on the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about from the capital Doha. It was founded by Shaikh Muhammed bin Khal ...

to the

Al Khor Municipality Al Khor (; also spelled ''Al Khawr''), 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 ...

. The Qatar–Bahrain Causeway was a major development project which would provide a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

between Qatar and

near the town of

, however, after several postponements, it is unclear if the project is still underway.

Economy

Industry

Al Shamal Industrial Area is the region's industrial hub. The municipality's long-term development plan suggests that the area will cater to

light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

and medium industries such as manufacturing, construction and logistics, benefiting both Ar Ru'ays Port and the urban development of its principal towns.

Agriculture

Around 14 sizable farming regions exist in the municipality, in the settlements of Ain Al Nuaman, Murwab,

, Lisha, Al `Arish,

and Al Jumail in the west, and

Madinat Al Kaaban Madinat Al Kaaban () is a village in Qatar, located in the municipalities of Qatar, municipality of Ash Shamal. It lies close to the border with Al Khor, Al Khor Municipality. Etymology The 'madinat' portion translates to 'city' in English. 'Kaab ...

, and Al Jethay in the east. In 2010, the municipality recorded 115 farms spanning its area while the Ministry of Municipality & Urban Planning documented 125 farms, constituting about 12% of all of Qatar's farms at that time. Most of the farms were based in the eastern section, with Madinat Al Kaaban having the highest concentration. Qatar's inaugural privately owned large-scale fishing project was launched in the Al Shamal Industrial Area in October 2017. Up to 2,000 tonnes of fish will be supplied every year for domestic consumption by the fish farm.

Sports

Al-Shamal SC Al-Shamal Sports Club () is a Qatari multi-sports club based in Madinat ash Shamal. Al-Shamal was founded in 1980. Its football team competes in the Qatar Stars League, the top tier of the national football league system. History Mohammed bin B ...

, a sports club most notable for its football team which competes in the

Qatargas League The Qatari Second Division (), QSD or Second Division League, also was known as Qatargas League due to sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the two-tier football league competition in Qatar. Contested by 8 teams, it operates on a system of p ...

, is situated in the city. Their home games are played at Al-Shamal SC Stadium in

. Another stadium of the same name, Al-Shamal Stadium, is a proposed 45,120 capacity multi-purpose stadium currently under construction for the

2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

Visitor attractions

The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is in the process of developing Al Shamal's historic villages, archaeological sites and natural areas into tourist attractions. As the municipality currently has the highest annual precipitation rate in the country and a large coastline area, the QTA has prioritized the establishment of eco-reserves in certain areas. Islands such as

and Umm Tais have been developed as nature reserves in order to boost eco-tourism. The Al Reem Biosphere Reserve is a protected area in western Al Shamal measuring . This area encompasses the archaeological site of

and the Al Ishriq Wildlife Breeding Center. Several reintroduced species are found in this area such as sand gazelles and

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds. Two living species are recognised, the common ostrich, native to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Somali ostrich, native to the Horn of Africa. They are the heaviest and largest living birds, w ...

es, in addition to native species such as

dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest ...

s, spiny-tailed lizards and

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

es.

' coastal area is a popular destination due to its lush vegetation. In recent years, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment have embarked on campaigns to restore the

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

s that grow abundantly on its coast. Also located along the coast of Ar Ru'ays is the Al Shamal Corniche, a seafront promenade with a length of . In 2017 it was announced that Qatar's largest health resort, due to cover , will be built in Khasooma, east of

. Abandoned villages are being restored and converted into tourist attractions. Jumail, a fishing village abandoned in the 1970s and located away from Ar Ru'ays, is one example. After being partially reconstructed in 2009, the government announced its plans in late 2015 to convert the village into a museum. Containing no less than 60 crumbled structure, Jumail is thought to date back to the 19th century and had a close connection to Ruwayda, another ruined village situated away which accommodates the remains of what is possibly the largest fort in Qatar. According to statistics made available by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality was said to accommodate 5 parks in 2018.

Forts

As a result of the gradual urbanization of the various nomadic Qatari tribes in Al Shamal's past, numerous historic forts are found throughout the municipality. Many of these forts were built to protect scarce water resources, while others were to protect from invasions by neighboring tribes. Most prominent is the historic Zubarah Fort, built in 1938 and converted to a museum in 1987. This fort was built as a coast guard station and is now the center of the

archaeological site. A short distance away from Zubarah Fort is

Qal'at Murair Qal'at Murair (also Qal'at Im Murair, ) is a ruined and deserted fortified castle located from the south eastern part of the town of Zubarah.The Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia, John Gordon Lorimer, Volume II, Part 9 (Geog ...

, which was built to defend Zubarah's inland wells. The multi-purpose

Ar Rakiyat Fort Ar Rakiyat Fort () is a historical fort located in north-west Qatar, in the municipality of Al Shamal. It was constructed in the 19th century near the village of Ar Rakiyat to protect water sources in the area. It was used as a defensive structur ...

is approximately northeast of Zubarah Fort. It was constructed around the 19th century to protect the water supply of

and to fend off invasions, and was restored by

Qatar Museums Qatar Museums (formerly the Qatar Museums Authority) was founded in 2005 and is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at the Katara Cultural Village, A ...

in 1988. An older fort is found away from Ar Rakiyat, near the abandoned village of

. Like most other Qatari forts, Ath Thaqab fort is rectangular in shape and has four main towers. It dates to somewhere between the 17th and 19th centuries. Umm Al Maa Fort, also near Zubarah, dates to the 19th century and only its base structure has been preserved. Similarly, Yusufiya Fort is dated to the 19th century and has only retained its base structure. Artifacts dating to the 13th century have been discovered at this fort.

Archaeological sites

A cluster of

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

-period (750–1253) archaeological sites are found near the north-west coast and include

, Umm Al Kilab,

, Mussaykah, Murwab, and Al-Haddiyah. Structures that were excavated at these sites were roughly aligned with

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

. All of the sites are situated next to depressions, ensuring a reliable water supply.

Demographics

''The following table is a breakdown of registered live births by nationality and sex for Al Shamal. Places of birth are based on the home municipality of the mother at birth''.

References

External links

{{Authority control Municipalities of Qatar