Qatar

Lusail Racing and a Generous Host

Qatar has hosted four Grands Prix at Lusail since 2021, and its cooking turns on rice, fish, dates and a host who always cooks too much.

Qatar is one of the newest homes of the World Championship. The Qatar Grand Prix was first held in 2021 at the Losail International Circuit in Lusail, returned in 2023 and has stayed on the calendar since. Our records count 4 editions from 2021 to 2025, and the 2026 race is listed as round 22, scheduled for November 29.

No Qatari driver or team appears in our records, so for now the country's place in the sport is the circuit and the race it holds as each season draws toward its close.

Qatari cooking belongs to the wider tradition of Arab cuisine, and many of its dishes are shared with the neighbors, sometimes under other names. Meat, fish and rice are the staples, seasoned with cumin, coriander, cinnamon and saffron, and Qatari cooks keep spice blends of their own, such as bizar, for the national dish. Dates are the national fruit, grown in the country for thousands of years, and date syrup is one of its oldest industries, once a quick source of energy for pearl divers.

Hospitality shapes every meal. A guest is welcomed with Arabic coffee brewed with cardamom, or with sweet mint tea, and the host prepares far more food than anyone could eat, since running short would be a real embarrassment. Leftovers, in other words, are a point of honor. During Ramadan families gather for late night feasts of fish, rice cooked with dates and sweet dumplings. A pot of machbous is the place to begin.

A taste of Qatar

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