Qatar Boat Show is showcasing Old Doha Port’s maritime history through an archival exhibition titled “A Maritime Legacy and a Gateway to the World” at its VVIP Entrance. Part of the show’s third edition, running until November 7, the exhibition highlights Qatar’s seafaring heritage and the port’s transformation from a commercial harbour into a major tourism destination and maritime gateway.
The exhibition takes visitors through Old Doha Port’s history using rare photographs, original documents, videos and archival records. It begins in the 1950s, when the port was known as Al Furdah and served as a key trading hub for goods arriving from India and Persia.
It then traces the port’s development into an official harbour in the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1971 opening of Doha’s new port and Queen Elizabeth II’s visit aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia.
The showcase also highlights the port’s expansion between the 1980s and 2015, followed by a major transformation in 2016 when commercial operations shifted to Hamad Port. Today, Old Doha Port has evolved into a tourism destination that preserves Qatar’s maritime heritage while embracing modern development in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
The exhibition has been organised through a collaboration between Old Doha Port and several national institutions, including Qatar Museums, Qatar National Library, Dar Al Kutub Al Qatariya, the Ministry of Municipality, Milaha, Al Kass Sports Channels, Atlas Library and Qatar Creates, which provided archival materials to document the port’s history.
The exhibition is accessible to VIP and VVIP guests, along with hospitality pass holders, throughout Qatar Boat Show 2026, which continues at Old Doha Port until November 7.
