The enormous Mall of Qatar is the country’s largest mall – around 50 football pitches in size, spread across three floors. At the weekend it feels more like a destination than a place to shop. On hot summer evenings this is the place to be seen, with locals promenading its long corridor, dubbed the ‘Oasis’, with a 30-metre high atrium showcasing indoor palm trees and waterfalls. There are some 500 shops to peruse, plus excellent dining options, rock climbing, trampolining, cinemas, live theatrical shows and more. This is everything you need to know before visiting the Mall of Qatar.
Best shops in the Mall of Qatar
It’s easy to spend hours shopping in Mall of Qatar’s cavernous floors. Many global brands launched their first Qatari branches here. Find Pepe Jeans, Hackett London, Iceberg, Fratelli Rossetti, Doucal’s, Tombolini, and Pal Zileri. Or search for niche gift shops like Rawnaq and boutiques such as Ansar Gallery, which is all about local crafts and artisanal goods. While concept stores, including Parfum QA, offer the chance to make your own scent. Home decor enthusiasts can browse Dolce&Gabbana Casa, Marina Home, Luxury Living Group and Mumuso.
Best places to eat in the Mall of Qatar
With around 100 dining options, Mall of Qatar is a shopping destination that’s generously sprinkled with excellent food outlets. Emilia Café is a gloriously pink independent spot, with floral decorations. It serves up tantalising sweet treats, cakes and artisanal coffee in a calm space beneath the dome. For Middle Eastern flavours, Azkadenya, on the first floor, offers modern takes on classic hummus, grilled lamb kebabs and shawarma in a nostalgic retro setting.
Black Tap on the ground floor serves juicy craft burgers and silky smooth milkshakes. Ocean Basket is a solid casual seafood joint, with generous platters of prawns, calamari, sushi and grilled fish in a relaxed space. For a spice kick, Jwala Restaurant is an Indian street‑food place with bold flavours like pakoras, naan breads and a casual setting.
Best family fun in the Mall of Qatar
For big kids (including adults) and small kids alike, Mall of Qatar has endless family entertainment. KidzMondo is ideal for under‑14s – this huge indoor educational ‘city’ is where children can role-play everything from running a bank to working at a TV studio. Older kids can get thrills at Xtremeland, with a fun‑fuelled adventure zone, climbing walls, and a three‑storey high slide, plus bumper cars and trampoline parks that parents can enjoy too. Or hit pins at Mall of Qatar’s eight‑lane bowling alley, part of Novo’s entertainment zone, with sleek lanes, arcade-style vibes, and pre-and post‑bowl snacks.
Best digital entertainment in the Mall of Qatar
Novo Cinema at Mall of Qatar has 19 screens, including the largest IMAX with laser in the MENA region, delivering immersive visuals on its impactful 22 metre screen that spans from floor to ceiling. Thrill-seekers can try MX4D motion‑seats with added scents, mist and motion effects during blockbusters for total indulgence.
The 7‑Star private VIP theatres, meanwhile, offer private lounge access, recliners, gourmet dining and a butler service. The ultra‑lux Majlis suite seats just five couples on velvet sofas with personal dining tables, four‑course meals, blankets and pillows for ultimate comfort. Snacks include frozen-ice popcorn, gourmet pizzas, pasta, and curated snacks delivered right to your seat.
Best live entertainment in the Mall of Qatar
Free live performances take place by theatre troupes in the central Oasis space. The signature MOQLIVE series features a rotating 360° stage, high‑tech lighting and sound, and professional casts of up to 25 singers, dancers, actors and acrobats. Special shows throughout the year include things like the Samba Show, with drumming, capoeira dances and roaming parade, and the annual Shop Qatar, Qatar's biggest shopping festival, with high‑energy acro‑acts, jugglers, magic, traditional music and roaming characters on stage at repeated evening slots – all entirely free.
Best places to stay near the Mall of Qatar
If you can’t bear to leave the mall, you can stay inside it, or right next to it at least – the luxurious Alrayyan Hotel is connected by a bridge. The 201‑room, family‑friendly hotel has three rooftop saltwater pools, all‑day dining at Mezzo, and the chic Moda Lounge for high tea, a wellness spa, and a kids' club. If you want the pampering to continue while you shop, book a concierge and porter service, so you can wander hands‑free as someone carries all your purchases.
Best architecture in the Mall of Qatar
Mall of Qatar’s showstopper is its Oasis Dome, a dramatic glass-and-steel structure that rises 30 metres high and weighs more than 600 tonnes, acting as a natural light well for the 360° rotating stage beneath. The curved 3D lattice ceiling in the Luxury Court is a spectacular construction, made using kilometres of precision-cut aluminium.
Don’t miss the gigantic floral chandelier with around 20,000 hand-placed crystal petals, or the vast LED ribbon wall that wraps the escalators in colour. While wandering don’t forget to appreciate the marble flooring, covering 60,000 square metres, making every step luxurious. Watch for the robotic cleaning machines gliding silently around, keeping the marble floors extra shiny.
Best tips for visiting the Mall of Qatar
Queues can be long to get into the car park in the evening and at weekends. If you're driving, the VIP parking near the luxury court offers quick access to designer brands and quiet cafés. If you’re new to the mall, download its dedicated map so you can find entertainment, dining and stores easily. It also has show times on it and exclusive offers, plus live parking updates to save you time, or go midweek for smaller crowds. Look out for rotating public art installations near the Oasis and East Gate, often showcasing Qatari artists or interactive light sculptures.
