Al Shamal
| Ash Shamal الشمال | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
|
Zubara Fort | |
 Map of Qatar with Ash Shamal highlighted | |
| Coordinates (Ar Ru'ays (Al Shamal)): 26°08′N 51°13′E / 26.14°N 51.22°ECoordinates: 26°08′N 51°13′E / 26.14°N 51.22°E | |
| Country |
 Qatar |
| Capital | Madinat ash Shamal |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hamad Jumaa Al Mannai |
| Area | |
| • Total | 859.8 km2 (332.0 sq mi) |
| Population (2015)[1] | |
| • Total | 8,794 |
| • Density | 10/km2 (26/sq mi) |
| Time zone | East Africa Time (UTC+03) |
| ISO 3166 code | QA-MS |
Al Shamal (Arabic: الشمال) is a municipality in the state of Qatar. Its seat is called Madinat ash Shamal and it is considered to be one of the major cities in Qatar.[2] The seat's name translates to "city of the north"[3] - although the population is barely over 5,000. Al Shamal will be home to the proposed 45,330-seat Al-Shamal Stadium, one of 12 venues used in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Al Shamal includes Ras Rakan, the northernmost point of the Qatari peninsula, and as such is surrounded by the Persian Gulf in all directions except for the south. It borders the municipality of Al Khor.
The municipality is divided into three primary zones.
History
Ash-Shamal Municipality was created by virtue of law 19 passed on 17 July 1972, stating the creation of new municipalities: Al-Rayyan, Al-Khor and Al-Thakhira, Al-Wakrah, Umm Salal, and Al-Shamal.[4]
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. The traditional mainstay of its inhabitants was fishing and pearling. Al Zubarah, a town located in the western section of the municipality, was previously the largest and most important settlement in Qatar. Proceeding the discovery of oil, most of Al Shamal's population migrated to the capital Doha.[5]
Infrastructure
As of 2015, there are 8 schools, 33 mosques, 1 health care center, and 3 community centers or malls operating within the municipality.[6]
Administration
The Municipality supervises its administrative limits, which are:
- Abu Dhalouf
- Ain Mohammed
- Ain Sanan
- Al `Arish
- Al-Gamashiya
- Al Ghariyah
- Al-Judhe'
- Al Khuwayr
- Al Mafjar
- Al-Mourouna
- Al-Naaman
- Madinat ash Shamal
- Ar Ru'ays
- Freiha
- Fuwayrit
- Jebel Jassassiyeh
- Madinat Al Kaaban
- Umm Jassim
- Umm Al Maa
- Zubarah
Census zones
The following zones were recorded in the 2015 population census:[1]
| Zone | Area (km²) | Population (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhalouf Zubarah | 427.2 | 1,660 |
| Ain Sinan Madinat Al Kaaban Fuwayrit | 266.0 | 1,727 |
| Madinat ash Shamal Ar Ru'ays | 166.6 | 5,407 |
| Municipality | 859.8 | 8,794 |
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.[7]
The director's office, heading the director's assistants and the heads of the following departments:[8]
- Municipal Control Department
- Services Department
- Public Affairs Department
- Technical Affairs Department
Sports
Al-Shamal SC, a sports club most notable for its football team which competes in the Qatargas League, is situated in the city. Their home games are played at Al-Shamal SC Stadium in Madinat ash Shamal. Al-Shamal Stadium, a 45,120 capacity multi-purpose stadium is currently under construction for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[5]
Development projects
Starting in 2010, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) in Qatar carried out development on Al Ruwais Port in ash-Shamal.[9] The development included construction of a basin, deepening the channel at 2900 meter length, passenger jetty, commercial crew jetty, protection wall, Infrastructure, storage areas, government offices, workshops, and passenger terminal building.[10]
Tourism
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, the QTA has prioritized the establishment of eco-reserves in certain areas. Islands such as Ras Rakan and Umm Tais have been developed as nature reserves in order to boost eco-tourism.[5]
It was announced in 2017 that Qatar's largest health resort, due to cover 250,00 sq meters, will be built in Khasooma, east of Al Ruwais.[11]
Visitor attractions
- Forts
- Ar Rakiyat Fort located in Ar Rakiyat
- Qal'at Murair located in Murair
- Thaqab Fort located in Ath Thaqab
- Umm Al Maa Fort located in Umm Al Maa[12]
- Yusufiya Fort located Al Yusufiya[13]
- Zubarah Fort located in Zubarah
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1986[14][15] | 4,380 | — |
| 1997[14][15] | 4,059 | −7.3% |
| 2004[14][15] | 4,915 | +21.1% |
| 2010[16] | 7,975 | +62.3% |
| 2015[1] | 8,794 | +10.3% |
| c-census; e-estimate | ||
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.[17][18]
| Registered live births by nationality and sex | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Qatari | Non-Qatari | Total | ||||||
| M | F | Total | M | F | Total | M | F | Total | |
| 2001 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 28 | 44 | 72 |
| 2002 | 27 | 30 | 57 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 38 | 46 | 84 |
| 2003 | 29 | 37 | 66 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 46 | 55 | 101 |
| 2004 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| 2005 | 36 | 47 | 83 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 50 | 59 | 109 |
| 2006 | 46 | 33 | 79 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 65 | 48 | 113 |
| 2007 | 36 | 42 | 78 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 54 | 61 | 115 |
| 2008 | 29 | 26 | 55 | 23 | 29 | 52 | 52 | 55 | 107 |
| 2009 | 26 | 31 | 57 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 35 | 46 | 81 |
References
- 1 2 3 "2015 Population census" (PDF). Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. April 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
- ↑ "About Qatar". Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ↑ "Al Shamal Municipality". Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Al Shamal Regaining past glory". The Peninsula Qatar. 6 January 2013. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
- ↑ "The Simplified Census of Population, Housing & Establishments 2015" (PDF). Ministry of Municipality and Environment. April 2015. pp. 65–66. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "3 مديرين جدد للدوحة والشحانية والظعاين" (in Arabic). Al Raya. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "تعيين 112 مديراً ورئيساً لقسم ومكتب في 8 بلديات" (in Arabic). Al Sharq. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "Development of Al-Ruwais Port - Phase 2". Construction Week Online. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "Notable Contracts" (PDF). Readymix Qatar L.L.C. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ↑ "منتجع سيـاحي صحـي بالشمال" (in Arabic). Al Watan. 15 March 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ↑ "Umm Al Maa". Qatar Museums Authority. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ↑ "قلاع قطر… حصون للحماية" (in Arabic). Al-Hakawati. 28 December 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Population from 1986–2009". Qatar Statistics Authority. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Population and social statistics". Qatar Statistics Authority. 2004. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- ↑ "2010 population census" (PDF). Qatar Statistics Authority. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ↑ "Population statistics". Qatar Information Exchange. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Qatar Statistics Authority website". Qatar Statistics Authority. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
External links
Madinat ash Shamal travel guide from Wikivoyage
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Capital: Madinat ash Shamal | |
Census designated areas
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Unincorporated and abandoned areas
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