The northern portion of the United Arab Emirates consists of a small peninsula (Qatar) and an island (Bahrain). Although these countries are not geographically significant in relation to their neighbours, they are enormously wealthy, thanks to oil, and have aspirations of grandeur. Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup of soccer in November 2022. This is significant.

Qatar, as a destination country, is now ‘on the map’. Its capital, Doha, is quite well developed, with three Metro subway lines, motorways, and a sophisticated city centre dominated by superb high-rise architecture. Just to the west, the island of Bahrain is just as wealthy, and just as likely to have ornate architecture, luxurious shopping arcades, and an extravagant lifestyle. Its capital, Manama, is growing very quickly, with large tracts of land being created out of shallow offshore sea areas. It also has Al Mukharqa, the fabulous old town, which is a market souk of narrow roadways to dream for.

Both of these countries have been previously published by ITMB, but developments are occurring in both at such a rate that an updated map is essential to get around. This part of the world is fast becoming a desirable vacation centre as well as a business location and a favoured cruise ship destination; Qatar in particular.

The map is printed on durable stone paper, as users will need to refer to it frequently to figure out where they are.

Show Less