The national currency is the Qatari riyal QAR. The riyal is pegged to the dollar at the rate of QR 3.65 to US $1.
City Centre is currently the largest mall in Qatar and has many stores to choose from. Other malls include Landmark has a Marks & Spencer store, Hyatt Plaza becoming a lot better, The Mall is OK, Royal Plaza and Villagio owned by the same company that owns Landmark and is home to Virgin, The One and is ranked one of the best malls in the world by Forbes. All of these malls have a huge variety of stores.
Blue Salon has huge sales twice a year where you can pick up Armani, Valentino and Cerutti suits for half price. There are many things to buy here but be wary of cheap pearls as they may not be real. There are many good tailors in Qatar and it is a good place to have clothes made to measure and copied.
The souqs in the centre of Doha also have a lot to offer, although the goods are usually of cheaper quality than those of the malls. Prices are usually negotiable, so practice your bargaining skills. Souq Waqif The Standing Souk is the most interesting of the souqs; it was recently renovated to look as it did 50 or 60 years ago. You can buy anything from a turban dishdasha/thobe, traditional dress for men to a pot large enough to cook a baby camel in! It is being expanded to 10 times its current size due to popularity.
