Al Khor (city)

Al-Khor الخور
City
Main road through centre, with shops
Al-Khor Location in Qatar
Coordinates: 25°41′24″N 51°30′36″E / 25.69000°N 51.51000°E / 25.69000; 51.51000Coordinates: 25°41′24″N 51°30′36″E / 25.69000°N 51.51000°E / 25.69000; 51.51000
Country	Qatar
Municipality	Al Khor Municipality
Population (2004)
• Total	31,547
Time zone	AST (UTC+3)

Al Khor is a coastal city in northern Qatar, located 50 kilometres north of the capital, Doha. It is the capital city of the municipality of Al Khor. The name of the city means creek in Arabic as the town is located on a creek. Al Khor is home to many employees of the oil industry due to its proximity to Qatar's northern oil and natural gas fields, and due to its proximity to the Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Historically, Al Khor was ruled by the Al Muhannadi, a tribe which consists of several Bedouin families. According to oral tradition, Al Khor was first settled by the Al Muhannadi tribe in the late 18th century. The settlement expanded its borders after one of their hunting groups discovered a substantial water source near the coast in the mid-19th century. This led them to construct Ain Hleetan Well, which helped sustain the villagers' basic needs. Some locals believed that water obtained from Ain Hleetan possessed medicinal properties.

J. G. Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf gives an account of Al Khor (referred to as Khor Shaqiq) in 1908:

Due to the continuous expansion at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the number of facilities and services available in the town is rapidly increasing. In October 2015, Ashghal (Public Works Authority) revealed that it would be investing billions of Qatari riyals into developing infrastructure in Al Khor. Its plan includes the creation of additional hospitals and schools, and the refurbishment of the road system.

One major sports stadium currently exists in the city: Al-Khor SC Stadium, whose tenants are Al Khor SC. Al Bayt Stadium is planned to be completed by the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Al Bayt Stadium, which translates to 'the house', is designed to replicate a traditional tent used by Qatari nomads. The seating capacity will be 60,000 spectators and it is set to host one of the semi-finals. The Italian industrial group Salini Impregilo was contracted to oversee the stadium's construction operations for a fee of QR 3.1 billion.