Whether you’re a sports fan, nature lover, or wellness enthusiast, Qatar offers something for all visitors. The Qatar 365 team sits down with seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, explores the waters of Qatar’s Mangroves, and visits the Korean Medical Center for a glowing complexion.
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00:00But to see the growth over the years and then to see us then enter into different parts
00:06here of the Middle East, that's been amazing to see.
00:08And we're always so welcomed over here.
00:10The weather's fantastic, the food is great, the hospitality is second to none.
00:14The experience for exploring the mangrove, it's something that's not only sport, it's
00:19like a part of meditation.
00:20If you're coming here, you can spot only the music of nature.
00:26Hello, welcome to Qatar 365 with me, Adil Halim.
00:32On this episode, we explore Qatar from a different perspective.
00:35The country has invested billions of dollars to bolster its tourism strategy with the goal
00:40of welcoming six million visitors by 2030.
00:43But first, Laila Humaira visited the Al Fakihra mangrove forest to get up close and personal
00:48with the ecosystems that have fortified Qatar's shores for centuries.
00:55The long, winding streams of the Al Fakihra mangrove forest isn't something you'd expect
01:00in a desert-like climate.
01:02But only an hour's drive north of Doha is this natural heritage that's as precious to
01:08Qatar as its coveted pearls.
01:11This is also where Mohamed El Azeb found that combining kayaking and ecotourism is one of
01:16the best ways to educate tourists and residents about the mangroves.
01:21When people are going kayaking, we start to teach them, to give them more information
01:25related to the ecology of this mangrove.
01:27We have a very smart plant here in this area, the mangrove.
01:31They are surviving in the very salt water, and at the same time, it's very important
01:35for the ecosystem here for Qatar.
01:37Aqua Sports runs kayak tours all year round.
01:40Other than tourists, the company also organizes school excursions and corporate trips so that
01:46people from all walks of life can learn more about the mangroves.
01:50We teach people more about the environment, about cycling.
01:54We do like a beach cleanup, especially with the schools, with the college.
01:58This mangrove is providing a very fresh air.
02:02The oxygen coming from these leaves is five times any plant in the land.
02:06Kayak tours are especially popular during the winter months.
02:09If you're lucky, you might even get a chance to spot migratory birds like flamingos.
02:14Whether it's sunrise or sunset, these kayaks allow participants to wander down the waterways
02:20of Alpakira mangrove forest while also learning about the significance of these trees to Qatar's
02:26biodiversity.
02:28As luck would have it, we spotted a couple of flamingos.
02:32Usually in a bigger group, the shy, pink-feathered birds are a treat to see in Qatar because
02:37they only come between December and March.
02:40Herons and other migratory birds have made the mangroves their sanctuary, adding to the
02:45sense of peace and tranquility of the area.
02:48The experience for exploring the mangrove, it's something that's not only sport.
02:54It's like a part of meditation.
02:55If you're coming here, you can spot only the music of nature.
03:00You can hear in your background only birds.
03:03Going forward, it's Mohammed's ambition to plant one million mangrove trees along Qatar's
03:08shores with the aim of keeping the ecosystem alive for decades to come.
03:14In seeding season, we collect the seeds and give it to the students to start to do re-planning
03:19for this one to keep the environment safe.
03:21They offer a lot of biodiversity for wildlife here, for marine life, birds.
03:28And we ask as human, we have a rule to keep this safe and sustainable.
03:33It's like a heritage we need to deliver for next generation.
03:39The thrill of high-level sports action is another major draw for visitors.
03:46155,000 race fans flocked to the three-day Formula One Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit.
03:54Many were there to see Lewis Hamilton, currently tied with Michael Schumacher for the most F1 world titles.
04:00As his tenure with Mercedes has come to an end, the 40-year-old will suit up for Ferrari in the 2025 F1 season.
04:07I caught up with Hamilton during his recent visit to Doha to look back at his time with the Silver Arrows,
04:12the hurdles he's overcome and his surprising interest in space exploration.
04:20Lewis, welcome to Doha. We know you love fast cars, music and fashion, but space?
04:26You recently just lived out a childhood dream of doing flight training for astronauts.
04:30Where did your fascination with space travel come from?
04:33I just always remember looking up, going into my back garden and look up into the sky and seeing the stars and just wondering what was out there.
04:39And it's something I contend, like even today, I'm just fascinated by it.
04:42As a driver, you used to have complete control at incredible speeds.
04:46I've heard you describe the F1 car as a fighter jet on wheels.
04:51Now that you actually flew a fighter jet, how does the G-Force compare to what you're used to on a racetrack?
04:56I mean, it is basically, I mean, the Formula One car basically is a plane upside down on wheels
05:02because obviously a plane has lift and we have something called downforce, which is basically the wings just upside down.
05:08So the faster you go, the wings push the car into the ground.
05:11And that's why we're able to take the corners at the speeds we do.
05:14But we pull lateral and longitudinal G-Force, but in a fighter jet you're pulling just vertical G.
05:21And that is something else because the blood rushes.
05:26The more G you pull, the more it's harder to keep the blood pumping in the brain and it's easy to pass out.
05:31So on this experience, it was just phenomenal.
05:34Just everything I'd ever dreamed of.
05:36You talked about you're ready for Top Gun 3 when they call you, right?
05:38I'm so ready. Yeah.
05:40As your partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Swiss luxury watch brand IWC comes to an end,
05:44you said this was a very difficult decision to come to.
05:47I imagine spending more than a decade, it kind of feels like leaving family.
05:50If you look back, what are some of your favorite memories and moments during your time at the Silverado?
05:55I mean, it is 100% like leaving family.
05:58I think I will always be a part of the family because I've been with Mercedes-Benz since I was 13.
06:02And with IWC, we've been together 11 years.
06:06We always have done great fun events.
06:09So for example, this video that you've seen, that was like the best, best one for sure we've done.
06:15A lot of people see the finished product that is Lewis Hamilton today, the GOAT to many.
06:19But you've overcome some incredible hurdles in your life.
06:22What are some of the hurdles you're most proud to have overcome?
06:25And what's the message to your fans who may be going through something similar?
06:28I think that's a really good question.
06:29I think some of the biggest hurdles are probably second-guessing yourself,
06:33having doubts of whether or not you can do something when things get tough.
06:37So self-belief I think has been one of the most important things for me is continue to have self-belief.
06:43And there's definitely been days where that's been challenged.
06:46But the thing that's got me to where I am is I continue to believe in my ability.
06:50So I was like, I'm going to make it.
06:53Whatever it is, I'm going to get in shape.
06:54I'm going to quit.
06:56I'm going to start eating healthy on Monday.
06:58Whatever it is, you know, like speaking those things into existence is always really helpful.
07:03Speaking of speaking things into existence, the F1 recently announced a new diversity and inclusion charter.
07:09All 10 teams are in part F1, FIA.
07:13As someone who's been a lead voice on this,
07:15how confident are you that this will lead to real and positive change?
07:19Honestly, I'm so, so happy.
07:22It's been three years in the making to get F1 to take that on.
07:27Growing up in a sport that has not been diverse, not been inclusive,
07:34I see a lot of comments from people like, yeah, well, you want the best people.
07:37Yeah, but define what is the best person.
07:41It shouldn't matter what your socioeconomic background is.
07:45It shouldn't matter what your gender is or what the color of your skin is, where you're from.
07:51Everyone should have an opportunity to succeed.
07:53And there are actual barriers within society.
07:56So to see that all the teams are now engaged in F1, the FIA, I'm so proud.
08:02You're here for the Qatar Grand Prix.
08:04There are a few stops in the Gulf region, Bahrain, Saudi, UAE.
08:09How have you seen this sport grow in this region during the course of your career?
08:13I mean, it's been pretty impressive to see the growth
08:16and then to see us then enter into different parts here of the Middle East
08:21and also to see the place grow.
08:23All these countries just becoming more and more beautiful as they continue to grow.
08:29The cities, that's been amazing to see, the evolution of the places.
08:34And we're always so welcome over here.
08:36It's such a beautiful, the weather's fantastic, the food is great, the hospitality is second to none.
08:46Qatar is not just a destination for its sporting events and beautiful ecosystems.
08:50Tourists also travel here for beauty of a different kind.
08:54Ioanna Hughes explores why visitors at the Korean Medical Center in Lusail
08:58travel from far and wide in pursuit of the perfect complexion.
09:03Whether it's the hydrothermal baths of the Zulal Wellness Resort
09:07or the sound baths in our habitat's Rasa Brook,
09:10Qatar is establishing itself as a tourism destination
09:13with plenty of holistic health services on offer.
09:16The recently opened Korean Medical Center
09:18offers non-invasive skin care treatments inspired by South Korea,
09:22a country where exfoliating and moisturizing has been elevated
09:26from a mundane morning task to an art form and a billion-dollar industry.
09:30We have good cosmetic industry in Korea from a long time ago
09:37and that means that Koreans are easy to get good quality products with affordable price.
09:44That means that even the young generation is easy to get that product
09:48and use that product from early age.
09:51After we get some like K-drama or K-movie something
09:57and then that Korean beauty is get popular in the world.
10:02I'm at the Korean Medical Center to find out firsthand
10:05if Korean skin care lives up to the hype.
10:08KMC is the first of its kind Korean health care facility in the region
10:12offering a wide variety of treatments for those in search of rejuvenation
10:16and what the center calls harmony of mind, body and soul.
10:20Now clients come from Qatar and beyond all hoping like me
10:24to walk out feeling a little fresher and maybe a little more glowing.
10:28So the KMC we are so proud.
10:31It's like a first Korean medical facility in the Middle East.
10:35So some of our customers patients come from the UAE and Saudi Arabia
10:41and even Kazakhstan and Russia so to meet us.
10:45The treatments I'm trying today are all about achieving so-called glass skin
10:50a non-invasive Korean skin care trend that has gone viral around the world.
10:54So glass skin means they have a very clean and clear skin and the glowing.
10:59So we have several steps to make that Korean glass skin.
11:03So we do some explorating and then we can do some like improve their skin texture
11:11look like a glowing.
11:13We also can proceed like some hydra facial for a maintenance.
11:17Well that was certainly a new experience for me.
11:20Let's see if this evening I'm actually glowing and a bit closer
11:24to achieving that soul after Korean glass skin that tourists travel here for.
11:32Whether in support of conservation efforts, adrenaline pumping sports
11:36or just a little beauty boost the country is diversifying its offerings
11:40in an effort to hit that target of 6 million tourists by 2030.
11:44We hope you enjoyed exploring some of them with us.
11:47That's all the time we have for now.
11:49For more check out euronews.com and connect with us through a hashtag.
11:52Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time on Cutler 365.