Al Wakrah has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
Shamal
08:00 · 11:30 · 12:00 · 14:30
No set hour to plan around. The winter Shamal arrives with the weather system rather than as a daily thermal, and lessons here are booked either in the morning, starting between 08:00 and 11:30, or in the early afternoon, starting between 12:00 and 14:30, with the beach confirmed the day before off the forecast.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it Shamal
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: No set hour to plan around. The winter Shamal arrives with the weather system rather than as a daily thermal, and lessons here are booked either in the morning, starting between 08:00 and 11:30, or in the early afternoon, starting between 12:00 and 14:30, with the beach confirmed the day before off the forecast.
Typical strength
Modelled monthly means run about 10-11 knots December to March and drop to 6-8 knots through the summer, with 20-21 days a month over the 12-knot threshold in that winter block and 179 such days across the year. Sessions themselves sit above the monthly mean, but no measured session range is published.
Also on record
10
The quiver, in words
9-12m
Direction to shore
Depends on exact launch along the Al Wakrah shoreline. N, NE, S and SE are reported as workable directions, but none has been mapped to onshore/cross/offshore for the regular launch.
Dominant direction
NW to N. N, NE, S and SE are all reported as workable.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month54
- Feb, riders' month74
- Mar, riders' month67
- Apr71
- May84
- Jun68
- Jul74
- Aug59
- Sep59
- Oct41
- Nov, riders' month41
- Dec, riders' month41
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.
- 12Jan21°
- 14Feb20°
- 14Mar22°
- 13Apr25°
- 15May29°
- 14Jun33°
- 14Jul34°
- 12Aug35°
- 12Sep34°
- 11Oct32°
- 11Nov28°
- 10Dec23°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54% | 12.3 kt | NW | 18.2°C | 20.6°C |
| Feb | 74% | 13.8 kt | NNW | 19.3°C | 20.1°C |
| Mar | 67% | 13.6 kt | NNW | 22.6°C | 22.4°C |
| Apr | 71% | 13 kt | NW | 26.6°C | 25°C |
| May | 84% | 15.4 kt | NNW | 32°C | 29°C |
| Jun | 68% | 13.8 kt | NNW | 35.2°C | 32.5°C |
| Jul | 74% | 13.8 kt | NW | 36.3°C | 33.8°C |
| Aug | 59% | 12 kt | ESE | 36°C | 35.1°C |
| Sep | 59% | 11.9 kt | NNW | 33.9°C | 34.4°C |
| Oct | 41% | 11.3 kt | N | 30.4°C | 31.9°C |
| Nov | 41% | 10.7 kt | NW | 25.9°C | 27.5°C |
| Dec | 41% | 10 kt | NW | 20.5°C | 23°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
flat to choppy sea
Standing depth
Shallow, with riding between sand benches in a secure shallow learning area; also described as shallow with a sandy bottom, shallow and calm overall.
Tides
Tide-sensitive. Low tide is the one to want: it uncovers sand benches and leaves a secure shallow area to ride and learn between them. High tide is named instead in one place with no reason attached, unconfirmed, so low tide is the working read.A 2026 Al Wakrah tide table runs from about -0.3 m minimum to 2.0 m maximum.
Temperature
32.9°C summer · 20.4°C winter
Wetsuit
Qatar Tourism says a wetsuit is only necessary in Qatar from December to February; otherwise boardshorts or light sun protection are typical.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: big
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Public beach and sand-bank access at Al Wakrah, south of Doha. The road runs out onto the beach itself, with soft sand and room to launch and land.
Space
big
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check the tide as well as the wind before you drive down: low tide opens the sand banks, though other advice names high tide.
- Ask a local school or rider which access to use, because the Al Wakrah shoreline runs long and the safe wind angle depends on where you put in.
- Give the families room; this is a family beach with children in the shallow water near you.
- Walk the shallows or wear booties first, since rocks are reported at Al Wakra Beach.
- Skip the middle of the day in summer: June-September reaches 45 C or higher.
Getting there
Airport
Hamad International Airport (DOH), Doha
Route
From Doha, drive south on the Ras Abu Aboud/airport road or Al Wakrah Main Road. Al Wakrah Beach is about 25-30 minutes south of the city, and the access road ends on the sand.
Transfer
25 min
Cost level
medium-high
Staying
Base in Doha or in Al Wakrah; the beach is close enough for a short session out of the city. Souq Al Wakrah has restaurants and cafes behind the beach, with the Souq Al Wakrah Hotel nearby.
No-wind days
The Souq Al Wakrah beachfront promenade with its restaurants and cafes, Doha's museums, Souq Waqif, the malls and the public artworks, plus barbecue and picnic areas, football and volleyball facilities, and desert or other-beach day trips.
Photos
FAQ
Is Al Wakrah suitable for beginners?
Yes, local schools use its shallow sand-bank area for lessons, though sources disagree on whether low or high tide is preferred for the setup.
When is the best time to kite?
December to March is the strongest documented window, though wind averages are modest at roughly 6-11 knots and days should be checked against a live forecast.
What is the wind like?
Shamal/northerly wind drives conditions, with N, NE, S and SE also reported as workable directions, but the spot goes light during summer.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, Flo Kite School operates at Al Wakrah, with Fuwairit Kite Beach FKB and Blue Pearl Experience also listed nearby.
Last updated: August 2026