Zekreet Beach
Al Shahaniya · Zekreet; Dukhan is the nearest larger town
also known as Zikreet, Zekreet kite beach, Ras Abrouq Beach, Bir Zekreet, Zekreet Beach / Ras Abrouq Beach
Riding essentials
Season
Nov–Jul
Months riders and schools name
How windy
14-19 kt
Character: mixed · onshore
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
lagoon
33.6 °C in summerA huge lagoon, a closed bay on Qatar's west coast
Hazards
10
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy Nov Dec Jan Feb
Schools
4
named at this spot
From the airport
80 min
Hamad International Airport (DOH)
When it fills in
No fixed start. The shamal is synoptic, so it can be up at dawn or fill mid-morning, and it holds for days once it arrives before easing overnight. Afternoons are reportedly the better half of the day here, and schools confirm the lesson slot the evening before around wind and tide together.
Zekreet Beach has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it, and none other in Zekreet. straight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Fuwairit Kite Beach
- Dukhan Beachno page yet
- Fuwairit Beachno page yet
- Al Wakrano page yet
- Al Thakhira Mangrovesno page yet
- Al Ruwaisno page yet
The spot
Wind and season
Hazards and conditions
The wind
locals call it Shamal
Direction
Dominant direction
NNW to N, with monthly arrows mostly 331-350 degrees and nearby Dukhan station annual statistics showing NNW.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider: 12m on the 14-19 kt days that count as windy here, 9-10m when it settles into the 20-28 kt band, and a 14-15m or a foil for the large number of days that never clear 12 kt. Bring the big kite — this is a spot where you will use it.
Character
Average strength
6-9 kt model monthly averages at Zekreet; 9 kt annual average at the nearby Dukhan station based on 2013-2026 observations.
Typical strength
14-19 kt on windy days and 20-28 kt on the better ones is what riders here get. The nearby Dukhan station averages 9 kt annually and the model average for Zekreet is 6-9 kt by month, so read a forecast before committing to the drive.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month39
- Feb, riders' month58
- Mar, riders' month35
- Apr, riders' month28
- May, riders' month44
- Jun, riders' month48
- Jul, riders' month58
- Aug29
- Sep23
- Oct32
- Nov, riders' month33
- Dec, riders' month37
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Nov, Dec.
- 39%Jan19°
- 58%Feb18°
- 35%Mar20°
- 28%Apr23°
- 44%May27°
- 48%Jun30°
- 58%Jul32°
- 29%Aug33°
- 23%Sep32°
- 32%Oct30°
- 33%Nov26°
- 37%Dec22°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | 60% | 52% | 12.4 kt | NW | 13:00 | 17.2 °C | 19.4 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 58% | 75% | 68% | 13.7 kt | NW | 14:00 | 18.3 °C | 18.3 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 35% | 65% | 53% | 12.6 kt | N | 15:00 | 21.7 °C | 20 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 28% | 58% | 47% | 12.7 kt | NNW | 12:00 | 27.2 °C | 23.3 °C | 60 |
| May | 44% | 77% | 68% | 13.8 kt | N | 14:00 | 32.8 °C | 27.2 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 48% | 73% | 68% | 13.6 kt | N | 15:00 | 35 °C | 30 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 58% | 89% | 71% | 13.9 kt | N | 15:00 | 36.1 °C | 32.2 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 29% | 65% | 52% | 12.7 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 36.1 °C | 33.3 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 23% | 60% | 47% | 12.1 kt | N | 15:00 | 33.3 °C | 32.2 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 32% | 58% | 44% | 12.4 kt | N | 15:00 | 30 °C | 30 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 33% | 52% | 42% | 11.7 kt | NW | 14:00 | 24.4 °C | 26.1 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 37% | 53% | 44% | 11.3 kt | NW | 12:00 | 18.9 °C | 22.2 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. 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.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
lagoon
Standing depth
Shallow across the bay and best at high water. The bottom is sand mixed with rock, and the small sharp stones that cover the beaches carry on into the shallows. At low tide it goes thin and muddy and a session turns into wading, so the tide sets whether the day works.
Tides
Tide range is material enough to plan around: a summer table for Zekreet shows lows around 0.4-0.9 m and highs around 1.2-1.6 m. High water is when the bay is worth riding; low water leaves mud and thin water. Lesson location and timing are confirmed against wind and tide together rather than wind alone.
Temperature
33.6 °C summer · 19.4 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 18–33 °C
Wetsuit
A wetsuit is only needed in Qatar from December to February. Summer is boardshorts and lycra, with sun protection the thing that matters.
Conditions
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
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Self-reliance
Launch
Open beach and lagoon shoreline at the first bay west of Zekreet village.Layout and hazardsLessons run in that first bay, and the water shows up on your left after the Zekreet roundabout.The bay is an inlet closed by beach on every side except a narrow north-west gap, which is also where the prevailing wind comes from, so drifting downwind puts you on sand.The beaches are full of small sharp rocks: wear booties and do not park a kite on bare ground.Beyond the lesson bay the coast is remote and undeveloped, backed by rock formations and open desert.
Rules & access
1 min read
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Check the tide height as well as the wind. Lesson timing here is set by the tide, and low water turns the bay into mud.
- Booties are not optional. The sand is laced with sharp small rocks and so is the shallow water.
- Never park a kite on bare ground. The same rocks puncture canopies.
- Write your name and number on your board. Lost boards wash up along this shore regularly, and they get returned.
- Bring water, shade, sun protection and footwear for the muddy rocky edges. There are no facilities at the beach.
- A sedan reaches the first bay in dry conditions, but a 4x4 is more comfortable for the wider Zekreet and Ras Abrouq coast.
- Coordinate with a Qatar school or a local rider the first time. The first-bay launch is not documented well anywhere online.
- In December, January or February pack a shorty or a light wetsuit. That is the wetsuit window in Qatar.
- Make a day of it. The Film City ruins and Zekreet Fort are the standard no-wind pairing.
Getting there
Airport
Hamad International Airport (DOH), Doha
Route
From Doha take Dukhan Highway west, turn at the Zekreet junction and carry on toward the lagoon. It is about 90 km from Doha and a standard car makes it, though a 4x4 is more comfortable.The kite bay itself is about 70 km to the Zekreet exit plus 3 km, and no 4x4 is needed for the lesson bay.
Transfer
80 min
Cost level
medium-high
Staying
Most riders base in Doha or camp with proper preparation. Our Habitas Ras Abrouq is the nearby luxury option, a 42-villa resort with a beach club and water-sports hub at Ras Abrouq, about an hour from Doha.
No-wind days
Zekreet Fort, Film City, Richard Serra's East-West/West-East installation, Ras Abrouq limestone rock formations, camping/stargazing, wildlife and bird watching, Dukhan Beach, and Doha museums/souqs on the return day.
Photos
FAQ
Is Zekreet Beach good for beginners?
Yes, local schools use the shallow first bay specifically for lessons, and it is considered especially good for beginners.
When is the best time to kite?
May to July shows the strongest windy-day counts, within a broader season stretching November to July depending on the source.
What is the wind like?
Shamal wind from NNW to N drives conditions, with one local report citing 14-19 knots on windy days and 20-28 knots on stronger days; model averages run lower, around 6-9 knots.
How do riders reach the spot?
The launch is the first bay west of Zekreet village, about 90 km from Doha via Dukhan Highway; a standard car can usually reach the lesson bay.
The bigger pictureEverything about Zekreet
Last updated: August 2026