Tourism

Budget Car and Truck Rental

“We focus on quality.”

The global Budget car-rental group has been active in Qatar for the past 25 years and has established a solid reputation for its reliable, personalized services. Budget expanded its fleet from 145 to 550 vehicles over the past four years under the direction of General Manager Mohammed Jaffer Mohiuddin, and has three offices in Qatar including one at the international airport.

Budget’s fleet includes a wide range of Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda and General Motors vehicles, and the firm also offers a limousine and chauffeur services with multilingual drivers. “The range of cars we offer is unique, and all are less than two years old,” Jaffer says.

The company’s clients include major multinationals, the United States military and others. “Ninety percent of our business is corporate clients. We focus on quality, and provide our customers with excellent service and a well-trained staff,” Jaffer says. He adds, “You might get a cheaper rate with a local company, but you would not have the same standard of insurance and of maintenance.”

Jaffer, a native of India, praises Qatar as a business base and as a welcoming environment for foreigners. He concludes, “Qatar is safe and excellent for both business and tourism.”

Al Muftah Rent A Car

“Al Muftah Rent A Car: comfort on wheels.”

Al Muftah Rent A Car is a name synonymous with excellent customer service and reliability. A pioneer operating in Qatar since 1971, it has an extensive fleet of more than 500 vehicles available at competitive prices.

Part of the Al Muftah Group, a major business conglomerate, Al Muftah Rent A Car is the only ISO certified car rental company in the region. “We are a local car company with international standards,” explains Sales and Marketing Manager Naresh Gakhar.

Al Muftah Rent A Car has its own state-of-the-art repair facility in Qatar, provides English-speaking drivers on request, and offers an air miles loyalty scheme. It is the company of choice for daily, weekly and long-term vehicle rentals. “We focus on providing the best available service,” says Gakhar. “Once clients know us, they don’t go anywhere else.”

Al Muftah has a strong brand name in Qatar – sponsoring events like the Qatar Open Golf Tournament and the Doha International Motor Show Project Qatar – and plans to expand regionally. “Al Muftah is a major car rental company in this region,” says Gakhar. “We work side by side with our clients, and we are a key part of Qatar’s tourism structure.”

Doha Golf Club

“We offer an ideal business and networking environment.”

The Doha Golf Club, founded in 1997, is Qatar’s premier leisure facility. The club has 450 playing members, mainly foreign residents of Qatar, and employs a staff of 160, including professional golf teachers from the United States and elsewhere. The club achieved turnover of 20 million Rials in 2003 and is expected to grow 25 percent this year. It hosts the prestigious Qatar Masters tournament among other tournaments, and is now gearing up for the Asian Olympic Games in 2006.

General Manager Chris Myers explains that the club’s facilities include an 18-hole championship course, a nine-hole floodlit academy course, a golf academy and a prestigious clubhouse with a pro shop and two restaurants. The club is expanding to add a swimming pool, gym, a large function room and more clubhouse facilities by 2006. It is already well known for organizing corporate events and has its own state-of-the-art conference rooms.

Urging American visitors to discover Qatar and the Doha Golf Club, Myers says, “Leading professional golfers vouch for the superb challenge offered by the club as well as its traditional Qatari hospitality. We offer an ideal business and networking environment, and we are an oasis in the middle of the desert.”

Ramada Hotel Doha

“We position ourselves as a four-star-plus hotel.”

The four-star Ramada Hotel Doha, surrounded by delightful gardens, offers a range of luxury amenities for business and leisure travelers, including a fully equipped business center, five meeting rooms that can hold a total of 564 guests, a banquet hall for special events, and high-speed Internet access in all rooms.

Other attractions include the hotel’s fitness center, outdoor pool, tennis and squash courts, basketball court and gym, Jacuzzi and steam rooms. The Ramada also contains a convivial coffee shop and a multitude of restaurants (Sakura, the Italian Job, Chingari and Maxim) as well as bars and a nightclub.

Gordon G. MacKenzie, General Manager says, “We have a very friendly staff here, with a service attitude that is the best in town. We position ourselves as a four-star-plus hotel, and we have been so successful that we are going to add an additional 220 rooms and more food and beverage outlets.” The Ramada currently has 328 rooms and suites.

Urging American travelers to discover Qatar, MacKenzie adds, “Qatar is small, rich, well-managed and extremely safe. It offers sun, sand and sea all year round, in a luxury environment. “We will never be as Dubai. Qatar has a community spirit. Dubai is fast-paced, but lacks a true soul. Here you wave to people on the street; there is still time for the community. This is reflected in the Ramada-Doha style, where the staff makes guests feel like being at home.”

Rydges Plaza Doha

“Our service is genuine.”

Rydges Plaza Doha, overlooking the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, is the city’s newest four-star hotel. With its striking architectural design and stunning atrium, it is an impressive addition to Doha’s skyline.

Rydges Plaza Doha, owned by the Al Faisal Holding, opened in 2002. According to General Manager David Tonkin, “The first 2 1/2 years have been amazing. We are the market leader in terms of occupancy and market share among our competitors. That’s something we are quite proud of.”

Rydges Plaza Doha is the second to open in the Middle East from the Australian hotel group, and has 136 rooms and suites in total. All the suites offer kitchenette facilities, and the deluxe and royal suites have impressive views of the Corniche.

Rydges Plaza Doha has its own rooftop pool, and health club with gym, sauna and steam rooms. There are several high quality restaurants and bars in the hotel, including the Aussie Legends Bar, which is popular with expats

Tonkin comments that the hotel is well suited to American business travelers. “This is a very Western-friendly hotel because of the style,” he says. “The Australian service philosophy is to be relaxed, yet efficient and professional.”