HOST CITY: 2026 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship
The Qatari capital Doha hosts the second edition of the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship from August 19 to 29, 2026. It is the first time the city hosts a World Championship for national volleyball teams of any gender or age.
Doha welcomed the FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship four times and the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship three times. Doha has also hosted numerous world-level competitions in beach volleyball, including stops on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, as well as the 2025 FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball Championships. The Qatari capital is set to organize the 2029 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship as well.
It has been selected as host city of many other major international sports events, such as the 2006 Asian Games, the 2011 Pan Arab Games, the 2019 World Beach Games, the World Aquatics Championships, the WTA Finals, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, etc.
Doha is home to about 1.2 million people. The population is overwhelmingly composed of expatriates, with Qatari nationals forming a minority. Arabic is the official language of Qatar. English is commonly used as a second language.
Doha is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the country’s eastern coast, it is home to most of the country's population. It is also Qatar's fastest growing city, with over 80% of the nation's population living in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, known collectively as the Doha Metropolitan Area. Doha was officially declared the country's capital in 1971, when Qatar gained independence.
The city is the headquarters of numerous domestic and international organizations, including the country's largest oil and gas companies. Its economy is built primarily on the revenue the country has made from its oil and natural gas industries.
Doha is highly urbanized. Its elevation is 10 meters above sea level. Land reclamation off the coast has added 400 hectares of land and 30 kilometers of coastline. Half of the surface area, which Hamad International Airport was constructed on, for example, was reclaimed land. The Pearl is an artificial island in Doha with a surface area of nearly 400 hectares. It is one of the main tourist attractions in the city.
Doha is considered as the most important tourist city in Qatar. The country is investing heavily in the development of new tourism infrastructure, such as hotels and resorts, and promoting its cultural attractions, such as the Museum of Islamic Art and the Katara Cultural Village to attract visitors from around the world. In addition, Qatar Airways has become one of the world's leading airlines, connecting the country to major cities across the globe.
Other top tourist attractions in Qatar include Souq Waqif, the Msheireb Downtown Doha, the National Museum of Qatar, the Doha Tower, the Aspire Tower, the Tornado Tower, the Qatar National Library, the Al Thumama Stadium, the Doha Corniche, the Fanar spiral mosque and many others.
Doha was named as the second safest city in the world in the Numbeo Crime Index by City 2021.
It has a hot desert climate with long, extremely hot summers. The average high temperatures between May and September surpass 38 °C and often approach 45 °C. Rainfall is scarce, falling on isolated days mostly between October and March.