Qatar's Arrivals Down 30% — Recovery Now Rests on F1

Qatar welcomed 303,000 visitors in August, up 6.3% from July, but cumulative arrivals for the first eight months of 2026 reached 2.3 million, down 30% year-over-year. The U.S.-Iran war, which began on February 28, caused a demand collapse, with monthly arrivals falling from a January peak of 646,000 to a March low of 63,000. Hotel occupancy recovered to 56.6% in July with ADR at 375 riyals ($103). Qatar is banking on Q4 events like MotoGP and the November F1 Grand Prix to buffer demand, though analysts see this as recovery rather than a return to 2025 levels.