There is not much public transport in Qatar. Most people (or most men) have a car. In 2002 the Qatari government launched Mowasalat, 100% owned, managed and operated by the government to ensure the smooth provision of "Integrated Ground Transport Services" for the entire country with a growing population of more than 1,400,000 people. 3,000 privately-owned orange taxi's used to rule the streets of Qatar, but the government took them off the roads as they saw them as a threat to the new Mowasalat taxis, which are owned by the Royal family. There has been much controversy over this move, as now it is very hard to find a taxi in Doha.

Cars, both rentals and bought, and gasoline are good value in Qatar, but traffic accidents are among Qatar ’s leading causes of death. Safety regulations in Qatar are improving thanks to a more stringent traffic law adopted in October 2007 and a country-wide traffic safety campaign. However, informal rules of the road and the combination of local and third-country-national driving customs often prove frustrating for first-time drivers in Qatar.