The Zekreet Peninsula, also known as the Abrouq Peninsula, is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

in western

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

, located to the north of the industrial city of Dukhan. Much of the area is associated with erosional landforms such as

foothill Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topograp ...

s, mesas and gypsum

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

x. The village of

Zekreet Zekreet ( ar, زكريت) is a village in north-western Qatar near Dukhan and about 80 km north-west west of Doha. Originally a sparsely populated area, Zekreet was built up in the 1940s after oil operations commenced in Qatar. This include ...

, the Zekreet Film City, and the

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, John ...

Ras Abrouq Ras Abrouq ( ar, رأس أبروق; also known as Bir Zekreet) is the northernmost extension of the Zekreet Peninsula, a stretch of land to the north of Dukhan in Qatar. It has a beach of the same name

(which includes a nature reserve for wild deer) are all found on this stretch of land. The peninsula is part of the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve.

Geography

One of its defining features is the

Bay of Zekreet The Bay of Zekreet ( ar, دَوْحَة زِكْرِيت, Dawḩat az Zikrīt) is a half-moon shaped bay on the Zekreet Peninsula in western Qatar. The Zekreet Peninsula is a rocky, sandy desert, with numerous rock formations and gypsum plateau ...

, which is shaped like a half-moon.

Geology

Oryx in a depression near Zekreet Film City

The Abarug Member of the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

-period Dammam Formation is the dominant structural-lithic unit of the area. The uppermost part of the Abarug Member is formed of dull-colored slightly calcareous dolomitic limestone and is roughly 2 m thick, while the lower part is approximately 10 m thick and comprises brightly-colored slightly calcareous dolomitic

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

Wildlife

Common ostrich The common ostrich (''Struthio camelus''), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain large areas of Africa and is the largest living bird species. It is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members o ...

es, wild deer and gazelles occur in the peninsula. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment advises tourists not to visit during the ostrich breeding season due to their aggressive tendencies. Flamingos are commonly found near the Bay of Zekreet. The peninsula is a popular destination for foreign tourists due to its unspoiled beaches and limestone rock formations. Visitors frequently camp here overnight. However, some of the natural geography has suffered as a result of litter left behind, damage to the vegetation and damage to the land caused by tourists.

References

{{coord, 25, 34, N, 50, 51, E, type:landmark_region:QA_dim:10000, display=title Peninsulas of Qatar Al-Shahaniya