Al Ghuwariyah (; also spelled Leghwairiya) is a town in Al Khor Municipality, Qatar. Al Ghuwariyah was a municipality of Qatar until 2004, when it was merged with Al Khor Municipality.
It has been populated mostly by members of the Na'im tribe since the early 1920s.
Etymology
Two suggestions have been put forth for the origin of Al Ghuwariyah's name. The first states that it is derived from
alghar, the
Arabic term for the
Lauraceae family of plants. This is considered unlikely as this family of plants is not found in Qatar. The more plausible explanation is that the name derives from the Arabic word
ghar, which translates to "
cave". This is lent credence by the presence of two prominent caves nearby.
History
An entry for Al Ghuwariyah can be found in J. G. Lorimer's 1908
Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. He describes it as a nomadic camping ground south-west of
Al Huwaila and mentions a nearby masonry well, 8 fathoms deep, that yields good water.
[ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.]
Based on field work carried out by anthropologist Henry Field in the 1950s, the main tribe in the area of Al Ghuwariyah were the Al Jafali tribe.
After Qatar started to receive substantial profits from its oil extraction activities in the 1960s and 1970s, the government launched several housing projects for its citizens. As part of this initiative, 55 houses were built in Al Ghuwariyah by 1976.
According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, there were about 65 total households within the town limits in 2014.
Administration
Al Ghuwariyah Municipality
Al Ghuwariyah was a municipality until 2004, when it was merged with
Al Khor.
It did not administer over any other census-designated cities or towns except for itself.
In 2004 census, out of a population of 2,159, the number of Islam amounted to 1,666, Christianity amounted to 52.
- Registered live births
The following table is a breakdown of registered live births by nationality and sex for Al Ghuwariyah. Places of birth are based on the home municipality of the mother at birth.
| | { class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! colspan="10" | Registered live births by nationality and sex |
|
|
| 10 |
| 10 |
| 8 |
| 15 |
| 9 |
| 18 |
| 10 |
| 6 |
| 8 |
| 7 |
| N/A |
| 8 |
|
|width="10"|
|valign="top"|
|}
Local government
After free elections of the Central Municipal Council first took place in Qatar in 1999,
Al Ghuwariyah was designated the seat of constituency no. 29.
It would remain the headquarters of constituency no. 29 for the next three consecutive elections until the fifth municipal elections in 2015, when it was proclaimed the seat of constituency no. 28. Also included in its constituency is part of Al Suwaihliya, Umm Al Maa, Al Daoudiyah, Ain Al Nuaman, south
Zubarah,
Ain Sinan, and Abu Al Seneem.
In the inaugural municipal elections in 1999, Nasser Abdullah Al Kaabi won the elections, receiving 66.1%, or 115 votes. In second place was Mubarak Abdullah Al-Nuaimi, whose share of the votes was 29.3%, or 51 votes. Voter turnout was 87%.
The Al Ghuwariyah office of the Al Khor is headed by Nasser Al Nuaimi as of 2017.
Healthcare
Al Ghuwariyah's first health center was opened in July 2015.
Planned developments
In March 2017, the director of Al Ghuwariyah, Nasser Al Naimi, announced a major plan to upgrade the infrastructure of Al Ghuwariyah. The plan intends on improving the sewage, street maintenance and lighting of the town and adding additional sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.
Visitor attractions
Al Ghuwariyah Family Park was opened in 2017. Occupying an area of 9,234 sq meters, facilities include a playground with seating, bathrooms and a guard office.
Education
