Al Khor tide times

Al Khor is a town of 60,000 on the northeast coast of Qatar, 50 km north of Doha, where the Qatar peninsula's flat limestone coast meets an extensive mangrove system. The Al Khor mangroves (Al Khor Park area, managed by the Qatar Ministry of Environment) are one of the most significant mangrove stands in Qatar, fringing a series of shallow tidal creeks that extend inland from the coast. The city itself is built on a natural harbour bay that once supported a pearl-diving and fishing economy; the heritage village quarter adjacent to the harbour retains some of that character. The World Cup 2022 Stadium at Al Bayt, 15 km to the west, brought Al Khor to international attention.

The tidal regime at Al Khor is the same as the rest of the Qatar east coast: mixed semidiurnal Arabian Gulf, spring range 1.5–1.8 m, pronounced diurnal inequality. The mangrove creek system at Al Khor is a tidal wetland entirely governed by the tidal cycle. The creeks flood on the flood tide, pushing saline Gulf water into the mangrove forest floor; on the ebb, the water drains through the root system back to the coast. The inundation depth in the mangrove zone at high spring water is 0.5–1.0 m — the root pneumatophores (aerial breathing roots) of Avicennia marina, the dominant mangrove species here, are fully submerged. At low spring water, the entire mangrove floor is exposed as a dark mud flat, with the pneumatophores standing clear and the root network fully visible.

For kayakers and canoeists, the Al Khor mangrove creeks are one of the most accessible flat-water paddling environments in Qatar. The creeks are navigable by kayak on the upper half of the tidal range — at mid-flood and above, depth in the main creek channels is 0.5–1.5 m and passage under the mangrove canopy is possible in the wider sections. At low water, the creeks drain to 0.0–0.3 m and kayaks ground on the mud. Plan paddling sessions to launch on the rising tide, 2–3 hours before predicted high water, and return before the ebb drops the creeks below 0.5 m. Kayak rental and guided tours are available from operators at the Al Khor Park entrance.

The mangroves support a bird community that is the primary ecological attraction at Al Khor. Breeding herons and egrets — grey heron, striated heron, and western reef egret — nest in the mangrove canopy. Wading shorebirds use the exposed mud flat at low water: greater flamingos feed at the creek mouths in November–March. Ospreys fish the creek channels from perches in the mangrove tops. The peak observation window for most species is the 2 hours before high water, when advancing water concentrates wading birds at the tide edge, and the 2 hours after high water begins to fall, when the mud flat re-emerges.

For the Al Khor heritage harbour, the tidal spring range of 1.5–1.8 m leaves the inner harbour partially dry at spring low water — similar to Al Wakrah. Traditional wooden dhows in the harbour rest on the bottom at these tides; the harbour is used by a small active fishing fleet. The fish market at the harbour is less well-known than Doha's Central Market but more accessible for visitors staying in Al Khor.

For swimming, Al Khor's natural harbour bay provides a sheltered environment with calmer water than the open Gulf coast. Sea temperature follows the Qatar coast pattern: 16–18 °C in January, 33–35 °C in August. Private beach facilities are available at hotels north of Al Khor. Swimming in the mangrove creek mouths is not recommended — soft mud bottom, low water clarity, and stingray presence (stingrays rest on the soft mud flats at low water and are hazardous to step on).

All tide predictions for Al Khor come from the Open-Meteo Marine gridded model. Timing accuracy is ±45 minutes; height accuracy is ±0.3 m above Chart Datum.