A giant red gift box welcomes shoppers at Galerie Lafayette Doha, a retail space that opened in the Qatari capital in 2019, showcasing 400 fashion brandsAli Bin Ali Holding – Galeries Lafayette Doha to the emirate’s population. The French luxury department store, whose overseas presenceGaleries Lafayette International is heavily concentrated in Asia, has sought to tap into the elevated purchasing power of Qatar’s consumers. It ranks among the world’s highest,International Monetary Fund – GDP per capita, 2026 the bulk of which is linked, directly or indirectly, to Qatar’s exports of fossil fuels to Asian markets. The predominance of enclosed, air-conditioned retail activity is a recent feature of shopping in Qatar’s history. Prior to the opening of the first mall in 1978,ILoveQatar – What to check out at The Centre, 2024 the main commercial centers were traditional outdoor marketplaces,National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute – The Heart of Traditional Urban Life in the Middle East, 2018 known as souqs in West Asia.

Today, the most visited mall in Qatar, Doha Festival City, describes itselfDoha Festival City – Qatar’s Retail Trends Report, 2025 as a space where “consumers feel part of a global fashion conversation”. The average visit to the mall lasts for nearly three hours, during which consumers are subject to sensory and spatial designs intended to erode decision-makingUniversity College London – The psychology of shopping centre design, 2019 capabilities and stimulate impulse purchases. The impulsive buying tendency in Qatar has not been quantified, but global estimates indicate that over half of purchasesJournal of Marketing Management – A Proposed Model for Factors Affecting Consumers Impulsive Buying Tendency in Shopping Malls, 2019 at malls are spontaneous, often following exposure to stimuli. The resources used to satisfy sudden buying urges are rarely at the forefront of thought, with more than eight in tenDoha Festival City – Qatar’s Retail Trends Report, 2025 Qatari consumers expressing no interest in discovering sustainable brands.

The Galerie Lafayette launch coincided with a rapid expansion of shopping spaces in Doha to capitalise on the commercial momentum generated by Qatar’s hosting in 2022 of the first everFIFA – 88 years of World Cup history, 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup in West Asia. The total retail space at malls increased five times fasterKnight Frank – Qatar Real Estate Market Review, 2025United Nations Data Portal – Total population by sex, 2026 than the population between 2014 and 2025. The divergence has overexposed the Qatar’s 3.2 millionQatar National Planning Council – Statistical Key Indicators, 2025 inhabitants to a type of retail environment engineered to stimulate unplanned consumption. But the ‘over-malling’ has also left the country with more retail space than demand requires. Roughly one in five shopsCushman & Wakefield – Key retail outlets see stronger-than-expected demand, 2024 at malls across Qatar stands empty.

The excessive building-spree relied on materials with a high environmental impact, such as steel and cement. About halfEuropean Commission – Buildings and construction of all raw material extracted every year around the world is consumed by the construction sector, making it the most resource-intensiveStockholm Environment Institute – Towards a sustainable global construction and buildings value chain, 2022 industry. Long after the malls were built, this oversized shopping infrastructure continues to guzzle energy. The walkway outside Galerie Lafayette Doha introduced for the first time in Qatar an air-conditioning systemThe Washington Post – Qatar has begun to air-condition the outdoors, 2019 intended to regulate outdoor temperatures throughout the year. The Qatari press agency said it offers “a real solution”Qatar News Agency – Qatar's Air-Conditioned Streets Boost Hospitality Sector, 2024 to intense summer temperatures. The cooling of outdoor spaces, pioneered by the retail sector, has since proliferated across the emirate, culminating in a park that features the world’s longest air-conditioned outdoor path.Guinness World Records – Longest airconditioned outdoor path, 2022