If you are ready to take a 30 minute drive, we will show you where you can get fresh (well, almost fresh) fish, cheaper than the supermarket rates. No, you don’t have to get your fishing gear ready. Hop in your car, take the Al Shamal (North) Road and head to Souq Umm Slal in Umm Slal Mohammed.
Souq Umm Slal
Opened in April 2017, Souq Umm Slal sells most basic goods, including vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat. The highlight is indeed the fish!
There are almost 50 vendors in this complex. If you are visiting for the first time, have a look around to see what is available and also to compare the rates. The facility is quite big and gets busy during the weekends. If you want to avoid the crowd, make the visit during a weekday, or early in the morning on a weekend.
Cleaning Facility
The complex has two dedicated fish cleaning areas. They charge only QAR1 per kilogram. Take a token from the counter and hand-over the fish to one of the cleaning staff. The facility is well equipped with high-end cutting machinery, you don’t have to wait long to get your fish cleaned.
At Souq Umm Slal, also referred to as Umm Slal Central Market, fish will be auctioned twice daily—one in the morning for imported fish and the other in the evening for local fish. The facility also has its own ice factory. The air-conditioned auction yard gets really busy during the scheduled auction times. In addition, there is a seafood restaurant, shops selling local products including nuts, honey, spices, plant nursery and a cafeteria in the same the complex.
Opening Hours
Saturday—Thursday: 5 am—Midnight
Friday: 5 am—10 am, Noon-Midnight
Getting There
Take exit 16 (Al Mazrooah Interchange) on Al Shamal Road. Look for the Woqod petrol station after IKEA/Doha Festival City, the exit is after the petrol station. Take a U-turn from the first roundabout, you will pass over the interchange to another roundabout, take the second exit and then U-turn from the next roundabout. You will see Souq Umm Slal on your right. You can also use Google maps to get there, please keep in mind that some of the roundabouts are yet to be listed in the maps. Get the Google Map location here.
Tips Before You Go
- Keep a spare shoe/flip-flop: Keep a pair of flip-flops and use it when you enter the market. The floor is slippery and wet, make sure you keep something with a non-slip rubber sole. This will also save your car from stinking of fish.
- Take a plastic tray/ice box: Ice box is a good idea, but if you don’t have one, even a plastic tray will come in handy. This will catch the drips and save your car from the fishy smell.
- Take a hand sanitizer: The rest-room areas are busy, it is difficult to find hand-wash areas. Keeping a hand sanitiser will come in handy.
AUTHOR: Lubuna Jeffin
