Doha, Qatar: Doha has found itself at the very top of the world list for mobile internet performance in tourist cities in 2026, according to a comprehensive study by mobile data specialists Holafly.
This ranking signified more than just fast internet speeds — it highlighted Doha’s growth as a globally competitive, digitally fluent destination for travelers from every corner of the globe.
The decision to map global cities’ mobile internet speeds was rooted in real tourist behavior. Holafly’s methodology was elegant in its simplicity: researchers calculated how long it would take to download a 1-gigabyte city map using average local mobile internet speeds in prominent tourist hubs.
This metric provided travelers with a practical sense of real-world performance — not abstract speed figures. A faster download meant instant navigation, seamless ride-hailing, quick language translation, and uninterrupted social media updates, all essential components of the contemporary travel experience.
At the summit of this global ranking was Doha. With an average mobile download speed of 354.5 Mbps, it took less than 3 seconds to download a full gigabyte map of the city. That put Doha ahead of every other major tourist city examined, outpacing regional peers like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and setting a new benchmark for what travelers should expect from digital infrastructure. In stark contrast to destinations plagued by slow connections, Doha’s network performance symbolized a commitment to seamless connectivity for visitors and residents alike.
For tourists, the implications were immediate and practical. Landing at Hamad International Airport, visitors could connect immediately and avoid time lost searching for Wi-Fi hotspots. Navigating the futuristic skyline, from the Corniche to the Museum of Islamic Art, became frictionless with ultra-fast maps, real-time transit updates, and video guides at their fingertips. For business travelers and remote workers, Doha became a viable hub where digital workflows could continue without interruption. The city had quietly transformed from a waypoint in the Middle East to a digital haven for global visitors.
Yet the Holafly study did more than highlight winners. It also underscored the dramatic divide in global mobile internet quality.
Some cities languished at the other end of the spectrum, with speeds so slow they turned simple tasks into ordeals. At the bottom of the ranking was Havana, Cuba, where a 1 GB map could take nearly four minutes to download due to average speeds of just over 4 Mbps. Other slow performers included cities in Latin America and parts of South Asia where infrastructure investment lagged behind demand. Holafly’s findings reminded the travel industry that while the digital revolution had connected many, others were being left behind.
For Qatar, and particularly Doha, the recognition reinforced strategic efforts made over the past decade. Investment in next-generation mobile networks, including widespread 5G deployment and frequent upgrades to hardware and spectrum capacity, had paid dividends. These efforts were part of a broader vision to position Doha not just as a cultural and economic hub in the Gulf, but as a destination that could meet — or exceed — international expectations for connectivity. From the hosting of global sporting events to the expansion of cultural institutions, Doha’s infrastructure had matured alongside its ambitions.
By 2026, the city’s top ranking had become a talking point in travel guides, social media feeds, and airport lounges. Comments and reviews by visitors frequently mentioned the ease with which they could stay connected, stream content, manage bookings, and share experiences in real time. For many, Doha’s internet speeds were not a technical footnote but an essential part of a smooth and rewarding travel experience.
Doha’s emergence was a symbol of how the city — and by extension Qatar — had reimagined what a modern tourist destination could be: connected, convenient, and ready for the demands of the 21st-century traveller.
