Qatar Mobility Innovations Center

Qatar Traffic
Report 2024

A comprehensive annual assessment of congestion, mobility behavior, and economic impact across Qatar — powered by the Wamd™ IoT Platform since 2014.

11.5B
Raw data records
collected in 2024
37h
Hours wasted
per year
QR 3.56B
Total congestion
cost in 2024
01 — Report Foundation

Platform & Methodology

QMIC holds the only comprehensive traffic data bank in Qatar since 2014, enabling continuous monitoring and knowledge-based assessment of national mobility.

Strategic Importance

QMIC developed and deployed a comprehensive data platform to support intelligent transport in Qatar, with the only complete traffic data bank in the country.

Continuous monitoring and knowledge-based assessment are vital for sustainable national mobility planning. First report published in 2016.

Wamd™ IoT Platform

The most updated navigable GIS data in Qatar, collected through a multi-source traffic sensing network providing a live, continuously enriched view of the national road network.

Approximately 11.5 billion raw records were collected in 2024 from QMIC's comprehensive IoT data collection network.

Wamd Congestion Index

The WCI ranges from 0–100%, indicating the average speed reduction compared to free-flow speed on any given road segment. WCI is used to determine the:

  • Most congested segments, streets, districts & zones
  • Wasted hours per year per commuter
  • Total annual congestion cost estimate
02 — Use Cases

How This Data
Creates Impact

Enabling transport planners, policymakers, and researchers to make evidence-based decisions about Qatar's road network and mobility future.

01
Assess the impact of road and infrastructure projects on congestion levels across Qatar.
02
Monitor and identify changes in congestion levels and traffic patterns over time.
03
Identify congestion hotspots at specified times of day, days of the week, and seasons.
04
Estimate the economic impact of road congestion on national productivity and GDP.
05
Assess the impact of mega-events such as FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 on mobility and congestion behavior.
03 — Key Findings In 2024

What the Data
Reveals

Three major factors shaped congestion and mobility in 2024 — post-World Cup legacy, completion of major road projects, and evolving commuter patterns.

Hours wasted per year
37h

per commuter during weekdays due to congestion — unchanged from 2023, reflecting stable but persistent traffic pressure.

Most Congested Month
February

February recorded the highest congestion index of 2024, driven by peak population activity and cooler weather increasing road usage.

Least Congested Month
July

July saw the lowest congestion levels, reflecting seasonal patterns as residents travel abroad during summer months.

There is a strong correlation between congestion levels and population, suggesting that private cars remain the primary mode of transport in Qatar.

The impact of visitors on congestion is moderate — the correlation with visitor volumes is notably weaker than that with resident population.

04 — Congestion Patterns

Daily & Weekly
Trends

Congestion follows predictable daily rhythms with three distinct peak windows, and clear variation across the days of the week.

Wamd Congestion Index — Workdays

Morning 7–8 AM Midday 1–2 PM Evening 6–7 PM
Three daily peaks on workdays Morning Peak: 7–8 AM · 12.7% Midday Peak: 1–2 PM · 12.7% Evening Peak: 6–7 PM · 13.8%

Index by Day of Week

Sun–Wed very similar trends Thu slightly different Fri–Sat distinct vs. workdays

Congestion Index WCI

February most congested · 14.7% July least congested · 10.5%
05 — Impact of Congestion

Time & Economic Cost

Beyond daily inconvenience, traffic congestion carries measurable economic costs. QMIC's model quantifies both the time lost and the productivity impact across Qatar.

Wasted Time Due to Congestion

10-year trend: 2015–2024 Peak: 109 hrs in 2016 Post-World Cup stabilized at 37 hrs
Avg. Daily Distance
35 km
Average driven per commuter per day in 2024.
Annual Time Lost
37 hrs
Hours wasted per commuter per year during workdays.
Congestion Cost 2024
QR 3.56B
Productivity loss only. ~0.50% of GDP at constant prices.
Total Economic Impact — Qatar 2024

Cost of
Congestion
in Qatar

Calculated using QMIC's internal model based on public records and assumptions, representing productivity loss from time wasted in traffic across the nation.

QR 3.56B
Qatari Riyal — 2024
≈ 0.50% of GDP at constant prices
Full Report Available

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Data Report

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