A house is a property that is usually set out over two or more floors. In Qatar, houses are usually referred to as villas, although it is possible to also find townhouses too. There are two kinds of villas: either standalone villas or compound villas. A standalone villa is defined as a house that has boundary walls and stands on its own private land as a detached and separate entity. A compound villa is defined as a house that is located within a residential compound or "neighbourhood/society". Compounds vary in size and can be anything from a handful of houses to hundreds in the much larger compounds. Both have their benefits and drawbacks for example, standalone villas offer more privacy for their occupants and compound villas usually benefit from many more amenities, security and maintenance.
A townhouse is a type of terraced housing often referred to as "row houses" as they are constructed in rows and stand side by side with shared walls usually to both sides. Most townhouses typically have more than 2 floors and commonly three in most regions. There is a wide variety of houses available in Qatar with varying amenities and suitable for most budgets.
Abu Hamour is a district in the Al Rayyan municipality. "Abu" is Arabic for father and "Hamour" is a specific type of fish common to the surrounding waters of Qatar and caught by the resident fishermen. The area is referred to by some as "Wholesale Market District" due to the wholesale markets for fresh fruit and vegetables, livestock and plants that are located nearby. However, this is misleading as Abu Hamour is named zone in Al Rayyan and part of Zone 56 of Qatar, whereas the actual "Wholesale Market" district is separate and forms Zone 58 of Qatar and although located as an enclave in Al Rayyan it is administered by the municipality of Doha. Some of the wholesale markets nearby have since been moved to Umm Salal Ali (since April 2017) and the municipal officials have plans to convert the wholesale market into a large commercial complex benefitting the surrounding area.
Abu Hamour is a vibrant and lively area to live in and ideal for families. The rental home options in Abu Hamour are mainly villas and apartments in compounds which are great as they offer on-site facilities and can be found furnished too, which make them ideal for facilitating a quick hassle-free move. There is no shortage of things to do in Abu Hamour. There are four large shopping malls namely the Abu Hamour Mall, Safari Mall, Doha Mall and Dar Salaam Mall located in the district. There is something for everyone to enjoy as each one is buzzing with a selection of boutique retailers, large chains, artisan cafes, food courts, supermarkets, fine dining restaurants and cinemas.