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.
Al Thumama is a district (number 45) and is part of both the municipalities of Doha and Al Wakra. The district derives its name from a clumping desert bunchgrass called "thumam" which grows abundantly in the area. The area is one of Doha's newer districts and as a result has been well planned and laid out according to strict grid pattern. It is primarily a residential district and has experienced rapid development in recent years. The area has good road connections to Doha, through E Ring Road, F Ring Road and it is also close to Hamad International Airport. The area is served by 2 bus routes which operate every day of the week.
There are a number of local and international schools in the area making it an ideal neighbourhood for both local residents and expatriate families alike. The housing in the area consists mainly of single- family homes that sit independently on their on private land otherwise known as standalone villas. However, there are a number of residential compounds where there are villas and apartments for rent in Al Thumama, available with various shared compound facilities for the residents. The area is also home to magnificent Al Thumama Stadium, one of the 2022 FIFA World Cup venues and where one of the quarter-final matches is scheduled to take place.