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Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup

  • Saudi Arabia - Qatar 2022
Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup
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It had been a while since I had left without Audrey and/or the kids! At the end of November 2022, I received an invitation to participate in a new Electronic Music Festival in Saudi Arabia (MDL Beast SoundStorm) and decided to combine this with a stop in Qatar for the Football World Cup.

And to accompany me on part of this trip, one of my oldest friends, Jerome, – we’ve known each other since we were 3 years old – jumped at the chance. He too is a fan of electronic music.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Soudstorm 41

Istanbul, Riyadh and Doha

For this Middle East tour, we left from Nice (NCE) to Riyadh (RUH), choosing our flights appropriately to offer us a free 23:30 stopover in Istanbul (IST). To (re)-discover this beautiful city and try a new hotel.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Orientbank Istanbul-38

After 6 nights in Riyadh, I went alone to Doha (DOH) in Qatar to attend a World Cup match between Portugal and Switzerland (and what a match!). And take the opportunity to discover Doha and the Qatar Airways QSuite experience twice: between Riyadh and Doha on Airbus A350 and between Doha and Montreal on Boeing 777.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - qatar airways a350 qsuite

Back in Montreal, it was time for the company Christmas party with all my colleagues from Milesopedia (only Marie-Claude and Audrey were missing, both in France):

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Party Noel 2022

Then it was time to launch our new partnership with Opération Enfant Soleil! I then returned to Nice in order to be in time to celebrate the end of year holidays with my family.

Logistics

The power of points

On this trip, I paid almost nothing in cash thanks to reward points. To tell the truth, the points turned out to be CRUCIAL especially during my stay in Riyadh and Doha.

Indeed, during my stay in Riyadh, the city’s hotels seemed particularly busy considering the rates charged: over $250-300 per night for any quality hotel. In addition to the Electronic Music Festival, many business conventions were held in town.

And what about Doha in the middle of the World Cup? As much as $500 per night for an entry-level hotel and over $1,000 per night for high-end hotels.

Except that at the last minute, hotels decide to open up availability for reservations with points. And although dynamic pricing was recently introduced, it was obviously not in effect everywhere!

Just see for yourself: 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for the Royal Meridien Doha instead of $915 a night?

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - hotels qatar coupe du monde

Flights

To book the various airline tickets, I used a combination of Aeroplan points and Avios points. While already preparing a next trip:

ItineraryAirlineClassPoints usedTaxesReview
Nice – Istanbul – RiyadhTurkish AirlinesEconomy25,000 Aeroplan points$60
Riyadh – DohaQatar AirwaysBusiness21,000 Avios points$139Review
Doha – MontrealQatar AirwaysBusiness70,000 Avios$143Review
Montreal – Munich – NiceLufthansaBusiness92,500 Aeroplan* points$210Already done
Nice – Dubai – SingaporeEmiratesBusinessReport
Report
Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - itineraire doha arabie saoudite

With the arrival of Emirates as an Aeroplan partner, I decided to take advantage of the Aeroplan sweetspot between North America and the Pacific zone (87,500 Aeroplan points for a flight of up to 11,000 miles). So I booked this itinerary and added an Aeroplan stop for 5,000 points in Nice (less than 45 days), for a total of 92,500 Aeroplan points. While booking a flight from Montreal to Nice would have cost me 70,000 points.

In other words, I will be able to travel on Emirates between Nice and Dubai (Boeing 777) and between Dubai and Singapore (Airbus A380) for an additional cost of only 27,500 points, including the stopover in Nice!

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - JM-30

The hotels

For hotels, it was a mix of cash, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors points:

HotelCityNight(s)PaymentReport
Orientbank Hotel Istanbul, Autograph CollectionIstanbul1149 eurosReport
Riyadh Airport Marriott HotelRiyadh120,000 Marriott Bonvoy pointsReport
Le Méridien RiyadhRiyadh360,000 Marriott Bonvoy pointsReport
JW Marriott Hotel RiyadhRiyadh130,000 Marriott Bonvoy pointsReport
Courtyard Riyadh Diplomatic QuarterRiyadh120,000 Marriott Bonvoy pointsReport
Hilton Doha The Pearl Hotel & ResidencesDoha160,000 Hilton Honors pointsFeature story
Agora, Doha, Autograph CollectionDoha130,000 Marriott Bonvoy pointsReport
Le Royal Méridien DohaDoha120,000 Marriott Bonvoy pointsReport

In summary: 149 euros, 180,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and 60,000 Hilton Honors points for 10 nights in a hotel.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Le Meridien Riyadh 02

Rental car

I rented a car at Riyadh airport to easily get to the MDLBEAST Music Festival away from the city and explore the surrounding area.

Although I usually prefer to rent with Hertz or National, here I opted for Sixt because of the rate offered (much cheaper than the others thanks to a Diamond status). Anyway, I have the highest status with all car rental companies thanks to this trick.

I was lucky: despite a prepaid rate via the Sixt website, the agency at the Riyadh airport insisted that I pay my rental again when I returned the vehicle. And I’ll skip the story of their failed attempt to charge me for damage to the vehicle.

I am therefore in dispute with Sixt and will not hesitate to initiate a chargeback process via my American Express® AeroplanMD* Business Reserve Card ExpressMD. I chose this card because of the 2 Aeroplan points per dollar and its high insurance coverage.

I can only advise you to choose another car rental agency in Riyadh.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Edge Of The World 1

The visits

Istanbul : the classics

I will come back in detail on an article presenting Istanbul and the various possible visits during a 24 hours stopover there. I must say that the hotel we chose, the Orientbank Hotel Istanbul, Autograph Collection, is particularly suitable since it is located in the heart of the historic district of the city.

Here are the classics we have done:

  • Grand Bazaar
  • Spice Bazaar
  • Saint Sophia
  • Blue Mosque
  • Topkapi Palace Gardens
  • Gülhane Park
Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Istanbul 2022 Jean Maximilien 1

Riyadh: Desert and electronic music

As I mentioned in the introduction, the starting point of this trip was an invitation to the MDL Beast Soundstorm Electronic Music Festival. This festival was launched in 2019 with the goal of being the largest festival of its kind in the Middle East to compete with big names like EDC Las Vegas or Tomorrowland.

Over the 3 nights of the Festival (taking place from 4pm to 3am), more than 600,000 participants danced on 7 stages while listening to the intoxicating music of David Guetta, Tiesto or Hardwell. I will of course give a detailed report of my experience on the spot.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Soudstorm 24

Apart from the Festival, it was an opportunity to discover Riyadh and its surroundings, with points of interest such as:

  • Edge of the World
  • Kingdom Tower
  • King Abdulah Park
  • Al Masmak Palace
  • Dariya
  • Red Sand Dunes (Quad)

This made me want to come back to explore other places in the country with my family (I must say that Saudi Arabia was already in my travel plans after visiting the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Expo2020 in Dubai).

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Edge Of The World 3

Doha: Culture and the Football World Cup

When I was organizing this trip at the last minute, I had already booked my flight from Doha to Montreal, having found a flight for 70,000 Avios points (which tends to be rare if you don’t plan 10-11 months in advance). Especially in the middle of the World Cup.

Moreover, during this World Cup, there was a requirement to enter Qatar: to have the Hayya card. The card was originally issued only to holders of World Cup tickets and/or accommodation booked through the official FIFA website.

After that, the rules were opened up a bit to allow more people to enter the territory as of December 1 (and the end of the group matches). For example, it was possible to provide proof of accommodation booked via other platforms (including bookings with points) and to visit Qatar without being a match ticket holder.

But this was the theory. In practice, it was much more complicated and many supporters learned this the hard way. I will explain my « obstacle course » in a dedicated article about my 2022 World Cup experience.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - portugal suisse

It was my first time in Qatar. During this 3-night stopover, I could only visit the city on one day (the other one being particularly busy with work). I still got a great overview of Doha including :

  • Qatar National Museum
  • Museum of Islamic Art
  • Corniche
  • Souq Waqif
  • The Pearl
  • Katara : Beach and cultural village
  • Lusail and Place Vendôme

I will also share my experience with you in a dedicated article.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - musée national qatar

Credit cards used

Here are the credit cards I had in my wallet during this trip to the Middle East (and its preparation).

Of course, you don’t need to have all these credit cards to take a trip like this! But this shows you the ideal optimization of point accumulation and benefit use.

Aeroplan tax payment

In preparation for this trip, I used my American ExpressMD AeroplanMD* Prestige Card to pay the taxes on my plane tickets booked with Aeroplan: it’s the only Aeroplan credit card for individuals to offer 3 points per dollar for reservations made with Air Canada (including Aeroplan award tickets) or Air Canada Vacations.

And by using an Aeroplan credit card, I am covered by insurance in case of flight or baggage delays.

Note that the American Express® AeroplanMD* Business Reserve Card ExpressMD also offers 3 points per dollar for purchases made with Air Canada.

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$599Welcome offer
Up to 85,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$599Welcome offer
Up to 90,000 points
Apply Now

No Foreign Transaction Fee

During this trip, one of the favorite credit cards in my wallet was the HSBC World Elite Mastercard, for several reasons:

  • No FX fee
  • 6 points per dollar for travel purchases
  • 3 points per dollar for all other purchases
  • $100 in annual travel credit
  • Premium insurance

And since it was a Mastercard, it was accepted everywhere. Well… almost everywhere! Indeed, in the stadiums of the World Cup, the major sponsor is Visa. For example, to buy food on site, it was impossible to use an American Express or Mastercard credit card!

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Only Visa

Fortunately, I had signed up for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card shortly before this trip to take advantage of the ongoing welcome offer to earn points Scene+ and 6 free airport lounge accesses. This allowed me to pay on the spot (without foreign currency conversion fees there too)!

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

5X points in hotels and restaurants

When traveling, even outside of Canada, I also use credit cards that have foreign currency conversion fees. In fact, when the point accumulation rate exceeds the 2.5% fee, I consider myself a winner!

So, for expenses at Marriott Bonvoy hotels (paid hotel nights, meals and bar drinks, etc.), I use my Marriott BonvoyMD American ExpressMD* Card.

And sometimes you can be lucky as it was the case at my hotel in Istanbul: the cab driver’s credit card machine was – strangely – not working when we arrived at the hotel. The receptionist then told me that he could give me the money in cash by charging it to my room! So I could get 5 times the Marriott Bonvoy points on this cash « withdrawal ». Of course I asked him to do the same for my return to the airport… just in case 😉

6 months to earn an American Express Card Welcome Bonus! - bonvoy companycard featured image

I hold both the Marriott BonvoyMD American ExpressMD* Card and the small business version, the Marriott BonvoyMD Business American ExpressMD* Card. This allows me to:

This will more than pay for the $120 and $150 annual fees.

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$120Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026
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Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Access to airport lounges

On most of my trips, I traveled in business class and therefore had access to airport lounges.

However, when I left Nice, I was traveling with Turkish Airlines in economy class. I used the Priority Pass on my American Express Platinum Card® to access the lounge in Terminal 1 at Nice Airport.

The American Express Platinum Card® is the only personal credit card in Canada to offerunlimited access for the cardholder and one guest to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide (as well as many other benefits). Enough to make my French friend discover the comfort of airport lounges!

Please note that the Business Platinum Card® from American Express also offers the same access to airport lounges.

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Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$799Welcome offer
Up to 100,000 points
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Annual fee$799Welcome offer
Up to 120,000 points
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Travel insurance and travel credits

Finally, to be well covered on this trip, I paid the taxes for one of my flights with Qatar Airways with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®. In fact, it is one of the only credit cards in Canada that offers coverage even though we only paid part of our trip on it.


The coverage will reimburse expenses…if at least a portion of the cost of the trip has been charged to the account.


Banque Nationale du Canada


And actually, the insurance that mattered most to me, the Emergency Medical Insurance, doesn’t even require you to pay for your trip with it! All you need is a National Bank World Elite Mastercard®.

This is a credit card that I keep year after year as it offers up to $150 in annual travel credit for these types of expenses:

  • Airport parking
  • Baggage fees
  • Seat selection
  • Access to airport lounges
  • Flight upgrades

This way, you can use your annual travel credit, whether it’s a parking expense or any purchase made with an airline. 😉

Exclusive
Annual fee
$0 $150
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$150
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
First Year Annual Fee Rebate
$150 annual fee rebated
Ends Nov 4, 2026
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on National Bank's website

With Milesopedia, take advantage of an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fees are refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available on the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

  • Refund of the first-year annual fee (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. This fee is charged to your new card account, then refunded as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

  • 5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
  • 2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
  • 2 points per dollar on recurring bills
  • 2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
  • 1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

  • Airport parking
  • Baggage fees
  • Seat selection
  • Access to airport lounges
  • Airline ticket upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xBills & recurring payments
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$778
2nd Year Value$923

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$400
Travel creditsIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 60 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $2,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Travel AccidentIncluded

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+2 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Bottom Line

In the next few weeks, you will be able to find all my photo reports and reviews on Milesopedia! Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter to not miss anything.

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$191.88Welcome offer
Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
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Annual fee$150 $0Welcome offer
No welcome offerEnds Nov 4, 2026
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Our featured card

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

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