Al Ghuwariyah (; also spelled Leghwairiya) is a town located in Al Khor Municipality in the state Qatar. Al Ghuwariyah was once a municipality of Qatar until it was merged with Al Khor Municipality, which is in the east, in 2004. It has been mostly populated by the Al-Naimi tribe of Qatar since the early 1920s. Etymology Two suggestions have been put forth for the origin of Al Ghuwariyah's name. The first is that it is derived from 'alghar', the Arabic term for the laurel family of plants. This is considered unlikely as this family of plants is not found in Qatar. The more plausible explanation is that the name derives from the Arabic word 'ghar', which translates to cave. This is lent credence by the presence of two prominent caves nearby. History An entry for Al Ghuwariyah can be found in J.G. Lorimer's 1908 publication Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. He describes it as a nomadic camping ground 12 miles south-west of Huwailah and mentions a nearby masonry well, 8 fathoms deep, that yields good water. After Qatar started to receive substantial profits from its oil extraction activities in the 1960s and 1970s, the government launched several housing projects for its citizens. As part of this initiative, 55 houses were built in Al Ghuwariyah by 1976. According to the Ministry of Environment, there were about 65 total households within the town limits in 2014. Administration Al Ghuwariyah Municipality Al Ghuwariyah was a municipality until 2004, when it was merged with Al Khor. It did not administer over any other census-designated cities or towns except for itself. In 2004 census, out of a population of 2,159, the number of Muslims amounted to 1,666, Christians amounted to 52, and the remaining 441 inhabitants identified as following other religions. Registered live births The following table is a breakdown of registered live births by nationality and sex for Al Ghuwariyah. Places of birth are based on the home municipality of the mother at birth. Local government After free elections of the Central Municipal Council first took place in Qatar during 1999, Al Ghuwariyah was designated the seat of constituency no. 29. It would remain the headquarters of constituency no. 29 for the next three consecutive elections until the fifth municipal elections in 2015, when it was proclaimed the seat of constituency no. 28. Also included in its constituency is part of Al Suwaihliya,