Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Baghdad to Doha. The left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the cruise over the Persian Gulf, the left side also faces northeast toward the Iranian coastline and the Zagros foothills on the distant horizon, while the right side looks southwest over open featureless Gulf waters. Left is the clear choice for the entire journey.

During takeoff from Saddam International (SDA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Baghdad International's main runway (33L/15R) typically sees departures heading southeast toward Doha, meaning the left side faces northeast and captures the Tigris River winding through central Baghdad, including the distinctive bend through the city center and the dense urban grid of the Karkh and Rusafa districts. The right side faces southwest over flat desert scrubland with little of interest. Notable sights include: Tigris River bend through central Baghdad, Karkh district urban grid, Baghdad city center sprawl, agricultural patchwork of the Mesopotamian floodplain.

When landing at Doha International (DOH), sit on the Left side for the best views. Doha International Airport (now largely replaced by Hamad, but historically using runways oriented roughly northeast-southwest) on approach from the northwest, the left side faces south and southeast over Doha Bay and the Qatar coastline, giving views of the city skyline, the distinctive blue waters of the Persian Gulf, and the shallow turquoise tidal flats of the bay. The right side faces inland over featureless desert. Notable sights include: Doha Bay turquoise shallows, Persian Gulf open water, Doha city center and corniche waterfront, Qatar's flat limestone desert interior.

The flight from Saddam International (SDA) to Doha International (DOH) takes Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The route crosses the southern Iraqi desert (flat, featureless alluvial plain), then the Kuwait-Iraq border region near Basra and the Shatt al-Arab waterway, before crossing into Kuwait airspace and then out over the Persian Gulf. The shallow northern Persian Gulf is visible below during the overwater portion, with the Kuwaiti and Saudi coastlines visible to the right and the Iranian coast of Khuzestan province visible distantly to the left. The Gulf here is notably shallow and greenish-brown rather than deep blue.