Qatar, buoyed by a successful bid to host the 2022 football World Cup, is interested in staging the start of the 2016 Tour de France.
A source close to the government says his highness the Emir has had the idea in mind for quite a while and he has started the discussions and the process.
State-owned Qatar Airways was the official airline for this year's Tour, won by Australian Cadel Evans.
Next year's race will depart from Liege, Belgium, while Corsica is set to kick off the 100th Tour in 2013.
In 2007 it began in London, in 2010 it was in Rotterdam while Florence is bidding to become the first Italian city to host the Grand Depart in 2014.
Barcelona, Edinburgh and cities in England, Netherlands, Germany and Austria have all expressed an interest in hosting future starts.
None of those include the logistical and meterological challenge of a start in the middle east, where the searing July heat would pose a challenge for the riders and almost certainly ensure a short stage or time trial.
The Abu Dhabi international triathlon, featuring a 200 kilometre bike leg, has been held in UAE in March since 2010 and attracts many of the world's best triathletes.
This year temperatures were way above the seasonal norm and many top riders struggled.
