The Tour of Qatar puts unusual demands on riders: it has no significant climbs, but almost every stage is affected by strong crosswinds.

The champion of the 2015 Tour of Qatar was Niki Terpstra (Etixx–Quick-Step), but his team was not invited to the event for disciplinary reasons.

Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha) won three other stages, with Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Dimension Data) winning the time trial but losing time to a puncture on the fourth stage.

Although Wilfried Peeters, a directeur sportif with the team, had suggested that the team had chosen not to take part for sporting reasons, it was suggested in the days before the race that the president of the Qatar Cycling Federation, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Al-Thani, had declined to invite the team because riders had failed to attend podium ceremonies promptly after winning stages in previous editions.

11 February – Al Zubara Fort to Madinat ash Shamal, 189 km (117 mi)