On 8 October 2006, a brief ceremony was held at the Doha Golf Club where the torch was lit with a flame. With the involvement of over 3,000 people, the torch crossed eight former Asian Games host countries and four Gulf Cooperation Council member states. The torch travelled back to Doha held by Sheikh Joan Bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the journey around the city itself started on 25 November 2006 and lasted until the opening ceremony of the Games. The first pit stop was in New Delhi, the birthplace of the Asian Games on 11 October 2006 where the torch's flame was fused together with the Eternal Asian Games Flame which was generated from parabolic mirrors directed straight at the sun at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium. During the fourth stop in Hiroshima on 21 October, the torch's flame was fused together with the Peace flame at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
During the international leg of the relay, the flame was transported from city to city aboard a Qatar Amiri Flight Airbus A310. On board, the flame was carried and burned continuously in a safety lantern.
Below is a list of places visited by the torch:
Torch lighting Doha (8 October)
International route NoNationCityDateNotesRef 1 New Delhi 11–12 October Host of the 1951 and 1982 edition, Capital city. 2 Busan 14 October Host of the 2002 edition, Major city. Capital city, Seoul previously hosted the 1986 edition. 3 Manila 19 October Host of the 1954 edition, Capital city. 4 Hiroshima 21 October Host of the 1994 edition, Major city, Tokyo previously hosted the 1958 edition. 5 Beijing 22 October Host of the 1990 edition, Capital city. Guangzhou 25 October Host of the 2010 edition, Major city. 6 Macau 26 October Special Administrative Region, Major city. 7 Hong Kong 26 October Special Administrative Region, Major city. Bid for the 2006 edition, but lost. < 8 Jakarta 28–29 October Host of the 1962 edition, Capital city. 9 Bangkok 4–5 November Host of the 1966, 1970, 1978 and 1998 editions, Capital city. 10 Mashhad 7 November Major city Esfahan 8 November Major city Tehran 9 November Host of the 1974 edition, Capital city 11 Salalah 11 November Major city Muscat 13 November Capital city Sohar 14 November Major city 12 Hatta 15 November Major city Sharjah 16 November Major city Dubai 18 November Largest major city Abu Dhabi 19 November Capital city 13 Kuwait City 20–21 November Capital city 14 Manama 23–24 November Capital city
Qatari route NoMunicipalityCityDateRef 1 Al Shamal Madinat ash Shamal 25 November 2 Al-Shahaniya Dukhan 26 November 3 Al Wakrah Al Wakrah 27 November 4 Al Khor Al Khor 28 November 5 Doha Doha 29 November – 1 December
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