Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is preparing for a season of festivities, which will have the Eid al-Fitr celebrations and Qatar Summer Festival (QSF) as main attractions.
Working closely with partners in the public and private sectors, QTA has finalised a five-day schedule of activities for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Qatar.
“The celebrations begin on the first day of Eid under the theme ‘Capture Joy’ and will offer a variety of entertainment activities at venues across Qatar, including sports organisations, malls, cultural landmarks and Qatar National Theatre,” Rashed al-Qurese, chief marketing and promotion officer, said yesterday.
Visitors to the malls will enjoy family entertainment shows such as: Alice in Wonderland (City Center Doha), Sleeping Beauty (Dar Al Salam), The Little Mermaid (Ezdan Mall), Snow White (Lagoona Mall), Iftah Ya Simsim (Hyatt Plaza) and Dora’s Friendship Fiesta (Al Khor Mall). There will be parades in the participating shopping malls between 5pm and 10pm, featuring drummers, walkabout birds, Koka stiltwalkers and live statue.
Other shows, which will be on rotation at Qatar’s malls throughout Eid, include Doctor Bubble, Equilibrium on the Reels, Comedy Show, Tanoura Performance, Ardha Traditional Dance, Oriental Dabke and Kids Magician.
The children’s play “The Hunter and the Pirates” will be on show at Al Rayyan Theatre in Souq Waqif between 4.30 and 6.30pm, with ticket prices ranging from QR30 to QR300.
QTA’s partners will be putting on a wide variety of cultural and entertainment offerings, including live entertainment at Katara – the Cultural Village starting at 6.30pm and culminating in a firework spectacle at 9.30pm.
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum will be offering free tours while horse riding sessions will be available at the Al Samariyah Equestrian Centre.
A wide variety of entertainment options will take centre stage as well at Aqua Park, Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve, The Pearl-Qatar and Aspire Zone Foundation.
The Qatar Air Sports Committee will offer aerial paragliding tours at Sealine Beach.
The third edition of the QSF will feature a range of attractions such as special hotel rates, cultural events, shopping promotions and weekly raffles with prizes worth up to QR2mn.
The month-long celebration will start on August 1 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
According to QTA’s Festivals and Tourism Events director Mashal Shahbik, QTA took its visitor-centric approach this year one step further.
Hotels will be offering special packages such as ‘pay for two nights and stay for three’ in hotels, and ‘pay for five nights and stay for six’ in hotel apartments.
Select establishments will provide additional incentives covering a variety of options including free breakfasts, late check-outs, free meals for children when accompanied by their parents (a maximum of three children per family) and free transfers to and from Hamad International Airport.
These offers are also available to residents booking during the same period.
QTA has also been busy promoting the festival in a roadshow across the other GCC countries, which attracted over 500 travel trade professionals looking to include Qatar in their summer travel packages.
Held under the theme, ‘Colour Your Summer’, QSF offers a variety of colourful experiences including concerts, comedy events and sports events involving celebrities from across the region.
Visitors and residents can look forward to the return of QSF’s Entertainment City at DECC, featuring a range of new and exciting gaming and entertainment options for children and adults alike.