PHOTO
15 January 2017
By Raynald C Rivera
A total of QR810,000 cash prize was given away to lucky shoppers at the first raffle draw marking the conclusion of the initial week of the inaugural Shop Qatar festival organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
The initial six days of the month-long festival witnessed QR4.3m in sales as revealed by the vouchers issued by participating outlets in the ten festival retail partners. The number of vouchers entered in the raffle draw exceeded 21,000.
Visitors and residents have three more chances to win by shopping or dining at participating restaurants and outlets in any of the ten retail partners including Mall of Qatar, Ezdan Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall, Gulf Mall, Landmark, Dar Al Salam Mall, The Gate Mal and The Pearl-Qatar.
The three-day weekend festivities organised on the Corniche had been a big success with hundreds of visitors thronging the venue on its conclusion yesterday. “We are delighted that a large number of families, both residents and visitors, came out to the Doha Corniche to enjoy Shop Qatar’s outdoor activities this weekend. Our partnerships with local organisations, including Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and the Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship, which have made this weekend’s offering so rich and diverse, are a source of pride for us at QTA," said Mashal Shahbik, Director of Festivals and Tourism Events at QTA.
The outdoor festivities included entertainment such as the screening of the animated series Siraj, one of QF's latest edutainment projects for children.
“We are delighted to see Siraj being screened to such a wide audience on the Doha Corniche this weekend. Siraj is designed to promote and preserve the Arabic language, while stimulating creativity and innovation through imagination, and we are very grateful to QTA for the opportunity to introduce Siraj to children and parents attending the Shop Qatar Festival," said Khalifa AlKubaisi, Head of Press office at QF.
Seventeen food trucks, carts and kiosks offered visitors street food and snacks popular in various countries. Among the food outlets were five stalls representing local entrepreneurs engaged in food business supported by Bedaya Center.
"When planning Shop Qatar, we focused on creating opportunities to make local products and innovations available for residents and visitors, and we hope they will continue to enjoy them throughout the month-long festival," said Shahbik.
Reem Al-Sowaidi, General Manager of Bedaya Center, added, “The Bedaya Center’s primary objective is to enable entrepreneurs to take their first steps to success. We provide guidance and a range of services that hone their skills as well as the best programs, means and platforms.
As such, we see Shop Qatar – and other festivals organised by QTA– to be supporting youth with a platform to showcase their products and projects. This delivers on the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a continuous and sustainable fashion that is aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The Corniche area near the Orry statue bustled with much activity as visitors watched street performers and a spectacular fireworks display while enjoying sumptuous food in the company of family and friends.
More entertainment options such as concerts and comedy shows and chances to win prizes are in store for residents and visitors in the coming days as the festival continues. To run until February 7, the festival is aimed mainly to support Qatar's vibrant retail sector and promote the country as a shopping destination of choice in the region.
By Raynald C Rivera
A total of QR810,000 cash prize was given away to lucky shoppers at the first raffle draw marking the conclusion of the initial week of the inaugural Shop Qatar festival organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
The initial six days of the month-long festival witnessed QR4.3m in sales as revealed by the vouchers issued by participating outlets in the ten festival retail partners. The number of vouchers entered in the raffle draw exceeded 21,000.
Visitors and residents have three more chances to win by shopping or dining at participating restaurants and outlets in any of the ten retail partners including Mall of Qatar, Ezdan Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall, Gulf Mall, Landmark, Dar Al Salam Mall, The Gate Mal and The Pearl-Qatar.
The three-day weekend festivities organised on the Corniche had been a big success with hundreds of visitors thronging the venue on its conclusion yesterday. “We are delighted that a large number of families, both residents and visitors, came out to the Doha Corniche to enjoy Shop Qatar’s outdoor activities this weekend. Our partnerships with local organisations, including Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and the Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship, which have made this weekend’s offering so rich and diverse, are a source of pride for us at QTA," said Mashal Shahbik, Director of Festivals and Tourism Events at QTA.
The outdoor festivities included entertainment such as the screening of the animated series Siraj, one of QF's latest edutainment projects for children.
“We are delighted to see Siraj being screened to such a wide audience on the Doha Corniche this weekend. Siraj is designed to promote and preserve the Arabic language, while stimulating creativity and innovation through imagination, and we are very grateful to QTA for the opportunity to introduce Siraj to children and parents attending the Shop Qatar Festival," said Khalifa AlKubaisi, Head of Press office at QF.
Seventeen food trucks, carts and kiosks offered visitors street food and snacks popular in various countries. Among the food outlets were five stalls representing local entrepreneurs engaged in food business supported by Bedaya Center.
"When planning Shop Qatar, we focused on creating opportunities to make local products and innovations available for residents and visitors, and we hope they will continue to enjoy them throughout the month-long festival," said Shahbik.
Reem Al-Sowaidi, General Manager of Bedaya Center, added, “The Bedaya Center’s primary objective is to enable entrepreneurs to take their first steps to success. We provide guidance and a range of services that hone their skills as well as the best programs, means and platforms.
As such, we see Shop Qatar – and other festivals organised by QTA– to be supporting youth with a platform to showcase their products and projects. This delivers on the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a continuous and sustainable fashion that is aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The Corniche area near the Orry statue bustled with much activity as visitors watched street performers and a spectacular fireworks display while enjoying sumptuous food in the company of family and friends.
More entertainment options such as concerts and comedy shows and chances to win prizes are in store for residents and visitors in the coming days as the festival continues. To run until February 7, the festival is aimed mainly to support Qatar's vibrant retail sector and promote the country as a shopping destination of choice in the region.
© The Peninsula 2017
