The first edition of Shop Qatar begins this Saturday with an elaborate opening night at Mall of Qatar's Oasis, providing guests and visitors with a taster of what is to come throughout the month-long festival. The opening will be presented by local standup comedian Hamad Al Ammari, who will provide a humorous preview of the upcoming Doha Comedy Festival. Later on, visitors to Mall of Qatar will be treated to a live performance by renowned Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi, along with several other entertainment segments on the Oasis stage. Public celebrations will continue the following weekend (12–14 January) along the Doha Corniche, where several food trucks and stalls will be serving delicious treats to the public from 4 -10pm, ahead of a spectacular fireworks display, which is set to light up the evening sky close to the Mourjan restaurant. Mashal Shahbik, Director of Festivals and Tourism Events at Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) said, "Shop Qatar showcases the best Qatar has to offer in retail and entertainment while capitalising on the country's pleasant winter weather. We are very grateful for the collaborative spirit our partners in the public and private sectors have shown as we build a brand new tradition through the first edition of this festival." She added, "Initial bookings for accommodation and entertainment ticket sales so far show that the festival programme is popular and caters to the needs of Qatar's visitors and residents." The festival will run from January 7 - February 7, offering residents and visitors discounts on popular brands, and raffle draws with cash prizes worth QAR 4 million. Taking the festivities beyond the retail scene, Shop Qatar also features a rich schedule of entertainment that caters to a variety of ages and interests. Retail outlets around the country will be providing discounts of up to 50% on a range of consumer goods including clothes, electronics, cosmetics and accessories for men, women and children. The first edition of Shop Qatar has ten retail partners in Doha and beyond. They include Mall of Qatar, Ezdan Mall, Hyatt Plaza, AlKhor Mall, Lagoona Mall, Gulf Mall, Landmark, Dar Al Salam Mall, The Gate and The Pearl-Qatar. In support of local talent and budding businesses, Shop Qatar will feature 30 pop-up shops spread across Mall of Qatar, Ezdan Mall, Landmark Mall, The Gate Mall & Lagoona Mall. Regionally-acclaimed designer brands such as Maryam Aldarwish, HZ by Hissa Zainal and Fanilla Couture will showcase their latest collections, while enriching the festival's offerings to provide visitors with a uniquely Qatari experience. Shoppers who spend QAR 200 at any of the participating retailers can enter a weekly raffle draw for a chance to win cash prizes worth tens of thousands of riyals and a jackpot prize of QAR 1 million. To provide visitors with the complete package, QTA has partnered with Qatar Airways to ensure flights to Qatar from within the GCC region booked on the airline for the period between 7 January and 7 February will be available with a 25% discount. In addition, members of Qatar Airways' Privilege Club will receive double Q-miles on their bookings during Shop Qatar. Visitors to Shop Qatar can also take advantage of a range of accommodation offers at Qatar's globally-recognised hospitality sector, when booking through Expedia.com. Live Entertainment & Cultural Shows The festival's colourful live entertainment schedule, offers a rich array of cultural shows, performances by singing sensations and unlimited family-friendly entertainment. Members of the public can enjoy the thrilling African Circus evening shows daily between January 8 and 21 in the outdoor area surrounding Hyatt Plaza. On weekdays, shows begin at 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm and on weekends, there will be three shows beginning at 5:30 pm, 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Family-friendly entertainment can also be found at Magical Festival Village – a Shop Qatar partner - located close to Katara Cultural Village. The Village houses over 400 shopping outlets, dozens of cafes and restaurants and is bordered by public seating areas where visitors can relax and enjoy the ambience and lovely climate. On the weekends, award-winning music sensations Majid AlMuhandes and Hussain Al Jassmi will take the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) theatre stage to serenade their fans at the ‘Arabic Night' and ‘Khaleeji Night' concerts scheduled for Friday, 20 and 27 January respectively. Festival organisers have also announced that on the last weekend of Shop Qatar, Broadway's longest-running musical, CATS will come to the QNCC Theatre to wow audiences in matinee and soiree performances between the 1-4 February. And, from 2-4 February, Shop Qatar presents the first winter edition of Doha Comedy Festival, bringing together a special lineup of 15 stand-up comedians from nine countries. Tickets for all performances range from QAR 120 to QAR 1,250 and can be bought at Virgin Megastores and online through the store's website. Tickets for the concerts can also be purchased at platinumlist.net. Style-savvy visitors and residents can get real-time update on the latest trends at a Shop Qatar fashion show due to be held on the last week of the festival. Follow the Fun To find out more, visit www.shopqatar.qa and follow the dedicated Shop Qatar social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
