A world of delicacies: Qatar Tourism opens 12th edition of QIFF

The annual Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) is back, this time at a new venue. Qatar Tourism (QT) Saturday celebrated the opening of the 12th edition of QIFF at the newly-minted Al Sa’ad Plaza in Lusail Boulevard, in the presence of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and with opening remarks presented by Qatar Tourism Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar al-Baker.
Featuring delicacies from around the world, QIFF 2023 also has an area dedicated to Indonesian cuisine, in celebration of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture. Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan was also present at the opening Saturday along with other dignitaries
Running until March 21, QIFF is Qatar’s longest-running food and beverage festival and is a headline event in the country’s annual social calendar. In partnership with Qatar Airways, more than 80 culinary vendors will attend the 11-day festival, which is expected to attract more than 7,000 visitors a day, Qatar Tourism has said in a statement.
QIFF 2023 will run daily from 4-11pm on weekdays, and from 4pm to 1am on weekends. Entrance is free, with pre-registration available on the Visit Qatar website (https://visitqatar.com/intl-en/events-calendar/qatar-international-food-festival).
Partners for this year’s edition are talabat, Ooredoo, Askar, Qatar Museums: the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, and Expo 2023 Doha Qatar.
HE al-Baker said Qatar International Food Festival is a celebration of the country’s unique and diverse melting pot of cultures, and for more than a decade has shone an essential spotlight on its thriving culinary scene. "With so many recent world-class restaurant openings, Qatar’s gastronomic landscape is incredibly exciting, and we are delighted to showcase all that’s on offer to residents and visitors this March," he said.
From live cooking masterclasses to Le Petit Chef, QIFF 2023 has in store plenty to eat, see and do.
Phil Lawrie, general manager of IN-Q Enterprises, the commercial arm and wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Museums (QM), said: "Our decade of partnership with world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse has brought to Qatar elevated dining experiences through IDAM at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Jiwan at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) and Café #999 located at Doha's artist hub - the Fire Station. Our restaurants offer a variety of menu options, from French to modern Qatari cuisine to authentic Italian, to satisfy the varied cravings and diverse culinary preferences of the local populace and visitors. We are grateful to be a part of QIFF 2023 because it is an opportunity to introduce more people to the signature flavours and pleasures, our outlets are known for.”
Francisco de Sousa, managing director of talabat, said: “We are once again delighted to be participating in one of the key food festivals in Qatar, as well as in the region. With diverse culinary offerings, this festival is a testament to the country's commitment to promoting local and international cuisines and fostering cultural exchange. At talabat, we believe in the power of food to bring people together, and we are honoured to be part of this exciting event that showcases the best of Qatar's food culture.”
Expo 2023 Doha, represented by its secretary-general, Mohamed Ali al-Khouri, saw a great opportunity at the festival to raise awareness about the Expo, its pillars and what it stands for especially when it comes to putting horticulture and innovation and technology at the service of sustainability. He also highlighted that sustainability extends to food waste and leftovers and that QIFF is the perfect forum to start this conversation.
Sheikh Ali bin Jabor al-Thani, CEO of Ooredoo Qatar, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Qatar Tourism for this year’s Qatar International Food Festival. We’re committed to supporting our communities and our country, and helping showcase the many incredible events and activities on offer in Qatar, and we’re sure QIFF will - once again - be a hugely enjoyable experience for both residents and visitors.”
QIFF 2023 will offer five daily live cooking theatres, which will feature some of the region’s most dynamic and respected chefs, including 29 of participating chefs.
Food-loving festivalgoers can also attend ticketed interactive food masterclasses where they will have the unique opportunity to sharpen their skillset with some of the industry’s finest. Some industry favourites include Rachel Allen, chef Wan, East Levant and more.
There will be a host of unusual - and delicious - dining options available for guests. Attendees can also enjoy their own high-end Harrods afternoon tea.
The festival’s customary cornucopia of world cuisine food trucks will make a return for 2023. From sumptuous Mexican tacos to gorgeously flavoursome Filipino Kare Kare, guests are sure to find something mouth-watering amongst the melee of carts.
In a true tribute to international cuisine, QIFF will see an area dedicated to Indonesian cuisine, in celebration of the Qatar-Indonesia Year of Culture 2023. Finally, an entire section of the festival will exclusively house vegan cuisine, and healthy food options.
A suite of varied and lively entertainment options for the entire family will be on offer at QIFF 2023. Throughout the festival, there will be roaming acts, a nightly fireworks show and a publicly-accessible VIP section.
Guests can get their skates on with a custom-made skate ring, and an entire Kids section will be available for the little ones, with entertainment organised by Aura Entertainment.
QIFF 2023 can be easily accessed by metro (Lusail QNB station) and car, with several parking options in close proximity to Lusail Boulevard. On a daily basis, all leftover food will be collected and distributed by the festival’s charity partner, Hifz Al Naema.