Mango festival concludes at Souq Waqif

The Mango Festival at Souq Waqif concluded Saturday with excellent turnout of visitors from all nationalities and total sales that exceeded 100 tonnes of different varieties of mango.

Speaking to local Arabic daily Arrayah, Khaled Saif al-Suwaidi, general supervisor of the Mango Festival, stressed that the festival has made record sales of the mangoes on display that have exceeded the sales of any similar festival held before at Souq Waqif.

He said: "The average number of daily visitors to the festival was about 10,000, with the highest sales recorded on Friday at 15 tonnes."

He pointed out that the festival was the first experience for the management of Souq Waqif in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Doha to highlight the fruit of mango, which enjoys great popularity within the Qatari community. He noted that the festival hosted around 36 companies, each with 30 suppliers, all gathered under one roof, which contributed to creating a competitive environment among the participants.

He further stressed that besides lower prices compared to the other market places, the festival gave special focus to the quality of the products on display. He noted that the mangoes displayed are transported directly from India to Doha by plane. He pointed out that the prevailing prices at the festival are about 20% lower than those in the the market, adding that in addition to selling mangoes, there were around 120 other products related to mangoes on display in the tent.

He explained that this edition saw the participation of between 70-100 Qatari and Indian companies, showcasing about 100 varieties of air-shipped mangoes specifically for the festival, in addition to some products derived from mangoes, as the fruit is a main ingredient in many juices and desserts.

He said: "We were surprised by the large turnout at the festival that included visitors from the GCC countries as well. Such a turnout encourages the management of Souq Waqif to organise this festival again next year."

He added that this is the first time such a festival has been held, noting that the festival tent was equipped with cooling systems to ensure the preservation of the exhibits, especially since the mangoes come from India daily, in addition to ensuring the comfort of participants and visitors.