Residents flock to Al Bidda Park to celebrate Eid

Many residents, mostly families on ‘staycation’ in Qatar, are celebrating the Eid al-Adha holiday in different destinations around the country, but for those living in Doha who enjoy the outdoors, Al Bidda Park is listed among the favourite locations in the city.

Formerly known as Al Rumailah Park, the Al Bidda Park is a 2mn sqm facility located in the heart of Doha and adjacent to the Corniche, providing a scenic view of the sea and the imposing West Bay skyline.Despite warm and sometimes humid summer temperatures, evenings at Al Bidda Park are quite comfortable this time of the month for leisurely strolls and bike rides around its lush greenery and well-manicured gardens.Al Bidda Park features an amphitheatre and parking slots for as many as 6,000 vehicles. It also offers areas for people sporting an active lifestyle, such as basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, as well as jogging, walking, and bicycle paths.On Sunday, the first day of Eid, Al Bidda hosted across different locations inside the park groups of visitors, many of whom were families and children. The yellow quadracycles (or four-wheeled bicycles) for rent are very popular among families and groups. For children, the park has several playgrounds to enjoy. Each playground features colourful playhouses, mini zip lines, several merry-go-rounds, seesaws, kids’ rope climbing, and spring riders, among other amenities.Mohamed, who lives in Doha with his wife and four children, said Al Bidda Park has become a favourite of his kids because of the facilities that are “child-friendly” and family-oriented.“There are many outdoor destinations in Doha like the Museum of Islamic Art, which also offers a wide space for children to play. However, my family and I have grown fond of Al Bidda Park because there are always new locations to enjoy. There are many playgrounds spread across the park, which is very appropriate, especially for visitors who have children,” he said.His wife, Najlaa, noted that the park has different, wide sections of “scenic” open space, “so, one visit to the park would be different from the next time we come around to spend family time together.”Since its reopening on National Sport Day last year, Al Bidda Park has also become a popular destination for sports activities, such as marathon races, and also for seasonal bazaars and weekend festivals that sometimes feature live entertainment shows and other performances.Aside from Al Bidda Park, other parks across the country are also receiving many visitors during the Eid holidays. Recently, the Public Gardens Section of the municipalities of Al Khor and Al Thakira announced that preparations had been made to cater to the influx of visitors to public gardens and Al Khor Family Park.Earlier this year, the Public Parks Department of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) announced the completion of a ‘linear park’ measuring 1.5km-long and 50m-wide in Doha’s Al Hilal area, near The Mall and Qatar Charity headquarters. The linear park has a total space of 75,000sq m, the MME said in a statement.