Doha Festival City (DHFC) has announced the reopening of its theme parks as of tomorrow following the government’s announcement on the phased approach to the reopening of amusement parks and other recreational activities in Qatar.
After months of closure, theme parks Angry Birds World, Virtuocity and Snow Dunes will welcome back visitors for an “exceptional experience,” adhering to 50% capacity in line with the government guidelines, DHFC has said in a statement.
Doha Festival City theme parks are owned and managed by 100% Qatari operator Leisure, driven by “operational excellence and committed to deliver excellent entertainment services”, the statement noted.
The reopening is taking place in three phases, starting with outdoor playgrounds and kids’ outdoor games from January 4. The next stage will start on January 11 and will include electronic games and trampolines. Then, starting from January 24, theme parks will be fully operating, including bouncers and inflatable games.
Leisure’s theme parks will open from 1pm to 10 pm from Sunday to Wednesday, from 2pm to midnight on Thursday and Friday, and from 11am to 9pm on Saturdays.
All theme parks will adhere to the most stringent safety measures to ensure that visitors can get entertained “with peace of mind and in the safest of environments”, the statement pointed out. All staff members across the theme parks have received thorough training and will adhere to the following protocols:
* Mandatory Ehteraz app checks at the entrance to theme parks for all visitors except children, with only Green code holders allowed to enter
* Temperature checks will also be carried out at the entrance to the parks, and any individual with temperature exceeding 38C will be denied entry to the site
* Wearing medical masks will be required as well, and visitors will have to maintain a safe distance of 2m minimum
* Theme park employees will oversee the respect of social distancing, supported by signs installed across the parks reminding visitors about social distancing and PPR wearing requirements
* All rides, attractions and infrastructure of theme parks will be continuously sanitised and hand sanitising stations will be installed throughout the parks’ areas
Doha Festival City’s play and edutainment centres, Caboodle and Spark Sense & Play, will also reopen with several restrictions in place, following the official safety guidelines. Play centres will be open during Doha Festival City’s trading hours.
The Caboodle play centre will reopen for workshops and organised activities only, while its play area will remain closed. To maximise children’s safety, Caboodle will also allow only 15 children and adults per hour to be present on its premises. After each hour, all will be required to leave the area that will then be sanitised by the centre. Two children will be allowed to use one activity table for one hour only. The staff, as well as children above the age of 10, will be required to wear masks at all times.
Spark Sense & Play is also opening its doors partially tomorrow with extra safety measures in place. In addition to following all the government guidelines for recreational activities, the centre will request children and companions to take their shoes off and stay in socks before entering the area.
A 10-minute gap will be left between each session for cleaning and sterilisation, and the centre’s division into four separate spaces will allow to further enforce social distancing protocol.
Only 35 people will be allowed in the centre at the same time, and only one chaperone per family will be allowed for children under
five years old. Child-sized sinks installed in the play centre and small hand sanitisers provided will help children easily wash and disinfect their hands, while enough supplies will be provided for kids not to share them.
Spark’s employess will ensure safe distance between children is maintained and the equipment will be sterilised after each session.
Doha Festival City’s opening hours are Saturday to Wednesday from 10am to 10pm, and Thursday to Friday from 10am to 11pm. Children of all ages are now allowed to enter the mall.
DHFC also continues to apply stringent health and safety measures throughout its premises in line with the government’s preventative measures, the statement added. A thorough mall disinfection treatment is carried out on a weekly basis, in addition to robust cleaning and sanitisation operations during mall trading hours.
Some 127 hand sanitising stations are installed in the areas that have commonly touched surfaces.
At the entrance to the mall and all shops, visitors must show their Green Ehteraz QR code and wear a face mask during their whole time in the mall. Physical distancing stickers in common queuing areas, such as ATM machines, banks, telecommunication kiosks and branches, and various retail shops have been installed to help shoppers keep the required physical distance as set forth in the guidelines by the authorities.
Stores will provide sanitisers on entry and at cash points to ensure the highest level of hygiene.
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