Citing a strong business rebound in Qatar, Doha Festival City (DHFC) is set to open 27 new retail outlets, as well as a number of activations and offerings, this year, general manager Robert Hall has announced.

“In the next three to six months, we will open the new shops, some of these tenants may be willing to use a number of different brands,” he told a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, noting that 26 new tenancies have opened at the mall in 2020.

Hall expressed confidence that recent regional developments will witness investments from partners in other GCC countries – “most specifically some of those who moved out of the Qatar market at the time of the rift, back in 2017.”

He added that the markets in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, among others, would be interested in the Qatar market – which he noted “has a very strong retail industry.”

“The incredible work that was done by Qatar government, industries and retailers to realign their deliveries of stock into the country has great benefits for us during the period of Covid-19, that is why our rebound I think was so strong and Qatar is world leader on retail performance, on its management of Covid-19, and the pandemic,” he said.

“Now I am delighted to see that the health authorities have reached out and they are offering to citizens and residents the chance to start vaccination for their protection,” Hall added.

This year, DHFC will also launch its gift card which can be used across more than 430 retailers, three Leisure entertainment parks, and more than 100 food outlets at the mall. Hall said the card is open to all shoppers, as well as international visitors, above 12 years old.

DHFC will also activate interactive and fun activities this year such as a 450sq m golf area for both children and adults, located near Café Ladurée on the first floor of the mall. It will be open every day from 2pm. A special ladies and children-only day will be organised each Tuesday between 2pm and 10pm.

“By launching mini golf, we do not only want to promote an active lifestyle but also to ensure that our customers can learn something new each time they come to DHFC, in keeping with the current capacity restrictions and safety measures.

As part of its ‘International Festival’, DHFC is hosting an international art exhibition at its Centre Court, featuring pieces by artists from Qatar, Mexico, Egypt, Pakistan, US, France, Iran, Uruguay, Honduras, Russia, India, Egypt, Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Panama, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia.

Hall said the exhibition – open between 2pm and 10 pm daily until the end of February – serves as a creative space for local and international artists to come together, exhibit and explore arts collections.

DHFC will also hold an international ‘Tech and Food’ event on February 1, showcasing brands and partners from all over the world. It will organise tech programmes and panel discussions with experts and to be live-streamed on the mall’s Youtube channel.

Other activities will include a PC assembly competition on February 13 and 20 at Virtuocity. The International Food Festival will give visitors the chance to taste an array of cuisines. They will also have the opportunity to receive a food passport, allowing them to sample a range of foods from across the world and get a chance to win a QR2,000 DHFC gift card.

More than 100 food and beverage outlets, offering all kinds of cuisines from Asian through Middle Eastern, to Mediterranean and North American, will be part of the festival, which will run until the end of February.

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