The sixth Local Dates Festival, which opened on July 15 and running until July 30 at Souq Waqif, continues to attract many visitors, offering popular varieties of fresh dates and dates products at reasonable prices.
The event, organised by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) in collaboration with the Souq Waqif administration, has brought together dozens of Qatari farms that sell Al Khalas, Al Khenaizi, Al Shishi, Al Barhi, Al Saqai, Al Razizi, Nabt Saif, and Al Lulu dates.
A dates seller at the festival told Gulf Times that many of their customers, mostly Eid al-Adha holiday-goers, usually buy in large quantities and share it with their families, relatives, and friends.
“People come back and buy more so there is a huge demand for local dates at this time of the year, and we are ready to supply them with fresh dates throughout this festival,” he said, adding that people find the uniform prices, apart from the quality of the dates, practical and appealing.
Besides fresh and dried dates, the festival is also featuring several other dates products such as syrup, ice cream, candy, and delicacies, among others, giving visitors an array of choices.
It is learnt that the latest edition of the festival is expected to hit another record sales with the increasing number of participating farms. More than 250 tonnes of dates were sold in the previous year, a significant increase in volume compared to the previous editions of the annual event.
Organisers expressed confidence that the next edition of the festival will attract more participants, as well as local, regional, and international visitors, particularly in a post-pandemic setting.
Entrance to the festival is free of charge, but people must adhere to the strict Covid-19 protocols such as mandatory wearing of face masks and showing the green status on their Ehteraz app to ensure the safety of everyone.
Visitors lauded the spacious and air-conditioned venue saying that “it gives people like us who come from the outdoors a sigh of relief because of the hot and humid weather during this season.”
Souq Waqif, a popular destination in Qatar, is also offering visitors, especially children, a number of fun-filled activities this Eid holidays such as carriage riding, horse and pony riding, and photography with a falcon.
It is learnt that an array of local and international restaurants, eateries, and cafés, as well as traditional shops and boutiques selling a wide range of food and non-food products, at Souq Waqif also attracted a huge number of customers before and during the Eid holidays.
 
 
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