Qatar's public parks key holiday attractions

With vast green sceneries and spaces, as well as fitness and play areas, Qatar’s public parks continues to be favourite destinations for many residents and visitors during holidays.The Doha Corniche – pedestrianised throughout the three-day Eid Festival – drew hundreds of thousands of festival-goers, especially in the evening where key attractions take place.Just adjacent to the Corniche is the 2mn sqm Al Bidda Park, which provided visitors a place to rest and relax while watching the fireworks display and the first-ever giant balloon parade at night.Featuring an amphitheatre, several playgrounds, walkways, bicycle paths, and parking areas, Al Bidda Park continue to draw crowds since its reopening a few years back.The Rawdat Al Khail Park, the erstwhile Al Muntazah Park located in the busy Mansoura area of Doha, has been attracting a huge number of visitors since it opened last month.Apart from its lush greenery and scenic view, this park features several fitness and play areas, in addition to a 1,300m pedestrian and bicycle path, and wide green areas to sit and unwind. It also has 401 car parking slots.An Indian expatriate who was with his family said they like to visit the Rawdat Al Khail Park because of the various play areas for children and its proximity from their home.“Many eateries and food stalls are also a walking distance from this park so food is easy to get, and it’s very comfortable for us, it saves time,” he said. “It also has a lot of toilets, which is really very important for a park.”Football and volleyball are among the popular sports and recreational activities at Rawdat Al Khail Park, besides walking, jogging, and cycling. Some visitors said they prefer to play volleyball during this period when humid summer temperatures start to set in than during the cold season.

“You burn a lot of calories and you tend to sweat a lot when the weather is slightly hot and it’s humid, that feels great,” one of the players said. “But when it is cold, you just want to stay home and sleep”.Other parks such as the Katara South Hills at the Katara – The Cultural Village also continues to entice many residents who often spend their early morning and afternoon to walk and jog. This place offers a picturesque view of the beach and a number of landmarks, including Galleries Lafayette, the highway going to Lusail, and Katara mosque, among other attractions.The park has been a haven for different species of birds due to the plants and trees that surround the whole area, including walkways and in various locations.South Hills visitors can also roam around the cultural village, which hosts several art galleries and exhibitions, as well as restaurants offering authentic Arabic and international dishes.Many of the parks in Qatar, including Aspire Park, Souq Waqif Park, and Old Airport Park, are accessible via the Doha Metro, providing a reliable mode of transportation to commuters.