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Travel & TourismPAGE | 06

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HIA second-best international airport

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ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

SUPPLEMENT COORDINATORAhmed Eltigani Idris

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi

DESIGNAbraham Augusthy

Historic sitesof Qatar:A must visit

Tourism industry booms in Qatar

RAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Qatar’s tourism sector is under-going rapid development with milestone achievements in various sectors. The country’s

tourism industry is a promising market for investors and businesses. It has witnessed 11 percent growth during January to August 31 this year compared to the same period in 2018, said Akbar Al Baker, Secretary-General of Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) and Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways.

“Together with our partners from both public and private sectors, we have been constantly working on imple-menting policies to develop the tourism ecosystem that helps create new business sustainable growth and job opportunities. With a stable growth that has reached 11% as of August 2019, Qatar’s tourism sector has proven to be a promising market for investors and businesses,” said Al Baker.

Qatar was recently ranked on top in the Middle East and number eight glo-bally in Business Environment by the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019.

The country’s national carrier, Qatar Airways has inaugurated five new des-tinations linking Hamad International Airport (HIA) to the world. Qatar Airways’ new routes include Izmir, Turkey, and Rabat, Morocco, which were launched in May; with Davao, the Philippines, Malta and Lisbon, Portugal, joining the network later in June.

With the expansion of the route network, HIA looks forward to wel-coming a rising number of travellers aboard Qatar’s state-of-the-art facility to experience a unique passenger journey into the world of the arts, culture and hospitality.

HIA also reported serving a total of 9.38 million passengers in the second quarter of 2019, making it the busiest second quarter the airport has seen.

HIA has achieved second place in the prestigious 2019 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. First receiving this award in 2017, HIA continues to position itself as a leading global aviation hub, with

redefined airport experiences for trav-ellers from around the world.

Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said: “We are very proud to be recognised by our loyal passengers for the seamless airport expe-rience offered by HIA. To be named the World’s Second-Best Airport is a great achievement and testament to HIA’s high international standards. While this is a great recognition, we never rest on our achievements, and constantly evolve to deliver a true unique experience for our passengers.”

HIA’s unique shopping and dining offering spread across 40,000 square meters of combined retail, food and bev-erage options are also continuously expanding.

The hospitality sector also expanding with the increasing number of hotels coming up in Qatar.

Katara Hospitality, the country’s flagship hospitality company, continues to expand its portfolio of iconic hotels to invest and acquire in key sought after international markets, while also main-taining is strong position as market leaders in the hospitality industry in Qatar. It has gone a long way from 362 keys in 1970 to 7,896 in 2019.

The rapid development Katara Hos-pitality is witnessing is also reflected in the number of jobs its provides. Since 2011 Katara Hospitality witnessed 400 percent increase in employees. It has a total of 6,499 employees, of which

2,680 are in Qatar. Looking forward, the company is

now focusing on its next strategic target of expanding its portfolio of iconic hotels to 60 properties by 2026 after surpassing its previous target by two years. In Qatar, the company has shaped the hospitality landscape for over four decades and today is part of the national infrastructure that grows alongside the country’s development.

Katara Hospitality is also leading spectacular new projects that will redefine the design and presentation of luxury hospitality in the country. One of the organisation’s most significant projects that is currently underway is Katara Towers in Lusail Marina District,

a luxury hospitality complex which is an architectural translation of Qatar’s country seal. Hosting a five-star ultra-luxury hotel and branded apartments, Katara Towers features twin arched towers that rise gracefully from the podium level and represent the crossed swords of the country’s seal. With its incredible design complemented by landscaped gardens and palm trees, the hospitality complex is set to become the hospitality icon of the 21st Century. Other properties coming up soon are Al Messila Resort & Spa and Salwa Beach Resort, which will both add to the list of must-visit for visitors and tourists.

Cruise tourism is also a promising sub-sector of the country’s tourism

industry with positive developments it has seen recently.

Doha Port welcomed a record number of passengers in the 2018-19 season. Doha Port received 144,707 pas-sengers and crew on 44 ships during the season. The rise in the number of tourists was a result of mainline cruise vessels expressing their interest in Doha and deploying bigger cruise vessels to Doha.

Qatar is targeting cruise passengers to boost its tourism and Doha Port is aiming to attract half a million cruise pas-sengers by 2022.

The country is also poised to see huge leap in business events and sports tourism hosting high-calibre interna-tional events such as the ongoing 17th IAAF World Championships and the much anticipated FIFA World Cup 2022.

Some 137 events were organised in 2018, which included international con-ferences, exhibitions and other business related events.

The annual events and festivals such as Qatar International Food Festival, Hospitality Qatar, Shop Qatar, and Summer in Qatar has seen successes and expansion in their recent editions attracting many visitors.

With QNTC’s visionary leadership, clear roadmap and ambitious projects along with partnership with various stakeholders, the country’s tourism industry is expected to further expand, create more jobs and further contribute to the country’s economy.

Qatar’s tourism sector has witnessed stable growth of 11 percent from January to August 31, 2019. The country’s tourism sector is undergoing rapid development, with milestone achievements in the sub sectors of cruise, business events and sports. Preparing beyond 2022, multiple new businesses are creating thousands of job opportunities in hospitality, retail, F&B, and transportation.

Akbar Al Baker, Secretary-General of Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive.

Qatar is targeting cruise passengers to boost its tourism and Doha Port is aiming to attract half a million cruise passengers by 2022. The country is also poised to see huge leap in business events and sports tourism hosting high-calibre international events such as the ongoing 17th IAAF World Championships and the much anticipated FIFA World Cup 2022.

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Hamad International Airport (HIA) has achieved second place in the prestigious 2019 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards.

First receiving this award in 2017, HIA continues to position itself as a leading global aviation hub, with redefined airport experiences for travellers from around the world.

The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards evaluate airports based upon the direct feedback of their readers who vote for their favourite airport across the globe, upon criteria such as access, check-in, security, restaurants, shopping, and design.

Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said: “We are very proud to be recognised by our loyal passengers for the seamless airport experience offered by HIA. To be named the World’s Second-Best Airport is a great achievement and testament to HIA’s high international standards. While this is a great recognition, we never rest on our achievements, and constantly evolve to deliver a true unique experience for our passengers.”

HIA has achieved significant mile-stones within the criteria for which it has been voted as the second best inter-national airport. Passengers have been given autonomy for the check-in process through the airport’s Smart Airport Program which has introduced

self-check-in and bag drop kiosks which are biometric enabled. This also makes the check-in process faster, which vastly improves customer experience and allows more passengers to be managed without physical expansion of the check-in facilities.

Within the security criterion, HIA has increased its security capacity for screening in its transfer areas and reduced queuing time, as part of its com-mitment to providing a seamless transfer experience for passengers and main-taining high standards of security. The airport has also further improved cus-tomer service in the transfer security areas, allowing at least 95 per cent of its transfer passengers to queue for under five minutes, which is an industry-leading achievement

HIA’s unique shopping and dining offering spread across 40,000 square meters of combined retail, food and bev-erage options are also continuously expanding.

HIA competed with some of Sky-trax’s top 10 airports. In addition to sus-taining a seamless passenger journey and advancing its technology, HIA is expanding its terminal to strengthen its ability to scale and compete with leading airports while increasing connectivity for airlines and passengers. The expansion will include retail, dining, first and business lounges in the North Node, hoping to meet the demands of the increasing number of passengers and enhance the comfort and quality of the

airport experience.HIA also reported serving a total of

9.38 million passengers in the second quarter of 2019, making it the busiest second quarter the airport has seen.

The record-breaking second quarter saw passenger numbers growing by 18.9 percent compared with the same quarter last year. Qatar’s state-of-the-art ter-minal has also handled 56,452 aircraft movements from April to June 2019, marking a 5.48 percent increase com-pared to the same quarter last year, said a statement.

In detail, HIA has served 3,427,723 passengers in April; 2,792,445 in May; and 3,152,384 in June. These numbers are inclusive of passengers arriving, departing and transferring through HIA.

The airport also handled 18,997 aircraft movements in April; 18,487 movements in May; and 18,968 movements in June, which includes the total number of air-craft take-offs and landings.

Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer said: “We are happy to witness these extremely positive results in the second quarter of 2019. This growth momentum in passenger numbers reflects HIA’s commitment to working continuously to strongly grow the airport and ensure it to be the experience of choice for all travellers. It is also a testament to the rapid growth of Qatar Airways which currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub at HIA to more than 160 destinations worldwide.”

During this fruitful quarter, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, Qatar Airways has inaugurated 5 new destinations. Linking HIA to the world, Qatar Airways’ new routes include Izmir, Turkey, and Rabat, Morocco, which were launched in May; with Davao, the Phil-ippines, Malta and Lisbon, Portugal, joining the network later in June.

With the expansion of the route network, HIA looks forward to wel-coming a rising number of travellers aboard Qatar’s state-of-the-art facility to experience a unique passenger journey into the world of the arts, culture and hospitality.

In May 2019, HIA marked its 5th year of operations and has celebrated their success through a series of pas-senger, employee and stakeholder appreciation events, highlighting the role that partners play in its fast-paced success.

Shortly after, as a central piece of the airport’s digital strategy, HIA has begun trialling systems as part of the second phase of its Smart Airport Program which sets to initiate an exciting major digital transformation of the passenger journey through facial biometric recognition across all key pas-senger touchpoints.

For the second consecutive year, HIA has received “Best Airport for Passenger Experience” ranking from AirHelp, the world’s leading air passenger rights specialist.

Around 75,000 visitors thronged Summer Entertainment City (SEC) after 54 days of

giving fun and excitement to residents and visitors. The ‘Summer in Qatar’ (SiQ) center-piece held at the sprawling 29,000sqm Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre opened on June 4 and temporarily closed its doors on July 13, then reo-pened on August 9 running for another 15 days.

This year’s SEC featured more than 85 games and activ-ities, a main attraction at of which was the biggest indoor Virtual reality (VR) and Gaming zone which attracted many gamers to some of the world’s most advanced VR simulators and gaming station. The zone, which was spread on a 6,000sqm area, also featured

classic retro games such as Pac-Man, Atari and Sega.

The main areas of the SEC 2019 also included amusement rides, skills games with prizes, bespoke trampoline park, a kids driving school setup, giant blocks park for kids to play and build with large lego-type blocks, a 1,000sqm ocean ball soft play area, Qatar’s first InflataPark spread over 1,200sqm, the world’s largest bounce castle, a 1,200sqm skate park, synthetic ice skating, and Spider Climbing tower.

Over 45 food options and more than 50 retail outlets were among the other offerings at SEC, making it a one-stop shop for visitors of all ages. The food stalls and carts offered a variety of cuisines while the retail outlets sold anything from fra-grances to ready-to-wear

clothes to home decors.Visitors to the SEC also

enjoyed watching live perform-ances by artistes presented in cooperation with different embassies such as Georgia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India, as well as interacting with roaming artistes and mascots.

SEC was an integral part of the vibrant SiQ program curated by QNTC and its more than 30 partners from the public and private sectors for residents and visitors to enjoy the season’s festivities.

The programme contained a wide range of activities for people of all ages and interests. These included family-friendly entertainment shows, concerts and comedy performances by top international artistes, summer camps for children and youth, thrilling experiences and

Summer Entertainment City receives 75,000 visitors

HIA recognised as second-best international airport in the world

First snow-themed park opens at DFC

Qatar’s first-ever indoor snow themed park Snow Dunes opened its doors to the visitors at Doha Festival City Mall in August. Spreading over more than 9,500 square meters, the park offers a variety of rides and attractions suitable for the

whole family as well as food & beverages outlets, retail store and party rooms. Snow Dunes is the third indoor theme park operated by Trimoo Parks at DHFC after The Angry Birds World and Virtuocity.

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Strategically located at

crossroads of Europe,

Asia and Africa, Qatar

combines the attractions

of a dynamic and

forward-looking modern

society with the courtesies and traditions

of its deeply-rooted culture. One of the

world’s most prosperous and rapidly

developing economies, Qatar has

emerged in recent years as a one of the

region’s most rapidly developing leisure

destinations as well.

The State’s hospitality industry

ranks amongst the world’s best in terms

of service and amenities and the cul-

tural attractions, shopping, dining and

recreational and sporting facilities are

first class. In short, Qatar offers the best

of both worlds — great business oppor-

tun i t ies and great le i sure

experiences.

LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY

T State-of-the-art Hamad Interna-

tional Airport – a major aviation hub with

extensive worldwide connections.

T Strategically located at the heart of

one of the world’s most prosperous and

rapidly developing regions. Crossroads of

Asia, Europe and Africa.

T Mid-way between Europe (7

hours flying time) and major Far Eastern

and African capitals (9-10 hours). Some

14 hours to East Coast USA.

T Home to Qatar Airways, one of

the world’s fastest growing airlines. Its

expanding network currently serves 150

destinations.

HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION

T Wide choice of world-class

accommodation, including top interna-

tional and regional hotel brands. Luxury,

value and superb service.

T Purpose-built hotel meeting facil-

ities and specialist events teams.

T Spacious well-appointed accom-

modation with outstanding recreational

amenities — pools/private beaches,

multiple dining options, luxury spas,

sports and gyms.

T Self-contained beachfront resorts

in and around Doha, plus downtown prop-

erties, boutique hotels and serviced

apartments.

EVENTS FACILITIES & EXPERIENCE

T World class exhibition and con-

ference venues, including Qatar National

Convention Centre and the new Doha

Exhibition and Convention Centre.

T Outstanding international events

experience — venue for numerous UN con-

ferences, global summits, trade fairs,

sports tournaments and cultural

festivals.

T Innovative incentives – luxury and

adventure, exotic venues, safaris and

dhow cruises, Qatari-themed receptions

and gala dinners.

T Efficient business event planning

services — comprehensive range of event

organizers, stand designers/contractors,

shipping companies, translators, A-V spe-

cialists and other support services.

TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS

T Experienced tour operators —

standard tours and tailored itineraries.

T Plentiful taxis, limousine services,

car hire and wide range of group

transport options available.

T Efficient telecommunications,

broadband and mobile reception.

T English widely spoken and under-

stood. Other major languages spoken in

the hospitality sector.

LIFESTYLE & ENVIRONMENT

T Flourishing tradition of hospitality

rooted in Qatar’s age-old heritage.

T Islamic society, tolerant towards

other religions and welcoming to

foreigners.

T Safe, crime-free ‘first world’ envi-

ronment. Efficient utilities.

T Sophisticated cosmopolitan life-

style combined with old world courtesy

and hospitality.

SCENERY & NATURE

T Year-round sunshine on clean

sandy beaches, desert dunes, wind-

sculpted rock formations, gypsum caves

and mangrove lagoons.

T Varied cityscapes — from dra-

matic high-rise towers to the narrow

alleys of the souq. Bold modern archi-

tecture with traditional elements, The

Pearl-Qatar, Katara, green parks, elegant

public buildings, spacious residential

districts.

T Khor Al Adaid — the spectacular

‘inland sea’ with its own unique

ecosystem.

CULTURE & HERITAGE

T Cultural attractions: Museum of

Islamic Art, Mathaf Arab Museum of

Modern Art, Msheireb Enrichment Centre,

galleries, theatres and performance

venues.

T History and heritage: Al Zubarah

archaeological site, forts and towers,

ancient rock carvings and settlements.

T Authentic experiences: Souq

Waqif, camel racing, dhow cruises, desert

trips, falconry, handicrafts, henna, music

and dance.

T Public art and architecture: works

by IM Pei, Jean Nouvel, Richard Serra,

Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois and many

other world famous names.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

T The region’s leading cultural des-

tination: historic sites.

T Sports: golf, full range of water

sports, diving and fishing.

T Desert adventures: safaris, sand

boarding, camel riding, overnight camping

and much more.

T Superb shopping, dining and

family entertainment … or simply a

relaxing escape on the beach, by the pool

or at a luxury spa.

www.visitqatar.qa

Eight key reasons to

choose Qatar

4 5

Regarded by visitors as one of Qatar’s most vividly exciting des-tinations, the 40M deep cave can

give off a phosphorescent glow which has an otherworldly look. The glow is the result of Gypsum deposits which are found in the centre of the penin-sula and have given rise to the geological phenomena known as ‘desert roses’ (clusters of roughly rose-shaped gypsum crystals). Most notably, the 40M deep cave at Dahl Al Misfir was formed largely of fibrous gypsum that sometimes gives off a faint, moon-like phosphorescent glow.

The three-decade old Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve is hugely popular in Qatar among residents and visitors. The zoo and

game reserve has an animal safari park, a zoo, an amusement park, exhibition centre herit-age and maritime museums, theatre area and a small market. Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve is planning to expand to welcome more visitors expected from the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Game Reserve and Zoo, which is one of the oldest such facilities in the coun-try, is planning to add a new building that will house a new exhibition centre, VIP area and other facilities to attract more visitors. The expansion plans also include setting up an edu-cation centre, veterinary clinic for animals, a gym among other facilities.

Stunning dunes

Qatar’s many dunes, with their spectacular views, are a major attrac-tion for tourists who wish to undertake recreational safaris. Qatar’s

largest area of sand desert lies to the south-west of the capital, with its high dunes a major attraction both for recreational safaris or simply to enjoy the spectacular landscape. The area is also popular as a day destination for families wishing to picnic in a unique environment.

Tourists will also find an array of local stores en route where supplies can be purchased before heading into the desert. The desert scenery con-stantly changes depending on the time of day and light conditions. The breath-taking colours of sunrise and sunset are especially dramatic and the clear night skies offer a rare treat for stargazers.

National Museum of Qatar

The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has become the nucleus of tourism in the country, being the

most visited cultural destination with the influx of visitors every day. The long queues of museum-goers especially on weekends are evident of the popularity of the Jean Nouvel-designed innovative museum.

From the outside, the stunning desert rose structure is a magnet for visitors but upon entry into the building , museum-goers are even more awed with its rich and immersive content. Having proba-bly the largest permanent video installation in the world, NMoQ has much of its indoor space made of cinematic dis-play zones where specially-commissioned films are projected on.

It has close to 3,000sqm of projec-tion surfaces for screening films including 120 custom 4K and 8K video projectors. Nine commissioned films are projection mapped in high resolution on the sur-faces of each gallery creating an immersive audio-visual experience and bringing to life the narratives of the col-lections on display in an extraordinary and stunning way.

Experience 14 centuries in a few hours at the Museum of Islamic Art — one of the leading collections of

Islamic art in the world. MIA’s mag-nificent and imaginatively presented displays of the finest art and artefacts from across the Islamic world have earned it rec-ognition among the world’s top cultural institutions. Marvel at award winning collections which feature paintings, glassworks, met-alwork, ceramics, textiles and manuscripts and cover periods as important as Mughal and Safavid.

No visitor can fail to be impressed by the quality and diver-sity the collections, housed in a modern architectural masterpiece designed by IM Pei, winner of the 1983 Pritzker Architecture Prize. The museum ensures fresh inter-est through its constantly changing programme of special exhibitions. The MIA is also home to indoor and outdoors cafes, a gift shop and IDAM, a world class restaurant. Onsite guides are also available to assist visitors.

Museum of Islamic Art

A 7-kilometre long waterfront promenade which stretches for the entire length of Doha Bay, the Cor-niche offers spectacular vistas of the city, from the dramatic high rise towers of the central business district to the bold shapes of the Museum of Islamic Art. Traditional wooden dhows lining the Bay

evoke echoes of Qatar’s great seafaring past. The Corniche provides a green, vehicle-free pedestrian space in the heart of the capital with cafes, restaurants, outdoor exercise facilities and a running track.

Corniche

Katara

The Pearl-Qatar is a man-made island off the West Bay coast featuring Medi-

terranean-style yacht-lined marinas, upmarket residential towers, villas and internationally renowned hotels, as well as lux-ury shopping at top brand name boutiques and showrooms.

A popular dining spot with dozens of restaurants, its waterfront promenades are lined with cafes and restau-rants serving every taste — from a refreshing ice cream to a five-star dining experi-ence. The Pearl-Qatar is a popular visitor attraction by virtue of its chic elegance, out-door atmosphere and al fresco dining. Hence its inviting description as the ‘Arabian Riviera’.

An innovative interpretation of the region’s architectural heritage, this purpose-built development’s

impressive theatres, galleries and per-formance venues stage a lively year-round programme of concerts, shows and exhibitions. Among the most famous of these is the Doha Film Insti-tute’s Ajyal Youth Film Festival, which takes place in November each year. The Institute also showcases a programme of indoor and outdoor film screenings throughout the year.

Visitors can also find other recreational attractions, including top class restaurants offering a variety of cuisines, and a spacious, well-maintained public beach with water sports. Visitors will also find much to enjoy over a night time stroll along the prome-nade, with its expansive views of Doha’s skyline, as well as a rich array of seaside food stalls and markets.

The Cultural Village Foundation – Katara provides an exceptional experience to visitors through the Al Thuraya Plane-tarium which offers a variety of documentaries and movies for children in both Arabic and English to enrich their knowledge about the space and different galaxies in the universe. The Al Thuraya Planetarium located in Katara Building 41 is equipped with high-tech large screen with a capacity for 200 visitors which gen-erates panoramic shows for the audience.

The Pearl-Qatar

Al Dosari Zoo

Dahl Al Misfir Cave

QATARDESTINATION

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Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum

Sheikh Faisal’s private museum at Al Samriya tells the story of Qatar through the personal col-

lection of one man and his family. The collection features a fascinating array of more than 15,000 exhibits covering a spectrum of arts, personal artefacts and equipment, as well as many everyday household and tra-ditional items that evoke a flavour of Qatari life in the pre-oil era. One feature of the museum is its extensive collection of carpets and beautifully preserved vintage vehicles. For more information about the museum and opening hours, please check the fol-lowing link: http://fbqmuseum.org/

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

Located in Doha’s Education City, Mathaf museum, designed by the acclaimed French

architect Jean-François Bodin, is the only institution of its type in the region, hosting modern art exhibits and programmes offering an Arab perspective on contemporary art. The museum is a uniquely spec-tacular arts space containing a col-lection of more than 6,000 works, spanning the 1840s to the present day.

Mathaf’s artistic vision is to promote exhibitions that are both his-torical and experimental in their nature. The museum’s permanent col-lection is an outstanding showcase of both historical and contemporary modern Arab art. Among those fea-tured include internationally renowned and award-winning figures such as Etel Adnan (Lebanon), Farid Belkahia (Morocco), Saloua Raouda Choucair (Lebanon and Faraj Daham (Qatar). Mathaf is linked by shuttle bus to the Museum of Islamic Art.

Qatar is home to a number of other stunning art galleries and public spaces. These include: The recently redeveloped Doha Fire Station is a community of studios offering residency programmes for artists.

Cultural treasures

Historic sites of QatarA MUST VISIT

Al Zubarah FortLocated on Qatar’s north-west coast and comprising the immaculately restored Al

Zubarah Fort and surrounding 60-hectare archaeological works, this UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most extensive and best preserved examples of an 18th–19th century settlement in the region. It covers the remains of a walled coastal town that once ranked as one of the Gulf’s most important pearl diving and trading centres with links extending to the Indian Ocean. The fort houses a visitor’s centre. According to UNESCO, Al Zubarah was one of a long line of prosperous trading towns around the coast in what is present day Qatar. UNESCO said: “Al Zubarah bears a unique testimony to the human interaction with both the sea and the harsh desert environment of the region. Pearl divers’ weights, imported ceramics, depictions of dhows, fish traps, wells and agricultural activity show how the town’s development was driven by trade and commerce, and how closely the town’s inhabitants were connected with the sea and their desert hinterland.”

Barzan TowersLocated in the suburbs of Doha in the village of Umm Salal Mohammed, the recently

restored towers were built between 1910 and 1916. Barzan means ‘the high place’ and the towers may have served as a lookout to protect local water sources and as an observ-atory to determine the dates of the lunar calendar. The buildings were extensively restored in 2003 and the towers measure 16 meters in height. While their exact role has never been fully determined, it is thought the towers were built near the seas both to keep a look out for approaching ships and to monitor local pearl divers. Since reo-pening to the public, the towers are equipped with air conditioning.

Al Wajba FortSituated 15 km. west of Doha, Al Wajba fort was built in the late 18th or early 19th

century and is one of the oldest forts tourists will discover in Qatar. Its historical impor-tance derives from being the site of a famous battle at which the Qatari forces defeated the Ottomans in 1893, as well as being the residence of the Sheikhs during various periods of its history. For visitors, one of its most prominent features are its four looming watchtowers, which stand out impressively in stark contrast to everything else in the predominantly flat area.

Al Koot FortOne of the most stunning examples of early 20th century architecture in

Qatar happens to be right in the centre of the city. Al Koot Fort (also known as Doha Fort) was built in 1927 and first used primarily as a police station to protect the nearby Souq Waqif. The square-shaped white fort has towers – three cir-cular and one rectangular – crowned with traditional Qatari-style battlements at each corner. The fort has been turned into a museum, and visitors can see local handicrafts on offer, including glasswork, oil painting and ceramics.

Al Jassasiya rock carvingsAl Jassasiya rock carvings on the north-east coast comprise a total of 874

carvings, known as ‘petroglyphs’, the earliest thought to date from Neolithic times. Discovered in 1957, they consist of various designs and patterns such as cups in rows, rosettes, ships and foot marks. Al Jassasiya is the most impressive of a dozen rock-carving sites to be found in Qatar. Rock carvings can also be found elsewhere in Qatar, including along the coast. The site also of home to a number of carvings such as boats, footprints and signs. www.visitqatar.qa

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Qatar National Tourism Council, (QNTC), the state-backed agency

responsible for governing and promoting the country’s tourism sector, has reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting the industry.

The hospitality sector is benefiting from a surge in tourists coming to the country. Hotels and resorts are doing brisk business as their occu-pancy ratio has risen signifi-cantly this year compared to last year, helped by a sharp increase in tourist inflow to the country. According to official data, the number of tourist’s arrival to Qatar reached over 1.05 million in June 2019 (YTD). Occupancy ratio is a crucial gauge of the hospitality industry as high occupancy rate shows high turn out of guests for hotels and resorts. The increase in guest numbers was witnessed by all categories of hotels, shows the data.

Qatar has received more number of tourists this year compared to last year, driven by a series of coordinated measures taken by concerned authorities to boost tourism in the country. According to QNTC, Qatar received 588,000 visitors during the first quarter of this year, reflecting an increase of 10 percent compared to the Q1 last year.

Qatar has all the needful

infrastructure, facilities on the ground, and suitable envi-ronment that help in hosting mega events that attracts tourists. Qatar Airways, the country’s national carrier, con-nects to over 150 destinations around the world. That helps in attracting more tourists direct to the country, which is increasing fast. The average number of tourists coming to participate at a mega event is 7,000 or even more, and each participant spends at least $500. These spendings not only benefit to the tourism and hospitality industry, but also have percolating effects to other sectors of the economy.

Qatar’s hospitality sector continued to win accolades as it has been ranked best in the Middle East for a second consecutive year, by the Guest Experience in the Middle East Report, released by hospitality and travel data providers Olery, a report in May said.

Akbar Al Baker, Sec-retary-General of QNTC, said: “Qatar’s hospitality sector remains a key engine of our tourism vision. We congrat-ulate our partners in the private sector for their con-tinued growth, and their focus on providing travellers with unparalleled hospitality and authentic experiences.” The Olery report confirms that Qatar’s hospitality sector is best in class, and a model for the industry and the region.

Hospitality sector sees surge in tourists

Qetaifan Projects Company, a subsidiary of Katara Hospitality which was established to develop and manage Qetaifan Island North, signed a contract

with WhiteWater West for the manufacture, shipment and installation of the water park rides. The contract was signed by Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qetaifan Projects’ Managing Director, and Geoff Chutter, White-Water West’s Chief Executive Officer.

Qetaifan Projects was established due to the increasing demand for high-quality tourism facilities and the need to develop more in this sector. Qetaifan Island North devel-opment, part of Lusail city, features seven beaches, making it a distinctive waterfront of the city. The island has an area of 1.3 million square meters, and the island’s projects span approximately 830 thousand square meters.

Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that the Island’s water park is considered the most important element on the island and the preferred destination for visitors. As Qetaifan Island North in general, and the water park will host large numbers of visitors, including Qatar’s residents as well as tourists with its opening coin-ciding with the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha.

The signing follows the plan of local and global part-nerships developed by Qetaifan Projects to contribute to the revitalisation of the tourism sector in Qatar. It follows the signing of 17 memorandums of understanding with tour operators considering the high interest and demand on this sector, in partnership with Katara Hos-pitality, Qatar National Tourism Council and Qatar Airways. This is in addition to the signing with Rixos International Hotel Chain to operate the hotel, retail outlets, water park and the beach club in Qetaifan Island North .

Qetaifan Island water

park

Upcoming tourist

attraction

katarahospitality.com

WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY.Pride is what we feel when we look at our past. Passion is what inspires our present.Perfection is our plan for tomorrow.

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