(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Raynald C Rivera | The Peninsula
The siege imposed on Qatar, which marks its 100th day today, has failed to dampen the nationwide celebrations which succeeded in providing thousands of citizens, residents and tourists more than two months of fun and excitement at a time when blockading countries expected citizens and residents to feel the pinch of the siege.
Unfazed by the unjust siege which was imposed unprecedentedly by the Saudi-led bloc, organisers Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) pushed through with the many planned events and activities announcing at the outset it had no intention at all to cancel or shorten the longest edition of the country's Summer Festival which people had been looking forward to every year.
Stretching from Eid Al Fitr to Eid Al Adha, the festival with the theme ‘Colour Your Summer' teemed with hotel and shopping promotions and offered uninterrupted events and activities at various venues.
The Summer Entertainment City, which served as the centerpiece of the festival, witnessed 19,000 visitors in the first four days of operation, which is higher than the previous three editions of the festival, which revealed the resilience and the undaunted spirit of the people amid the siege.
The indoor theme park was a one-stop shop for fun and entertainment having everything, from rides and games to food court and pop-up shops selling various merchandise. With a variety of acts and performers, the regularly staged weekly live entertainment added lustre to the already fun mood of the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Visitors to the Entertainment City enjoyed 87 games to choose from across 11 categories catered to different ages, from toddler games and kids' rides to arcade and virtual reality games to skills games as well as new exciting features such as the world's largest inflatable obstacle course and the biggest trampoline park. More than 30 live shows and performances entertained visitors to the City.
Over 1,000 mindsports enthusiasts and thousands more spectators had fun at the fourth International Mindsports Championships which Qatar hosted for nine days at the Entertainment City, the first time the competition was held in the Middle East.
The summer edition of Doha Comedy Festival also bring laughs at a sold out show at the Qatar National Convention Centre. The show which brought together on one stage comedians from several countries proved the power of laughter as an international language and standup comedy as the next big thing in live entertainment in this corner of the world.
The shopping malls participating at the festival saw increased footfalls day after day, peaking during Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha holidays when thousands of people joined in the fun of the rich lineup of entertainment options for the entire family including stage and roaming shows.
A huge number of people thronged 145 retail outlets at seven participating malls including Doha Festival City, Mall of Qatar, Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall, Gulf Mall, Landmark Mall and The Mall availing of the promotions and discounts evident in the over QR61m in retail spend and over 305,000 vouchers entered in the Mega Raffle.
Diverse shows and activities organised in other locations including the Cultural Village-Katara, Souq Waqif, Souq Al Wakrah, Aspire Park and Aqua Park also saw thousands of citizens, residents and tourists taking advantage of their various offerings to celebrate the joy of Eid. The atmosphere at Katara was celebratory during the Eid holidays with its nightly fireworks display and one-of-their-kind shows which residents and tourists reveled in.
The festival , which was the highlight of QTA's vibrant calendar of events for the year, was unique as it involved and mobilized the private sector and local businesses, which QTA has vowed to continue in the ensuing festivals and events in the future.
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