Qatar Duty Free to make first appearance in country’s leading shopping festival

QATAR. Qatar Duty Free (QDF) is to participate for the first time in the Shop Qatar event, a high profile shopping and entertainment festival taking place between 10 September and 10 October this year.

Shop Qatar celebrates the country’s wide range of retail, beauty and entertainment options and unfolds around popular Doha shopping malls.

The annual event, being staged for the fifth time this year, aims to enhance the Qatari fashion and lifestyle scene and showcase its hospitality.

Home page of Shop Qatar 2021, where Qatar Duty Free will be participating for the first time

There are 15 participating malls including QDF taking part in the festival, which features makeup masterclasses, arts and crafts events, family activations, live concerts, hotel and restaurant promotions, draws for cash and car prizes and flash sales with discounts of up to -90%.

QDF told The Moodie Davitt Report that the objective of its participation in Shop Qatar 2021 is to drive awareness of shopping at Hamad International Airport and to drive footfall in-store.

VisitQatar is leveraging the QDF participation to drive global awareness of Shop Qatar to a global audience and to encourage tourism to Qatar.

A QAR4 million prize fund awaits shoppers who can qualify for the prize draws by spending in the shops of the 15 participating malls, including Qatar Duty Free

More than QAR4 million (US$1.1 million) worth of prizes – including cash prizes up to QAR1 million, cars, local mall and QDF shopping vouchers – are at stake across the duration of Shop Qatar.

Passengers at Hamad International Airport have to spend QAR200 in Core Duty Free P&C, C/L/T, QDF Express Stores or QDF Arrivals to be able to participate in the Shop Qatar prize draws.

The draws – which take place on 17 September, 24 September, 1 October and 8 October – will be livestreamed on YouTube, where the winners will be announced.

One of the major objectives Qatar Duty Free’s participation in Shop Qatar 2021 is to promote its spectacular shopping offer at Hamad International Airport

Speaking at a press conference, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Qatar Tourism Chairman HE Akbar al-Baker said: “As one of the most significant events in our annual calendar, Shop Qatar brings the best fashion, entertainment and retail offerings to the country, providing shoppers and visitors with more experiences, offers, and chances to win than ever before.

“We are also going international as we welcome QDF at HIA to the festival for the first time.”

He added: “Although it is a local event, we have an international reach, and thanks to our borders which are now open, we look forward to welcoming friends and families not just from the Gulf countries but from across the world.”

In addition to Qatar Duty Free, retail partners for Shop Qatar include Al Khor Mall, City Center Mall, Doha Festival City, Ezdan Mall Al Gharrafa, Ezdan Mall Al Wakrah, Galleria Mall, Gulf Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Lagoona Mall, Landmark Mall, Mall of Qatar, The Gate Mall, The Pearl-Qatar and Villaggio Mall.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Shop Qatar 2021 will be the first major event taking place in the country in 18 months.

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