Doha Festival City (DFC), which is set to open in February 2017, will have more than 500 carefully selected international and local brands, many of which will be making their Qatar debut, and more than 100 places to dine and relax.

The inauguration of DFC will be celebrated with many exciting activities in the months following the opening, which will be announced at a later stage.

Image provided by DFC

Attractions

In addition to the 500 brands, there will be a five-star hotel and convention center set to break ground at DFC next year as well. The hotel and convention center will open officially in 2018.

DFC will have a variety of options for visitors to engage in different fun activities. There will be green spaces for outdoor exercise and cycling, as well as 5-a-side football pitches and basketball courts for sports-lovers.

There will also be a designated entertainment area, which will house four theme parks:

Angry Birds World – the global gaming sensation, and the first of its kind in the Middle East. It will have over 35 attractions, both indoor and outdoor, including digitally interactive rides such as the Middle East’s longest Go-Kart Track and the Water Rapids.

Snow Dunes — Qatar’s first indoor snow park, which will have a distinct Arabian theme and feature snow fall, snow slides, sledge rides and more.

Juniverse – a space-themed edutainment park that offers dynamic learning and state-of-the-art roleplaying for children.

Virtuocity – created exclusively for teens and adults, it will deliver an immersive digital experience and will offer full motion racing simulators, escape rooms, and a dedicated eSports arena that will provide a cutting-edge entertainment experience. Virtuocity will also have more than 600 competitions with 165,000+ participants expected each year.

For film fanatics there will also be a VOX Cinemas, which will be making it’s debut in Qatar. It will be Qatar’s first ever 4D cinematic complex, offering 18 digital screens for visitors to enjoy.

Ease of access

Qatar’s newest shopping and leisure destination promises easy accessibility, offering 8,000 parking spaces, which will have ‘smart parking’ where digital signage will communicate full or free spaces in real time.

DFC will be located in Umm Salal Muhammad, currently home to IKEA, which has been open in Qatar since 2013. IKEA is one of the first brands to be located in Umm Salal.

Being the largest single private sector investment in retail in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, DFC has greatly impacted the local construction and retail sectors. The development cost for the DFC project is QR 6.5 million.

Working closely with the Qatari government, DFC ensures that its infrastructure will be of the best quality, such as access roads and dedicated ramps from Shamal Road for visitors to use.

Vision and mission

During its early planning and development phase, DFC has attempted to align its vision with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

May Marzooq, Senior Marketing Manager at Doha Festival City, said, “We are proud to be part of Qatar’s long term strategy to diversify the country’s economic growth and increase the tourism flow. Doha Festival City is going to be a great attraction for both residents and tourists from the region, particularly from Saudi and UAE, but also from other parts of the world.”DFC plans to host a number of different unique events and activities following its opening, some of which will be very cutting-edge for the Doha community.

Opportunities

More than 10,000 employees worked on DFC during its construction phase. According to Marzooq, the contractors worked seamlessly together in order to create something extraordinary.

“We estimate that there will be around 3,000 employees on the ground in the mall at any given time, with over 7,000 employees across over 400 stores and 100 dining venues,” Marzooq added.

DFC will be a space for all of Doha’s community to come together and enjoy the different attractions and retail options. It will be much different from any other retail project that Doha has yet seen. DFC is an amalgamation of retail, leisure, entertainment, and hospitality, a unique combination.

“We will be offering a complete experience for our customers,” said Marzooq. “From Monoprix for the weekly grocery shopping trip, to Harvey Nichols for a luxury treat, or one of the four theme parks for quality family time, [Doha] Festival City has something to offer to every budget and every taste.”

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AngelPolacco

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