It's mini-festivals within a MAJOR festival with Shop Qatar (SQ)—the country’s ONLY nationwide shopping festival which has finally returned for its third epic edition!
Running till the 20th of January, the month-long event is set to bring flair to the season's festivities, as it recently announced a host of new features for Qatar residents and visitors to indulge and enjoy.
With SQ, Doha shoppers can avail of discounts on a range of consumer goods all month-long such as clothes, electronics, cosmetics and accessories for men, women and children at various malls.
The annual thing also invites residents and visitors to enjoy a variety of attractive retail offers at malls across the country as well as exciting fashion, lifestyle and entertainment events.
The shopping festival's December 15 opening was well-attended by honourary guests and spectators. While it's been previously announced that this year's SQ will be divided into four mini festivals, Qatar Calendar has decided to add ANOTHER ONE in celebration of the upcoming Qatar National Day.
From the name itself, the first part of the five is wholly dedicated to the 2018 Qatar National Day celebrations and it will be offering QR 3 million worth of cash and car prizes, and an array of discounts for shoppers, among others.
The front windows of participating outlets and companies will bear the National Day Trade Festival logo label, designed specifically for the event. The initiative comes as part of the Ministry's efforts to organise events that reflect pride in National Day celebrations and contribute to cementing the values of loyalty and solidarity with the country and its wise leadership.
Companies looking to participate in the National Day Trade Festival can register by visiting the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s building (Quality License and Market Control Department—3rd Floor) and presenting an official letter and a copy of the commercial register and commercial license.
NDTF is proudly organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the National Tourism Council (NTC).
For authentic shopping experiences, SQ has renewed its partnership with Embrace Doha to lead shopping tours at Souq Waqif—the country's top destination for anything cultural. Individuals interested in learning how to find their way through the traditional marketplace can join guided tours that will run on Saturdays guiding groups through the Souq, stopping along the way to sample and learn about spices, incense, traditional food, art and clothes.
Last year's ‘Fashion and Beauty Park’ at the Doha Festival City proved to be a big hit, with hundreds of visitors enjoying the pop-up event designed to guide visitors through their fashion and beauty woes. Besides one-on-one styling sessions with various well-known image consultants, visitors also had access to fashion and beauty styling sessions at the park's so-called ‘Colour Closet’ and ‘Beauty Box’.
"The festival supports malls as well as independent retailers and local entrepreneurs by offering a platform to showcase their businesses and products," shared SQ project manager Noor Al Thani.
SQ's Design District is one of the shopping festival's crowd favourites as it annually offers a hub for the event's fashion-forward events and activations. This edition will be no difference. Eyed to be held once more at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC), the District brings a colorful showcase of pop-up shops, cafes, and more than 20 fashion shows, workshops and masterclasses all under one roof between the 5th and 12th of January.
Kimberly Guthrie from the Virginia Commonwealth University—Qatar commented, “It is a very exciting time in Qatar as both education and industry have a fresh focus on new opportunities to cultivate and celebrate creative and design talent as they work together to identify truly innovative and forward-thinking ideas and solutions to support the design, fashion, and art industries.”
In addition to the fashion-focused events, the final week of Shop Qatar 2019 will see a host of live music concerts featuring Pakistani, Indian and globally-renowned artists. Details on artists and tickets will be announced at a later date.
Last year saw the DECC packed with Electronic Dance Music fans as popular American duo 'The Chainsmokers' left the whole country breathless and craving for more with their biggest dance hits!
Besides offering discounts and promotions, the festival’s 14 retail partners—Al Mirqab Mall, Al Khor Mall, City Centre, Dar Al Salam Mall, Doha Festival City, Gulf Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Lagoona Mall, Landmark Mall, Mall of Qatar, Royal Plaza, Tawar Mall, The Gate Mall and The Pearl-Qatar—will also host exclusive entertainment and roaming mall shows for families and children.
Shoppers who spend QR200 at any of participating retailers will be eligible for a weekly raffle draw and a chance to win cars and cash prizes. Draws will be held on the first three Thursdays of the festival (December 27, January 3 and 10, 2019) with two cars and seven cash prizes ranging between QR 10,000 and QR100,000 to be won every week. The final draw will take place at the closing ceremony on January 20, 2019.
To know more about Shop Qatar, check out their website and social media links below!
Facebook: @QatarCalendar
Instagram: @qatarcalendar
Twitter: @qatarcalendar
Which of these five mini-festivals are you most looking forward to for Shop Qatar 2019? Drop us a line in the comments and also, don't forget to like and share this article—it keeps us going!
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