The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) and Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) have announced that registration is now open for retailers across the country to participate in the second edition of Shop Qatar, which will run from 7 January to 7 February 2018.

To allow more retailers to be part of the festival, MEC will be granting exceptions for retailers who are exceeding the two sales licenses permitted in a year. Interested retailers can visit the MEC webpage http://bit.ly/shopqatar where they can issue new discount and promotions licenses and update or cancel existing ones. Discounts include sales, festival sales and clearance sales. Promotions include special offers, raffle draws and scratch-and-win offers.

MEC also reminds all retailers to obtain design approvals for the use of the 'Shop With Confidence' logo in all advertisements for discounts and promotions. Customers' copies of shopping receipts should also bear the logo to ensure that the retailer's activities are in accordance with the law and regulations put in place by MEC. 'Shop With Confidence' logo artwork can be found on http://bit.ly/shopqatar2.

Shop Qatar is the country’s official shopping festival and features a series of nation-wide promotional offers, discounts, entertainment and public celebrations. With its wide variety of shopping offers, raffle draws, fashion shows, pop-up shops and cultural performances, the month-long festival promises something to enjoy for all ages.

Noor Al-Thani, Shop Qatar Project Manager at QTA, added, “The retail sector has seen tremendous growth since the inaugural edition of Shop Qatar. As we return with the second edition, we are very excited to shed the spotlight on the full range of Qatar’s attractive shopping offerings, from traditional products to international brands and luxury goods.” She added, “We look forward to working with our partners once again to have the festival serve as a platform for Qatari entrepreneurs and locally-produced goods.”

The inaugural edition of Shop Qatar ended on 7 February of this year, after 60 shoppers won raffle draws for cash prizes ranging from QAR 10,000 to QAR 1 million. The period in which the festival was held witnessed a 16.8% increase in visitor arrivals, compared to the same period in 2016. The direct impact of inbound tourism on the GDP was estimated at QAR 1.06 billion - a significant increase from similar estimates during previous festivals.

QTA introduced the annual shopping festival following the notable growth of Qatar’s retail sector, matched by its strong contribution to tourism spending. According to the draft Tourism Satellite Account, shopping generated QAR 6 billion in 2014, representing a bigger portion of tourism spending - from both local and foreign tourists - than hotel bookings or food and beverage.

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QNE

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