A water and laser show lights up the sky above Katara yesterday. The show was held as part of Eid Al Adha celebrations. (Abdul Basit) DOHA: Public parks, entertainment centres, malls, zoos and other popular destinations yesterday witnessed a huge rush of people to celebrate with friends and loved ones the first day of Eid Al Adha, the festival of sacrifice. As early as 1pm, the gate of the Doha Zoo saw hundreds of people, mostly bachelors waiting in queues not only to see the huge collection of animals but also enjoy the rides at the Dream Park adjacent to the zoo. The zoo attracted more people yesterday with the cheap entry fee which is QR5 for adults and QR2 for children. Today, the zoo is still open for the general public including bachelors from 2pm till 7pm and the garden and open play areas till 8.30pm. The same timing applies tomorrow until the end of Eid holidays which will be exclusive for families. Doha Zoo is home to an estimated 1, 600 animals which belong to over a hundred species including cranes, ducks, geese, parrots, vultures, ostriches, chimpanzees, a rhinoceros, an elephant, giraffes, oryx, deer, hyenas, jaguars, lions, snakes and tortoises among others. Last Eid Al Adha, the zoo attracted nearly 30,000 visitors on the first three days and this year it is expected to see more visitors. The Dream Park which reopened last year has been improved having over 35 rides currently at very affordable fees, among the latest addition is the 12-seater 5D cinema which offers 3D movies such as ‘Adventures of Ali Baba’ for QR15 with seat movements, wind, water and fog which enhance the movie experience. “We have increased the number of games and operators to meet the increase in the number of visitors this Eid which is expected to reach 10,000 daily,” said Hassan Jumah, General Manager of Dream Park, adding they are going to add six more games before the year ends. Jumah said the Dream Park, which is open from 2pm to 11pm this Eid, will add six more games before the year ends. He denied rumours they have increased the prices of games which range from QR5 to QR15. Yesterday, a Nepalese musical extravaganza at the Dream Park also added more lustre to the much awaited holiday in the Muslim world. With over 160,000 visitors since it opened a month ago, Doha Park was also a favourite destination of people yesterday. Abdulrahman Al Sulaiti, Chairman of Board of Directors of Economic Group, organisers of Doha Park said they expect the number to increase this Eid as they organize more shows and programmes for citizens, residents and tourists. Aqua Park, the first water park in the country, also saw more visitors enjoying the water themed rides and the circus shows by European acrobats, clowns and magicians brought to Qatar for the Eid holidays. Mohammed Abdul Redah Khorshid, General Director for Administration Affairs, said as part of their preparations, they are providing attractive offers and organizing competitions. The Sheraton Park was off limits to bachelors wanting to stroll there yesterday as policemen shoved them away saying the area is declared “family day.” The Al Bidda Park was also filled yesterday with families spending their first day of Eid Holiday just to unwind and relax while letting their children enjoy playing at the playground facilities. Restaurants at the Souq Waqif were filled with more moneyed Arab and European couples and families sitting at the outside dining areas enjoying puffs of Shishas. Organisers of upcoming concerts in Doha took the opportunity to set up booths across the hallways to sell tickets. Nightly concerts featuring prominent Arab singers which started yesterday are also a crowd drawer. Meanwhile, the Doha abattoir saw huge crowds yesterday with the first batch of sheep already bought as early as 7.30am. The abattoir received a total of 4,000 sheep. The Peninsula

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