Fun, excitement and the promise of a huge variety of gastronomic treats brought thousands of visitors to the First Doha Food Festival last night. The festival began with Mr. Ahmed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority and HE Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage officially opening the festival yesterday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The First Doha Food Festival has been organized by Qatar Tourism Authority as part of the celebration of Doha as the Capital of Arab Culture for 2010, and to bring new exciting events to the local residents and families in Qatar as well as regional visitors.
One of the festival's visitors, Hany, said, "I never realized there were so many places to eat good food in Doha- this was a great opportunity to learn about the wide variety of cuisine being offered at hotels and restaurants in the city!"
Forty-eight of Qatar's best known restaurants are participating - including restaurants from all the major hotels and restaurant organizations around Qatar. The Social Development Center is also represented at the festival, offering local and traditional Qatari food.
Hossein Vetry, General Manager of Sharq Village and Spa, "It's good to see all of the exciting and new things happening in Doha, as the city grows and brings in residents and visitors from around the world. Doha offers a great selection of restaurants and we thank Qatar Tourism Authority for bringing us all together at this festival, and giving us the chance to expose to the public the different foods and dishes that we have to offer."
The sponsors of the event are Al Baddad International and Seqlia Exhibition and Conference Organizers.
The hours of opening for the weekend are Friday February 5th from 2pm - 10pm and Saturday, February 6th from 11am - 10pm in the outdoor tent behind the Doha Exhibitions Center. Entry is free and coupons are available for QR5 to purchase the dishes.
