Qatar Summer Festival (QSF) will continue to provide an array of family-friendly activities and shows across the country, including live screening of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia matches at various fan zones, a senior official of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has said.

The festival, themed ‘Colour Your Summer,’ features special entertainment shows for free at various malls in Qatar, apart from the dozens of activities at Summer Entertainment City (SEC), located at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. It will conclude on August 31.
Mashal Shahbik, festivals and tourism events director at QTA, said they want families to enjoy the summer and the fun in Doha, from the football fever and fun-filled offerings to shopping promotions and raffle draws, with a chance to win 27 cash prizes worth QR2mn or a Lamborghini Hurricane (2018 model) super car. 


Visitors enjoying the games at the Qatar Fan Zone. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed



The Qatar Fan Zone features an array of activations for visitors apart from the live screening of football matches. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed



Families take part in some of the games at SEC.



SEC hosts sports-based activities for families



The Qatar Fan Zone at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena attracts a large number of visitors who watch live football matches. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed



Stilt clowns entertain visitors at the SEC. PICTURE: Jayaram

“The most important message that we want to deliver is we want to bring all communities together,” she stressed, citing their collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Ministry of Sports and Culture to bring Qatar Fan Zone to Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena.
She described Qatar Fan Zone as the best and most family-friendly fan zone in the country, featuring live entertainment such as concerts, roaming parades, LED drummers, football stilts, and balloon twisting; a gaming and activation area, and more than 40 food stalls.
Fan zones have also been set up at Katara – the Cultural Village, and Hamad International Airport aimed at providing thousands of visitors and airline passengers with live preview of the football matches in Russia.
“We want to say that Qatar is a hub to welcome people and football is not only about young and male adults, it is about family engagement and about having fun,” Shahbik said. 
“It is a fan zone where we are trying to push people to enjoy the World Cup event even if they are not in the host country,” she added. “We are trying to prove that Qatar has people who love sports, who love football and they feel excited about the next event coming to Doha.”
QTA is also supporting entrepreneurs and local businesses by setting up food outlets at the Qatar Fan Zone and souq shops at SEC, according to Shahbik.
SEC hosts 140 shops, selling various items and accessories such as carpets, perfumes, jewellery, dresses for all ages, abayas, toys, and food items, among others.
“It is one of the objectives of QTA to support local entrepreneurs who can test the market, and show their products, and it is one of the platforms we offer to them,” she said.
Reiterating QTA’s partnership with SC and the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Shahbik explained that they want to align together and come up with “one solid plan” instead of having split activities.”
As a result, she said the fan zone now is attracting a large number of visitors who enjoy the live screening of matches and various offerings for free.
QTA also continues its digital campaigns and collaboration with hotels in Doha for special packages to attract more visitors from other countries, especially Oman and Kuwait, to visit the country this summer.
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