The third Hamba Pakistani Mango Exhibition and Its Products opened Thursday at Souq Waqif, welcoming visitors to its biggest edition with over 30 exhibitors, exclusive mango varieties and a diverse culinary showcase celebrating one of Pakistan's most treasured fruits.
The event was inaugurated by Abdulrahman Mohammed al-Naama, representative of the Private Engineering Office (PEO), in the presence of Pakistan’s ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Aamir, in addition to a number of other ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, among other guests.
The exhibition, running until July 18 and organised by the PEO’s Celebrations Committee in co-operation with the Pakistan embassy, welcomes visitors daily from 4pm-10pm within a fully air-conditioned tent, offering shopping, tasting and cultural experiences centred around Pakistani mangoes and their products.
Speaking to Gulf Times, exhibition general supervisor Khalid Saif al-Suwaidi said this year's event has expanded significantly in both scale and variety.
"We have 30 companies for the mango and 30 companies for the restaurants," he said. "We have more than 10 kinds of mango, and we also have a promise from the embassy of Pakistan: they have sent something special – a mango variety coming to Qatar for the first time."
Visitors can explore more than 10 renowned Pakistani mango varieties, including Sindhri, Chaunsa, White Chaunsa, Anwar Ratol and Dusehri, alongside seasonal fruits such as apricots, peaches, jamun and chikoo.
More than 30 restaurants and food exhibitors are serving mango-inspired desserts, juices, ice cream, pickles and authentic Pakistani cuisine.
Highlighting one of the exhibition's unique attractions, al-Suwaidi said visitors are encouraged to taste the fruit before making a purchase.
"This exhibition may be the only one where you can try all the mangoes before you buy," he said. "In another market, you buy directly. Here, you can taste and then buy."
He also stressed that food quality and visitor safety are priorities throughout the event.
"Every day, samples are taken and checked to ensure everything is okay," al-Suwaidi said, noting that laboratory testing and inspections by the Ministry of Public Health are conducted daily.
According to the organisers, Pakistan is the world's fifth-largest mango producer, harvesting more than 1.8mn tonnes annually.
Building on the success of the previous Pakistani editions and the recent Indian mango exhibition, organisers expect this year's event to attract record visitor numbers while offering a rich cultural and culinary experience in the heart of Souq Waqif.
