Ikea celebrates Qatar store launch

Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, Omar al-Futtaim, Adosh Sharma and guests applaud as Ambassador Max Bjuhr and John Kersten perform the traditional log-cutting ceremony at the opening of the Ikea Qatar store yesterday. Right: A bedroom setting display at the store. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil

Ikea, the Swedish furniture retailer, opened its Qatar store yesterday offering its ‘unique range’ of home furnishing solutions through its trademark ‘blue box’ store at Doha Festival City beside Al Shamal Road in Al Daayen Municipality.Qatar is the 41st country to have an Ikea store whereas the Qatar outlet is the 341st for the Swedish flagship brand. Ikea Qatar store marks the first phase of Doha Festival City, a joint venture promoted by Al Futtaim, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Aqar Real Estate Investment Company and a private investor.To mark the store opening, Omar al-Futtaim, vice chairman, Al Futtaim Group, the representative of Ikea in UAE, Qatar and Egypt, presided over the traditional log-cutting ceremony performed by Max Bjuhr, Swedish Ambassador to the UAE, Qatar & Bahrain and John Kersten, managing director, Ikea–UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman.Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, chairman, Qatar Chamber, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, chairman, QIB, Akbar al-Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways and Adosh Sharma, manager, Ikea Qatar store, were present.Hundreds of customers visited the store and enjoyed Swedish delicacies at the 550-seater Ikea restaurant. Ikea’s trademark Smaland children’s play area provided fun activities to keep the tiny tots entertained. The Ikea Qatar staff members were also at hand to assist the visitors. The new Ikea Qatar store, spread out across 32,000sqm, has some 7,500 items on display. The self-service area is equally spacious. There are 33 cash tills to minimise customer waiting and queuing times. Other amenities and facilities include spacious and free dedicated parking bays for 1,500 cars.“Visiting an Ikea store is a great day out for the whole family, an experience which is lived by nearly 780 million people who visit our 340 stores across 40 countries every year,” said Kersten. He described the opening of the Qatar store as a major milestone in Ikea’s history in the Middle East and it coincides with the 70th anniversary since the brand’s inception. “Ikea is set to change the furniture retail landscape in Qatar the same way it has done in each of the 40 countries it is already present in around the world. Ikea aspires to provide better life at home. “This is driven by Ikea’s core value of honesty and mission to provide a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. The brand hopes to quickly be embraced by Qatar’s consumers who are looking for value for money products,” Kersten added.