Concepts related to the entertainment and leisure industry are “very promising” ventures for entrepreneurs in the Qatari market, an official of the Summer Entertainment City (SEC) has said. 

There is an “immense need” for activities that cater to entertainment and leisure in the country, especially during the summer season, according to SEC project manager Adil Ahmed.

“Just take for example the Angry Birds World park at the Doha Festival City or the football fan zones, they were packed. People will look for an outlet, especially anything related to leisure. If you have the right ingredients: AC and an indoor facility, entertainment and leisure-related businesses will work,” Ahmed told Gulf Times.
The leisure and entertainment industry also provides a host of business opportunities for entrepreneurs and micro and small companies, he said. At the SEC, around 80% of participating companies are thriving Qatari concepts such as Exit 55, Glitter Café, and Pasturger, among many others.
He also lauded the power of social media in helping build, promote, and market local brands. Entrepreneurs maximise the use of Twitter for live broadcast premiers or Instagram and WhatsApp; bloggers also play a major role in spreading information, Ahmed explained.
“The SEC gives local entrepreneurs the opportunity to operate their businesses amid the lull of the summer season. It also gives them a chance to test new concepts in the local market. Local entrepreneurs are very pleased with the response that they get,” he said.
According to Ahmed, QSports - the organiser of the SEC which runs until August 31 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre - “made a deliberate step” into the leisure and entertainment market just last year.
“But look at what we’ve done in the past year: from the Summer Entertainment City, we were present in events like the Souq Waqif Spring Festival, the Mall of Qatar Fun Fair, and the Al Bidda Park Spring Bazaar. We were also present at the Qatar International Food Festival, and now we’re back with the SEC,” Ahmed pointed out.
He added: “We have setups in the malls as well, such as our QSports digital playground, VRs (virtual reality), and ball pits, so we create these little concepts in the malls. In the summer, you can focus on indoor activities and conversely, outdoor fun during the cooler months.”
Ahmed also said plans are in the pipeline for the launch of an ‘Inflatable City’, which is based on the inflatables concept. “When we bring inflatables, we really showcase big inflatables,” Ahmed stressed, noting that the project is planned for the winter holidays.
“This concept is on the cards, and then we have another concept called the ‘glow run’, which is a single day event where there will be a nighttime run with glowing paints,” he added.

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