LuLu Group, in co-operation with the Australian embassy, has organised the Australian Festival at LuLu Hypermarkets.
Australian ambassador Dr Axel Wabenhorst launched the festival at LuLu Hypermarket, Al Messila, at a ceremony on Thursday.
The inaugural ceremony was also attended by other officials from the Australian embassy, namely Yara Elsergany, Azza Basha and Erin Tunks; Mohamed Althaf, director of LuLu Hypermarkets; and many other dignitaries from various sectors.
The festival runs until February 13.
The Group has been conducting the Australian Festival since last year. 
In his inaugural speech, Dr Wabenhorst commended the efforts made by LuLu Group to highlight and promote Australian foods and other products in their stores.
He was also impressed with the excellent supply chain that made the import of Australian products a reality, the Group said in a statement.
Further, the ambassador pointed out that there had been a significant increase in the export of livestock, fresh food, manufactured food products and vegetables, including carrots and citrus etc, from Australia to Qatar.
Children from Sherborne Qatar were present at the inaugural ceremony and presented a musical performance.
Live cooking sessions by a culinary chef from Meat & Livestock Australia have also been organised in every LuLu outlet. 
One of the major attractions of the ceremony was that LuLu Hypermarkets had arranged for live kangaroos at the venue. 
The festival showcases major product lines that have been directly imported from Australia for a long time. The important categories include fresh meat, chilled and dairy products, cheese, frozen foods, olives, free-range eggs, muesli bars, bread, varieties of milk and milk products, organic baby foods, sauce, cake mix, honey, grocery, and fresh and frozen fruits & vegetables etc.
The festival also highlights specialties and delights such as Aussie burgers and other popular Australian dishes at the hot-food counters.
“Although Australian products have had a presence in LuLu stores for a long time, this promotion campaign endeavours to promote a wide range of Australian products and augment sales by increasing the extent of imports,” the statement noted.