* HE Sheikha Al Mayassa and other VVIPs in attendance
Qatar Duty Free (QDF) and Harrods on Thursday celebrated the official opening of the Harrods Tea Room at Hamad International Airport (HIA).
The first airport in the world to house a Harrods Tea Room, HIA already has two Harrods signature stores, a statement noted.
The inauguration of the Harrods Tea Room was attended by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad al-Thani and officiated by Qatar Airways Group chief executive HE Akbar al-Baker, HIA chief operating officer Badr Mohamed al-Meer, Harrods director Raj Assanand and QDF vice-president (Operations) Thabet Musleh. Ajay Sharma, British ambassador to Qatar, other dignitaries and senior representatives from Qatar Investment Authority were also present.
London Fanfare Trumpets were sounded as HE al-Baker proceeded to cut the ribbon, officially announcing the opening of the Harrods Tea Room at HIA.
HE al-Baker said, “Harrods is an iconic British brand that is all about the customer experience from start to finish and, in this regard, it is the perfect partner for Qatar Duty Free and the wider Qatar Airways group.
“With 10.7mn passengers travelling through HIA in the last quarter of 2019, the Harrods brand is already reaching an audience of substantial proportions. The new Harrods Tea Toom further complements the two Harrods signature stores already in operation in the airport.”
Assanand noted, “Harrods is a London institution, but has always been global in its outlook. The new Harrods Tea Room is the next natural stage in our long relationship with HIA and Qatar Duty Free, a partnership which has allowed us to bring the Harrods experience to even more of our international customers.
Al-Meer said, “We are pleased to welcome Harrods Tea Room to Hamad International Airport, making us the exclusive host airport of such a prestigious name. We’ve had a long-standing and successful partnership with Harrods, which is one of the most reputable brands in the world.
Musleh added, “To be associated with an iconic global brand that is synonymous with luxury and service is a great honour. The Harrods Tea Room at HIA has developed bespoke dishes that fuse the much loved English classics with unique traditional Qatari flavours.
“It is very fitting that this partnership with Harrods, a Qatari owned brand, marks the first in a series of events at HIA to celebrate Qatar National Day on December 18. Across the month of December, our customers will be able to discover a special menu of Qatari-inspired dishes at the Harrods Tea Room in celebration of Qatar National Day. Travellers will also be able to enjoy various performances, activities, shopping and dining offers throughout the airport.”
Taking centre stage at the heart of HIA, the Harrods Tea Room brings passengers a wide range of Harrods specialties - including an "impressive selection of teas from the Harrods Food Halls, along with a menu of mouth-watering pastries". The tea room also features an ice-cream parlour "with flavours and quality unrivalled in the region", the statement pointed out.
???Inspired by its counterpart in Knightsbridge, the Harrods Tea Room is "impeccably designed" to boast of classic-style furniture with elegant curved backs and stitching details, brass finishing on tables and lighting. The tea room also features Herringbone timber flooring and classic traditional tiling with elements of abstract peacock theme to tie in with the London Food Hall.
