Qatar welcomes Middle East's first pandas in Al Khor ahead of World Cup

* Grand welcome ceremony held at Panda House, Al Khor A joyous mood prevailed at Panda House in Al Khor Wednesday as Suhail and Thuraya - two giant pandas gifted by China to Qatar - were presented to an eager audience.With this, Qatar becomes the first country in the Middle East to have giant pandas, and the 20th in the world, according to the Ministry of Municipality.The ministry, represented by the Public Parks Department, announced the arrival of the two pandas at a programme hosted Wednesday at their new habitat - Panda House in Al Khor. It was attended by schoolchildren, Qatari and Chinese officials and the media.

Star attractions * Suhail: originally named 'Jing Jing' in the Chinese language, which means shining crystal. The male panda was born on September 19, 2018. He has been given the Arabic name of Suhail, which means star in the sky. * Thuraya: originally named 'Si Hai', which means the four seas in Chinese. The female panda was born on July 26, 2019. She has been given the Arabic name of Thuraya, which means a group of shining stars. These two names have great significance in Qatari culture.

The pandas have been gifted within the framework of strengthening the relationship between Qatar and China, and to celebrate Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup from November 20. They will be taken care of by an international team of doctors and specialists.Panda House is expected to become one of the most prominent tourist and leisure destinations in Qatar, attracting a large number of visitors from home and abroad, the ministry said in a statement.Exciting had been building up in anticipation of the pandas' arrival in Qatar ever since the first announcement of the project, peaking with the news of their departure from China on Tuesday.Carrying 'panda' stuffed toys, balloons and the Qatari and Chinese flags to mark the special occasion, the children waited patiently for the pandas Wednesday and then greeted the duo with cheers as they made their first appearance.Suhail and Thuraya will be available for public viewing after the 21-day quarantine period is over, Public Parks Department director Mohamed Ali al-Khori said.

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