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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
Qatar residents will be treated to a spectacular show at Qatar Fan Zone at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena which opened to the public on Thursday as the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia kicked off.
Giving a glimpse of how the fan zone will look like when Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the zone features live entertainment, concerts from Arab stars, a gaming and activation area, and more than 40 food and beverage stalls.
For the entire month of the football fiesta, visitors will have a variety of entertainment to enjoy, from football free stylers showing off their skills and sharing their tips, to football snooker matches, face painting, balloon bending, among others.
As this year the country's longest festival, the Qatar Summer Festival (QSF) organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), coincides with the FIFA World Cup, QSF has partnered with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and Ministry of Sports and Culture to bring Qatar Fan Zone which will continue until the World Cup final on July 15.
Speaking to media persons, QTA Acting Director of Public Relations and Communication Department Jawaher al Khuzaei said,"We ensured that we have a place for everybody. People can go watch football, cheer and at the same time bring their kids and family to enjoy the food and the atmosphere. Besides watching the tournament, there are diverse entertainment programmes. We promise everybody that they will have fun."
According to her, the entry to the venue is free of charge and the arena will be open from 12noon in the first two weeks of the World Cup, then later from 4pm for the next two weeks until midnight.
"We are operating on match days only," she said, adding that the zone has a capacity to accommodate more than 1200 fans.
She said they are expecting visitors from other countries as well.
"Everything we do, we welcome everybody to attend and enjoy," Khuzaei said, expressing excitement that QSF coincides with the FIFA World Cup this year.
She said,"We are still running shows at the malls, hotels and other venues. This year, we have a summer pass and a mobile app that allows one to get discounts and promotions during the QSF period, which will continue for more than two months."
Talking about various football fan zones across the country, Khuzaei said,"We are glad that the whole country is celebrating. We are glad to see football fever across the country."
Meanwhile, Qatar Fan Zone formal opening ceremony will take place on Sunday when renowned Qatari singer Fahad al Kubaisi is expected to perform. In addition, between matches, the zone will host free music concerts from artistes across Middle East, including Hatim Ammor from Morocco, Ched Khalid (Algeria), Mohamad al Fares (Iraq), Ziad Bourji (Lebanon), Issa al Marzouk and Ibrahim Dashti from Kuwait.
There will also be cultural performances especially from the countries whose teams are playing in the World Cup.
