Khalid TawalbehDoha
Under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism launched the 12th Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) at the waterfront in Lusail City on Saturday. The festival will continue until March 21.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, HE Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group and president of Qatar Tourism welcomed the attendees, and spoke about the importance of the festival.
Qatar Tourism Chairman and Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker highlighted that the Qatar International Food Festival has proven to be one of the most popular festivals in Qatar, and this year it will present traditional dishes of most of the countries and destinations to which Qatar Airways flies.
Al Baker expressed his confidence that the food tourism sector in Qatar will continue to grow at significant rates due to the attractiveness of the upcoming international events agenda, and noted that the solid cooperation between Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism will strengthen Qatar's position as a global tourist destination famous for many events, sports competitions, festivals and cuisine.
He said the festival includes more than 100 stalls with a variety of delicious cuisines, in addition to a night cooking theater and two fine dining halls in cooperation with a number of five-star hotels. The events will also feature family-friendly daily entertainment such as a skating rink.
He confirmed that the food festival brings together many culinary experiences that include prominent names in the field of hospitality, outstanding restaurants, a culinary theater, fireworks displays and live entertainment shows.
During the opening ceremony, a cooperation agreement was announced between the Ministry of Culture, Qatar Airways and Chef Aisha Al Tamimi, who presented a cooking show live in front of the audience accompanied by Indonesian chef Nonni.
"I don't repeat my dishes, neither in my programmes, nor in my books. I'm always looking for new, and if I don't find it, I invent it. I read in a foreign book The idea, I am inspired by it and turn it into my own ideas. I shape the taste and put my soul into the dish. I take care that the dishes are not too expensive, I mention possible alternatives to their ingredients, Chef Aisha Tamimi told Qatar Tribune.
She added that Ramadan has a great place in the hearts of all Muslims, and in Qatar it is characterized by spirituality, communication and food exchange between parents and neighbours.
Al Tamimi spoke about her beginnings as a graduate at Qatar University, and worked in teaching for 20 years, then followed her passion in the field of culinary arts and became famous in this field in Qatar and at the Gulf and international level.
Her passion for cooking led her to represent traditional Qatari cuisine in a number of countries around the world, including the Expo Milan/ Italy Food Festival to train Italian chefs on popular Qatari cuisine in 2015.
In addition to commemorating the National Day of Qatar in Moscow in 2017 and cooking popular Qatari cuisine for a thousand people in Russia.
This year, the QIFF 2023 festival celebrates the best cuisine in the world at Al Saad Square, Lusail Avenue where the famous Lusail towers, the venue for the final celebrations of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
During the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to taste Indonesian food, as this year's event will be held in honor of the cultural year "Qatar - Indonesia 2023".
Visitors will taste dishes that combine the diverse culinary traditions of the country with a rich and unique flavor. The food festival will also feature a special Qatari cultural tent featuring local dishes and an interactive experience with Le Petit Chef using three-dimensional maps, in collaboration with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha.