BY Malek Helali
Qatar rolled out its red carpet to welcome tourists for the Eid Al Fitr holidays this week. And many of them from brotherly GCC countries Oman and Kuwait responded by turning up in large numbers to spend their Eid Al Fitr holidays in Qatar as an act of solidarity with the country and its people during the ongoing unjust and inhumane blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. The act of solidarity with the people of Qatar during Eid was reciprocated by several service providers in Qatar as well with numerous initiatives offering free transport facilities and hotel services to Omani and Kuwaiti nationals.
'Qatari hotels' largesse a way of saying thank you to people of Oman and Kuwait'
The owner of Zubarah Hotel Abdullah al Hamad told Qatar Tribune that the numerous initiatives by the hotels in Qatar was an act of giving back to the people of Oman and Kuwait who showed a lot of support for Qatar and spent their holidays here."We wanted to send a message to everyone that Qatar is open to the honourable and good people who stand with the country and that kindness and generosity is a characteristic of Qataris and it still exists. This initiative aims to support the tourism and economy of our country without any profit as we are grateful to these countries [Oman and Kuwait] and we want to give our best. The hotel is also themed with Qatari taste and tradition, so we wanted this initiative to be an opportunity to introduce our guests to our local culture."
Large number of Kuwaiti, Omani tourists: Hotels
Zubarah Hotel Manager Omar Awad told Qatar Tribune that the hotel was providing accommodation exclusively to tourists from Oman and Kuwait for free during Eid, with a sumptuous breakfast. Awad added that 50 percent of the guests staying in 45 hotel rooms were from Oman while 50 percent were Kuwaitis.
According to him, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has provided all hotels with tourist guidelines highlighting the landmarks of Doha and the activities offered during the holidays so that the lists could be distributed to the guests.
"Guests chose different kinds of transportation from taxis to rental cars. And we also provided transportation services from the hotel. Many companies were present at the Hamad International Airport volunteering to shuttle Omani and Kuwaiti tourists to and from the airport," Awad explained.
He added:"Most of our guests wanted to visit Aqua Park during the day time and chose to visit places like Souq Waqif and Katara in the evening. We have received so many positive feedbacks from them."
Furthermore, assistant front office manager Syed Jawad at Sapphire Plaza Hotel, another hotel offering free accommodation to Omanis and Kuwaitis, said that half of the hotel guests were from Oman and Kuwait. He added that the hotel is providing tourist guides upon request.
Oman, Qatar: Our Eid is one!
Many guests from Oman shared their experiences of the Eid holidays and their stay in Qatar with Qatar Tribune.
A couple from Oman said:"We came on the second day of Eid in Qatar. This is our first time here. We had not planned this visit a long time ago, but given the current situation in the GCC we wanted to support Qatar and get to know the country more as we heard a lot of good things about this place. We visited Katara and the Pearl, and we are very pleased with the welcoming atmosphere and the variety of Eid festivities. We are also very impressed with the services at the hotel and the great hospitality. We are planning to visit Qatar again during winter."
A young Omani man said:"I came on the first day of Eid Al Fitr and already visited many malls and landmark sites. The Doha atmosphere and the Qatari people are wonderful. I have Qatari friends here, and they always make me feel at home. Everything is amazing, and I will definitely visit Qatar again."
Two Omani friends shared:"We have family in Qatar. So, we come here often and we spend Eid in Qatar every year. There are so many fun places to go, we went to Souq Waqif and the Souq Al Wakra, as well as Katara and the Pearl. When you love the people of the country, everything seems great and beautiful in it. The hotel services and the reception are excellent as well."
Despite the GCC crisis, the Eid atmosphere is great in Qatar: Noted Kuwaiti journalist
'My team was here since the beginning of Ramadan to cover events and the Eid celebrations in Qatar. I joined them on the first day of Eid, and I have been visiting friends here since. I feel very humble and moved by the hospitality and generosity of the Qatari people. Despite the political climate the Eid atmosphere is great here. We love and support Qatar and would come here even by foot if we have to' ~ Nasser al Otaibi, a Kuwaiti guest and a noted journalist, told Qatar Tribune