DOHA: Visit Qatar has announced the return of ‘Shop Qatar,’ the country’s largest shopping festival scheduled for January 1 to January 27, 2024, themed, 'Your Shopping Playground'.
The near month-long event will see the participation of 13 malls and shopping districts across Qatar, offering a variety of activations, raffle draws, cash prizes, competitions, sales, and entertainment suited to visitors of all ages.
Building onto the success of Shop Qatar 2023, the next edition is set to blend new, innovative concepts and technologies such as novel gaming experiences, bringing you your favourite characters such as Cocomelon, Bluey, Miraculous, Barbie, and much, much more.
Speaking on the upcoming festival, Eng Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer at Qatar Tourism, said: "Shop Qatar is now in its eighth edition, a testimony to the ongoing success of this important event that has become a staple on our annual social calendar. Timed for the start of the year, Shop Qatar will launch us into a new year with an incredible event line-up suited for the whole family. This success is owed to the continued collaboration and cooperation of our valued stakeholders, and we look forward to a successful edition in 2024.”
Opening and closing ceremonies
Shop Qatar 2024 will be inaugurated at Place Vendôme with a performance by the popular regional band, Rouh Al Sharq. The performance will take place on a purpose-built stage at Place Vendôme’s dancing fountains. The opening day is planned to be filled with exciting parades, influencers meet and greet, activities, competitions, prizes, and exciting announcements.
The closing ceremony will be held at Doha Festival City which will see the last raffle draw and the announcement of the grand prize winner. The ceremony will also hold special shows and surprise hosts that will engage with the audience. In a show of appreciation, Qatar Tourism will recognise malls and their esteemed team members in a curated ‘Mall & Retail Awards’ ceremony that will also take place on the final day of Shop Qatar 2024. Celebrating participation and creativity, the awards will recognise branding, staff, and overall customer experience.
Raffles and prizes
During the festival, Qatar’s most popular malls will host various festivities and forms of entertainment while extending notable discounts and bringing to residents thrilling raffle draws and prizes. Raffle draws will take place every week; week one at Mall of Qatar (January 5), week two at Msheireb Galleria (January 12), week three at Place Vendôme (January 19), and week four at Doha Festival City (January 27). Prizes will include four luxury cars, exciting giveaways distributed by hosts during interactive contests, and cash prizes of varying amounts. There will be four lucky winners taking home QR50,000 each, eight winners taking home QR20,000 each and twelve winners with QR10,000 each. There will also be redemption booths across malls where visitors can redeem invoices and win vouchers, while also enjoying unique gaming experiences and capturing memories with photo opportunities.
Fun for the little ones
Residents can explore pop-ups of the world’s biggest toy brands at their geographical convenience. For the duration of the festival, Place Vendôme will host the incredible Barbie Dreamhouse and Barney Live Show.
At Doha Festival City, kids can enjoy the Miraculous Activity Live Show while City Center Mall will be home to the Emoji Activity Corner.
At Hyatt Plaza Mall, families can enjoy the Cocomelon Activity Corner, Bluey at Mall of Qatar, Fruit Ninja at Msheireb Galleria, Dart Zone in UDC and the Scrabble Activity Corner, and at Al Hazm Mall, the LOL Activity Corner. Daily parades, surprise guests, and more activities will be hosted across participating malls in Qatar.
Participating malls
Shop Qatar has partnered with 13 malls, including Place Vendôme, Doha Festival City, Mall of Qatar, Hyatt Plaza, City Center Mall, Landmark Mall, Tawar Mall, Al Hazm Mall, Msheireb Galleria, Gulf Mall, Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall, and UDC, The Pearl-Qatar.