Doha Festival City
Doha: As the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is only months away, businesses are leveraging the fanfare that comes with the global competition to promote their brands and improve shopping experiences.
In an email statement to The Peninsula, Doha Festival City (DFC) General Manager Robert Hall said the mall is set to celebrate the World Cup through engaging activities, competitions, and promotions.
“As I am sure the majority of businesses are in Qatar, we are immensely excited at the opportunity for Qatar to be presented to the world through the FIFA 2022 World Cup,” Hall stated.
“DFC will also be preparing for unforgettable entertainment and shopping experiences in parallel with Qatar’s historic hosting of the World Cup. With 44 international countries presented in Festival City, our plans are set to celebrate not just the World Cup, but to celebrate Qatar and its international relationships as our part in the 2030 vision, through engaging activities, competitions, and promotions.”
While footfall has increased in Qatar’s retail malls as COVID-19 restrictions are further relaxed, the recent Omicron spread and tighter restrictions posed a challenge to businesses, with online shopping proving a preferable option.
However, many malls in Qatar continue to perform well. The Cabinet’s decision to allow non-vaccinated people entry into malls and full capacity operations project a strong recovery.
Qatar’s economy is projected to make a robust recovery this year, with an expectation to grow by more than 2 percent in 2021 and by more than 3.5 percent in 2022, according to the latest Qatar Economic Outlook Report 2021-2023.
“We are heartened by the recent lifting of restrictions and the subsequent allowing of non-vaccinated people into the mall once again. We are thrilled to have visitors of all ages enjoying their time at our shops, dining areas, and world-class entertainment venues,” Hall added.
According to Hall, DFC will continue to expand rapidly, with another ten new outlets set to open by the end of this month, two of which have already recently opened.
“In January, we welcomed OBag, an Italian fashion bags brand, and Hong Kong-based Watsons, the world’s largest international retailer of affordable beauty and lifestyle products. This month we will be welcoming two eateries, the popular local casual dining outlet Texas Chicken and Yasmine Palace Restaurant, a family favorite Syrian restaurant,” he added.
Also, six Shopping outlets, including That’s Living Kids interiors, Hera Extensions for premium hair extensions and wigs, Optifashion optical store, Fifty One East luxury department store, and Djula and Lazordy jewelers will join DFC this month.
