Families shopping for Eid at Souq Waqif. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Doha: The Eid shopping rush has peaked across Qatar as residents make final preparations for the Eid Al Fitr celebrations.
Souq Waqif, the traditional marketplace, is witnessing a hectic activity especially in the garments section.
Abdullah, a salesperson who is working at a garments store for over a decade, said customers began to visit the place, particularly at night, to buy traditional clothing for the entire family.
He told The Peninsula that for the past two weeks, he observed a huge volume of customers. “When compared to past years and the pandemic, our sales are returning to the pre-COVID-19 levels. We typically make between QR4,000 and QR5,000, but because it’s Eid, daily sales have doubled.”
Abbass, who sells crafts and accessories, observed that in contrast to the previous two years, more people are visiting Souq Waqif. “I think it’s double or triple perhaps, people usually spend time here with friends and families, have a drink, eat, and stroll around. And because of the nice weather, they stay and shop here longer than usual.”
Ihab, a tailor at the traditional market, claimed that during the previous three weeks, he had a large number of requests from residents to have custom-made thobes.
“People come, select their desired fabric or cloth, get their measurements taken, and depending on the volume of our clients, can have the tailor-made thobe done in three to four days or at most one week.”
In a statement, Souq Waqif management said that the celebrations of its Eid Al Fitr Festival will run for five days starting from the second day of Eid, from 4pm to 10pm. The festival features child-friendly games, entertainment, children’s shows and other activities.
Meanwhile, a lot of people are also shopping in malls like Al Asmakh Mall, City Center, and Mall of Qatar.
These establishments are busier than usual, particularly in the evening after Iftar, according to Susan from India. “I bought new clothes for the whole family because it has been a yearly tradition for us to do shopping together, and also donate our old clothes.”
Wearing new clothes is one of the most common practices during Eid. According to Qatar Tourism, “everyone wears their best attire, with men often tailoring new thobes, and women, beautiful dresses and kaftans” on the days of the celebration.
Eid Al Fitr, often known as the “festival of breaking the fast,” is observed immediately following Ramadan. Charity is of utmost importance during this holiday, with families across Qatar making donations to favoured causes, explained Qatar Tourism.
