Al Baker lauds vaccine success as ‘Shop Qatar’ launches

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman Qatar Tourism H E Akbar Al Baker yesterday announced the return of the month-long shopping and entertainment extravaganza ‘Shop Qatar.’ He said that Qatar’s high vaccination rate and falling infection rates have boosted the confidence of the public and government in opening up the country to more activities.

In its fifth edition, Shop Qatar will be the first major festival in Qatar in 18 months and will run from September 10 to October 10. This year’s event will see 15 venues across Doha offer discounts of up to 90 percent. The event is going international for the first time with the participation of Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport (HIA).

“Qatar has been a leader in countries that have managed to really control the pandemic in a very strong and sustainable manner. We can also see that by the grace of God, our infection rates are dropping rapidly, our vaccination rates are among the highest in the world, and people are now confident likewise the authorities that we can open up the country for us to get back to normal life as soon as possible,” Al Baker said.

“This is the first major festival in Qatar since the pandemic. As one of the most significant events in our annual calendar, Shop Qatar brings the country the best fashion, entertainment, and retail offerings. With the collaborative efforts of Qatar Tourism and our stakeholders, we look forward to resuming our festivals while adhering to all strict protocols,” he added.

H.E. Mr. Al Baker continued: “Qatar Tourism continues to work closely with partners in the retail and hospitality sectors to develop more diverse festivals and events appealing to newer market segments, to encourage a boost in retail activity within the country. As such, we are eager to resume our vibrant events calendar, with a host of exciting initiatives coming up.”