Qatar Shopping e-Guide

Q A T A R S H O P P I N G E-G U I D E

77

Extracted from issue

spring

2020 summer

Contents • Where to Shop Listings • Shopping in Qatar • Map of Souq Area

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• Special Features Prices Up, Prices Down Green Shopping Qatari E-Store 3/25/20 4:00 PM

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Founder & Managing Editor Hilary Bainbridge Marhaba endeavours to quote accurate information and updates each of its sections every issue.

However, the magazine accepts no liability in the case of unintentional errors. © 2020 Marhaba Information Guide.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in any form, without written permission of the publishers.

Dana Public Relations PO Box 3797, Doha, Qatar Tel (+974) 4465 5533, 4465 0083 Fax (+974) 4465 5588

General Information marhaba@qatar.net.qa Retail Sales retailsales@marhaba-qatar.com

Editorial Sarah Palmer (Editor) Ola Diab (Deputy Editor) Terry Sutcliffe Gina Coleman Online Lubuna Jeffin Advertising Howard Bainbridge

Digital Lalaine Turqueza Charlotte Wright Weslee Dizon Retail Sales Ayen Molina Design and Artwork Dick Tamayo Mar Principe Arnel Ramos

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marhaba.qa QATAR E-GUIDE e-GUIDE © MARHABA QATAR MOTORING 2020 © MARHABA 2 SHOPPING

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Where to Shop Listings Telephone numbers and location details for some of the most popular retail outlets

Shopping in Qatar • • • •

Malls • Hypermarkets and Supermarkets Mall Listings including Department Stores and Shops Al Furjan Markets • The Central Markets • Barwa Village The Pearl‑Qatar • Souqs

Map of Souq Area Finding your way around the souqs has never been easier

Feature – Prices Up, Prices Down The new year started with a hike in the price of gold, but prices of locally‑ produced fruits, vegetables and fish have declined.

Shopping

20 9:37 AM

Contents

Feature – Qatar’s E-Stores For shoppers looking to shop online for unique locally‑made products, here’s a guide to Qatar‑based online stores you can start with.

Feature – Green Shopping Shoppers can now shop more at ease with their conscience with hypermarkets across Qatar introducing eco‑friendly and sustainable shopping practices and initiatives to encourage shoppers to adopt green and environmentally‑friendly lifestyles.

©

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marhaba.qa

Gulf Mall

*Indicates multiple locations. Map references in green.

Affordable and Budget Al Rawnaq* (Bin Omran) C3 Ansar Gallery* (Barwa Village) E5 Daiso* (Hyatt Plaza) D2 Dollar Plus (City Center-Doha) C4 Dragon Mart (Industrial Area) F3 Ramez Shopping Complex* (Salwa Rd) D3

4488 4448 4469 7478 4006 4443

5808 6000 8999 5161 1188 1373

Audio Visual/Computers/Electronics Almana & Partners (Old Rayyan) C3 Almuftah Group (Al Sadd) D3 Domasco (Asian Town, Industrial Area) F3 Darwish Trading (Old Airport) D4 Emax* (Al Asmakh Mall) D3 Mannai Trading Co (Salwa Rd) D3 Salam Store (The Gate Mall) C4 Starlink* (Call Centre)

4431 4444 4435 4456 4428 4455 4448 4428

1072 6867 8168 6426 9245 8888 5639 3888

Opera Café* (The Mall) D4 Sugar and Spice* (Aspire Park) D2

Chocolates, Sweets and Flowers Casa Flora (Salwa Rd) D3 Chopin (City Center-Doha) C4 Dulce Chocolate* (Muraikh) D2 Gardenia* (Al Nasr St) D3 Interflora (C Ring Rd) D4 Larissa Chocolates & Flowers*

4432 4483 4443 4444 4432

(Al Sadd) D3

4444 1824

Luxury Flowers & Chocolates* (Duhail) B3 Patchi* (Salwa Rd) D3 Patisserie Suisse* (Al Nasr St) D3

4444 5432 4469 3350 4432 1213

Bait Al Maarifa (Rawdat Al Hamama) Colour Note Company (Al Nasr St) D3 Gulf Greetings* (City Center-Doha) C4 Jarir Bookstore* (Call Centre) Naaz Store (Old Airport) D4

4039 8793 4441 8548 4483 8117 4444 0212 4432 4235

Cakes and Sweets Batteel Bakery & Café* (Salwa Rd) D3 4472 Edible Arrangements* (City Center-Doha) C4 4491 Caramel Sweet Arts* (Tawar Mall) E3 4442 4432 FAUCHON* (Salwa Rd) D3 Magnolia Bakery* (Dar Al Salam Mall) E3 4450

9089 1113 6267 4888 9407

4450 7262

(Al Rayyan) D2

4417 9993

Furnishing Articles (Royal Plaza) D3 Artifacts of Arabia (Villaggio Mall) D2 City Lifestyle* (Al Asmakh Mall) D3 CREU Concept (Al Wukair) F4 Home Centre* (Al Asmakh Mall) D3 Homes R Us* (Hyatt Plaza) D2 IKEA (Doha Festival City) B2 Pottery Barn* (Mall of Qatar) C1 Simex Trading (DaVinci, Kids House) D4 Spazio Interni (Salwa Rd) D3

4413 1188 5561 4573 4428 9256 4038 9965 4413 1940 4469 8999 800 4532 4452 9529 4441 4447 4468 2618

Disclaimer: Shops constantly change their locations and numbers. If you wish to double check or find numbers of non-listed shops, call or text 180. ©

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8111 4747 3080 0789 2717

Plaza Hollandi* (Villaggio Mall) D2 Tasmeem Flowers & Chocolates*

Bookshops, Stationery and Art Supplies Abu Karbal Bookshop (Bin Mahmoud) B4 7030 3588

4467 8885 4038 9668

Where to Shop

A

Where to Shop

© MARHABA SPRING/SUMMER MARHABA M77 SPRING/SUMMER 2020 2020 161

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marhaba.qa Paint Shops

Gifts and Souvenirs Artifacts of Arabia (Villaggio Mall) D2 Freesia Gifts (Royal Plaza) D3 Gulf Crafts (Salwa Rd) D3 Hallmark* (The Mall) D4

5561 7000 4468 4467

4573 0480 7373 8383

Where to Shop

Jewellery and Watches Al Jaber Watches (The Mall) D4 Al Muftah Jewellery (Al Sadd) D3 Awal Jewellery (Gold Souq) D4 Damas* (Al Sadd, Al Mana Center) D3 Domasco* (City Center-Doha) C4 Marhaba Jewellery (Gold Souq) D4 Pearl Gallery* (Safari Mall) E3 Tribal Gems (Gold Souq) D4

4467 8484 4444 1313 4443 4551 4442 5428 4483 9327 4431 8055 4468 1543 5539 7578

Key Cutting/Shoe and Watch Repair Mr Quality* (City Center-Doha) C4

4017 2845

Kitchenware

Hempel Paints* (Industrial Area) F3 Jotun Paints* (Call Centre)

4455 9000 4441 2728

Personal Care/Pharmacies Boots* (Villaggio Mall) D2 Khulood Pharmacy* (Al Markhiya) C3

4452 9655 4487 7784

Pet Shops Pets & More (City Center-Doha) C4 5569 4222 For more information on pets and vets, see Pets in Living in Qatar in the Discovering Qatar section.

Photographic Studios/Photographers Benny Antoun (also tunes pianos)

5551 4501

Boom Art Studio (Al Markhiya) C3

4411 1070

Gulf Colours* (Najma) D4

4431 1181

Qat Shoot (Landmark Mall) C3

4486 6044

Sports Equipment Doha Golf Club B3

4496 0750

Articles (Royal Plaza) D3

4413 1188

Foot Locker* (Villaggio Mall) D2

4413 5315

Lakeland* (Gulf Mall) C3

4479 2651

Galaxy Sport (Souq Al Jabor) D4

4435 1584

Table Arts* (Mall of Qatar) C1

4411 6338

Go Sport* (City Center-Doha) C4

4463 1644

Tavola* (City Center-Doha) C4

4493 0102

Sports Corner* (Call Centre)

4036 2211

Villeroy & Boch (Salwa Rd) D3

4436 3561

Musical Equipment 51 East* (Call Centre)

Tailoring, Textiles and Haberdashery Al Misk Tailors (Al Ghanim) D4

4436 1111

Century Textiles & Tailors

(Al Souq Area) D4

4442 3554

Lexus (Gents/Al Sadd) D3

Virgin Megastore* (Villaggio Mall) D2

4495 9060

New Remedy International*

(Al Khaleej St) D4

Badie Studio & Stores

(prev. Al Rawnaq, Souq Al Dira) D4

Opticians Al Dar Optics* (Al Nasr St) D3

4436 3461

Al Jabor Vision Technology (C Ring Rd) D4

4412 4380

Oriental Crafts and Carpets Bradran Carpets (The Mall) D4

4467 8886

Oriental Carpets (Al Sadd) D3

4447 9794

Reshi (Landmark Mall) C3

4486 4795

Shahrzad Iranian Carpets (Gold Souq) D4

4442 3210

Party Decorations and Costumes Crazy Party (Villaggio Mall) D2

4450 7777

Events (Royal Plaza) D3

4413 1155

Party Kingdom* (Bin Mahmoud) D4

4435 3501

Party Mania (The Centre) D4

4441 8810

4442 1283 4432 2761 4441 4420 4432 1030 4443 5731

Toys and Children's Items Babyshop* (Gulf Mall) C3

4430 8307

Early Learning Centre* (Hyatt Plaza) D2 4469 7964 Kiddy Zone* (Landmark Mall) C3 Sensory Souk (Royal Plaza) D3

4421 7215 4411 0147

Toys 'R' Us (Al Sadd) D3

4443 5904

Water Storage Tanks Qatar Rotomould F2

4460 2315

WOQOD Petrol Stations WOQOD Call Centre Toll Free Number

4021 7777 800 3835

Checked & Updated February 2020

Yateem Optician* (Lagoona Mall) B4

4442 7152

Sara's Secrets (Ladies/Al Sadd) D3 Singer (New Salata) D4

4432 1141

WOQOD service stations are open 24/7 for petrol, with most offering car wash and tyre services, and have a shop (Sidra) selling food items, snacks and essentials. m

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Shopping in Qatar Going to shopping malls, souqs or other shopping destinations is the most popular pastime in Qatar.

People enjoy going to shopping destinations to shop, eat, watch movies or just walk.

No VAT or Sales Tax in Qatar ensures prices are competitive with other shopping destinations.

However, the General Tax Authority (GTA) implemented the Excise Tax Law (No 25 of 2018) on 1 January 2019 on 'health-damaging' goods, with a 100% tax on tobacco and alcohol products, energy drinks and special purpose goods, and a 50% tax on carbonated drinks.

Note: A 2015 government directive mandates all shops are required to close for 90 minutes for prayer at midday on Friday. Usually from 11:30 am – 1 pm.

Malls Qatar continously witnesses the opening of new malls. The year 2019 saw the opening of Mirqab Mall, Doha Souq and Galeries Lafayette. The first shopping and entertainment mall to open in Qatar was The Mall, which opened in 1997. Prior to The Mall, residents shopped at The Centre since the 1970s.

Malls vary in size, but all provide an opportunity for a shopping, entertainment and dining. Many banks in the malls are open outside normal banking hours. Shopping festivals occur throughout the year offering great discounts, special offers and prizes.

Hypermarkets/Supermarkets There are many local and international hypermarkets and supermarkets in Qatar both in and outside malls. Popular international hypermarkets include Family Food Centre (FFC) family.com.qa, Lulu Hypermarket and Lulu Express qatar.luluhypermarket.com, Mega Mart, Monoprix, Spar Hypermarket spar-qa.com and more. Other hypermarkets and supermarkets include Quality Hypermarket qatar.qualityretailgroup.com, Safari Hypermarket safargroup.net and Shoprite.

Al Meera is a popular local hypermarket and one of Qatar’s leading hypermarkets, operating at least 43 supermarkets and convenience stores. almeera.com.qa Retailers link up with partners to give shoppers the opportunity to earn points and rewards: • Air Miles shopping rewards scheme. airmilesme.com • Family Club is a free-of-charge FFC loyalty card, which allows its cardholder to earn points and redeem them at all FFC outlets. familyclub.qa • Meera Rewards is Al Meera's loyalty programme and mobile application.

• MyClub app from Carrefour Qatar on iOS and Android. Qatar Post has signed a delivery service agreement, Valet Trolley, with Carrefour to provide free home-delivery to MyClub cardholders for purchases QAR250+.

• Nojoom from Ooredoo. ooredoo.qa • Shukran loyalty programme from Landmark Retail Ltd which includes Centrepoint. shukranrewards.com Banks have also teamed up with retailers to make similar offers. Doha Bank and LuLu Hypermarket entice customers with the LuLu-Doha Bank shopping credit card providing customers with 5% savings on purchases at their stores throughout Qatar. QNB LIFE Rewards loyalty programme offers its debit and credit customers rewards at three levels of membership, dependent upon salary.

QIC Advantage Club and QGrabs offer a different shopping concept – members can take advantage of great deals when shopping, dining, or using health and beauty facilities: qicadvantageclub.com and qgrabs.com

Walk in malls Malls are especially popular in the summer as more people tend to be indoors with the high summer temperatures. Promoting an active lifestyle, larger malls offer various indoor leisure activities. Doha Festival City includes a 3 km outdoor leisure trail for bikers, skateboarders, runners and walkers. Malls such as Hyatt Plaza, Al Khor, Villaggio, City Centre-Doha, Lagoona and Landmark have partnered with Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) to encourage people to walk and exercise within their malls under AZF's 'Step Into Health, Walk in Mall' programme. It encourages individuals to walk 10,000 steps or more per day, or 30 minutes or more at least five days a week. stepintohealth.qa ©

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Al Sulaiman Jewellery & Watches, Star Tech, I AM, California Tortilla, Maison de Sushi

Daily 8 am – 2 am

TAKE AWAY

E3

4478 1662 facebook.com

UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, PARKING IS FREE

SUPERMARKETS

BAKERY

MAP REFERENCE

01 Mall

DEPARTMENT STORES & A SELECTION OF SHOPS

OPENING TIMES

MEAT & FISH

* Facilities at malls are subject to change.

Please call ahead.

MALLS

Mega Mart

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8 am – 10:45 pm

Spar

O3 Mall 4029 3974

D4 Sat – Thu 7:30 am – midnight Caribou Coffee, Wellcare Pharmacy,

21 High Street 4447 3404 facebook.com

B4

Al Hazm 4411 1444 alhazm.com

C3

B. Square Mall

E4

4041 0000 bsquaremall.com

Al Asmakh Mall (Centrepoint) 4428 9141

7:30 am –midnight

Sun – Wed 10 am – 10 pm Thu – Sat 10 am – 1 am

Galeries Lafayette – Katara Plaza, 100% Capri, Alberta Ferretti, Ermanno Scervino, Philipp Plein

✘

Daily 9 am – midnight

Le Petit Palais, VStyle, Margaret Dabbs London, Hadarah Perfumes, Tardini, Bugatti Enfants, Lobster

✘

Sat – Thu 8 am – midnight Fri closed 11 am – noon

City Lifestyle, Daiso, Payless, Mothercare, Splash, Foot Care Centre

✔

Daily 10 am – 11 pm

Outlet 63, 300 Bowling Centre, Spar, Java U, The Chemist Café, Kidsland, Eli France Café, Al Aker Sweets,

✔

Centrepoint, City Lifestyle, Emax, Homecentre, Splash, Shoemart, babyshop

✘

D3 Sat – Thu 10 am – 10 pm Fri 1 pm – 11 pm

City Center-Doha 4493 3355 citycenterdoha.com

C4

Dar Al Salam 4016 3573 facebook.com

E3

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Startech Middle East, Toys Valley

Fri closed 11 am – noon

Al Khor Mall 4453 3445 alkhormall.com

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✘

Mercato

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1 pm – 11 pm

LuLu

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8 am – midnight

Spar

✔ ✔

8 am – midnight

Sat – Wed 10 am – 10 pm Aldo, Homecentre, MaxFashion, Thu 10 am – midnight Promod, Splash, Inglot, Nayomi, Pierre Fri 1 pm -- midnight Cardin, Pets & More, Accessorize Paid parking

✔

Zohoor Alreef, Payless, Mothercare, The Body Shop, Giordano, Nayomi, United Colors of Benetton, MaxFashion

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Sat -- Thu 10 am – 10 pm Fri 2 pm -- 11 pm

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Carrefour

✔ ✔

8 am – 10 pm

Carrefour

✔ ✔

8 am – midnight

Supermarkets and shops close for prayers on Friday. Please see Hypermarkets and Supermarkets later in this section or call the mall to verify timing.

21 High Street

Al Hazm

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MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

LAUNDRY

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A neighbourhood mall located in Ain Khaled.

VODAFONE

OOREDOO

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TRAVEL AGENT

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EXCHANGE

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IN BRIEF

ATM

✘

UTILITIES

BANK

✔

MONEY & TRAVEL

RESTAURANTS

✘

GYM

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ICE RINK

✘

CINEMA

AMUSEMENTS

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BOWLING ALLEY

PLAY ZONE

TAKE AWAY

✔

Novo Cinemas

art

✘

FOOD FOOD AREA

ENTERTAINMENT

RKETS

45 pm

✔

dnight

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A two-storey mall with skylight roof in New Salata.

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A high-end luxury outdoor shopping mall in Katara Cultural Village.

Farah Play Area

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DHL Desk ✘ ✘ ✘

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Over 60 stores open over two levels.

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Two levels of family entertainment with 300 parking spaces.

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Two levels with underground parking.

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DHL Desk ✔ ✔ ✔

Thunderdome ✘ ✘ ✘

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to

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1 pm

✘ ✘ ✘ Concierge

FunVille

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dnight

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Cineco Three Velocity

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dnight

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Roxy Cinema Fun City

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ur

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0 10:03 AM

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Cineco

ur

dnight

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Fun City/X-treme World

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Exclusive luxury brands in a fashionable setting.

✔ ✔ ✘ ✘ Key Cutting

Over 200 shops on four floors.

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Neighbourhood mall over two floors.

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Kiddyzone

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Most malls have ample parking and offer car wash and/or valet services at a reasonable price. Facilities at malls are subject to change. Call ahead.

City Center-Doha

Doha Festival City ©

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FEATURE

Qatar's E-Stores

By Ola Diab Shoppers looking to shop online for unique locally-made products, here’s a guide of Qatar-based online stores you can start with.

W

hen it comes to online shopping in Qatar, the concept is still new. It has not yet become a popular concept in Qatar therefore there aren’t many local online stores.

However, in recent years, more online concept stores are popping up, offering various locally-made products such as clothing, accessories, houseware, arts and crafts, food and more.

Enriching the creative local market by creating exclusive designs, Fnteer designs are unique and 100% Qatari. Fnteer offers locally-inspired cards, notebooks, calendars, envelopes, gift boxes and more.

Sama Store Products: Face and body products, stationery and housewares

If you’re an online shopper and looking to shop for unique local and cultural products, here’s a guide of Qatar-based online stores run by locals and residents you can start with.

Baby Elephant Products: Organic children’s clothing Founder: Aysha Al Mudahka Website: babyelephantorganic.com Baby Elephant is a children’s clothing brand that creates comfortable, playful unisex organic wear featuring Arabic phrases. Their clothing is made in Qatar from 100% organic cotton that is softer to the baby's skin. Following a zero waste concept, Baby Elephants’ hangtags and packaging are made using cutting waste from the fabrics. Baby Elephant delivers worldwide.

Fnteer Products: Stationery and gifts Founder: Najla Almahmoud Website: fnteer.com

Fnteer, which means flamingo in Qatari dialect, is a local stationery and gifts brand inspired by Qatar’s surroundings, environment and identity.

Founder: Sara Al Safar Website: samastore.qa Sama Store is an online shopping store and platform for all-natural skincare and beauty products and as well as cultural and artistic items such as stationaries and home accessories. There are more than 100 items available on Sama Store from Qatar, Morocco, Vietnam, the US and more – all available in Qatar for the first time.

Nazayna Products: Clothes and accessories Founder: Zainab Abdul Qayyum Website: nazayna.com The online boutique Nazayna delivers tailormade products and services. Nazayna sources fabrics from artisans who closely work with intricate, traditional Indian fabric and embellishments, unique to each state of India. Nazayna has unstitched fabrics – which can be tailormade to traditional Indian designs or can be customised to Arabian styles like jalabia or abaya – adorned with traditional heavy and elaborate embroidery such as zardosi or chikankari. Last but not least, Nazayna dresses clients with accessories such as bags, clutches and jewellery.

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Tean Studio

NOON Nabalsy

Products: Pottery

Products: Organic and holistic skincare products

Founders: Maryeh Anwari, Aljazi Al Maadeed and Shaikha Al Khulaifi

Founders: Nadia, Noor and Nour

Website: teanstudio.com

Website: noonnabalsy.com Noon Nabalsy brings together three women who share the same passion, vision and love for organic skin care and ancestral handmade beauty recipes. Since 2002, the team has been travelling the world to find the purest ancestral and traditional skincare routines. Their mission is to enrich lives with naturally-made products such as soaps, body oils, shea butter, toners, makeup, complete body treatments and more. NOON products are avaliable in France and Qatar.

Tean Studio was founded by three female designers who came together, with their passion to show the beauty of Earth, to create pottery.

Their artistic clay pieces and collections include sculptures, mugs, cups, pen stands and more. In addition, Tean Studio offers workshop classes for adults and kids, aiming to teach kids pottery and help in having a conscious generation on art.

Zan Prints Products: Stationery and gifts

Sensory Souk Products: Educational toys

Founder: Dana Al Mannai

Founders: Raana Smith and Alison Saraf

Website: zanprints.com

Website: sensorysouk.com Sensory Souk came into being out of frustration with the lack of the necessary educational resources and tools to support the development of their special children in Qatar. Some of the products available at the store include space explorers, visual behaviour keyring, visual toilet monitoring board pack, calm down jar, weighted compression fidget belt and more. The products that support a child’s therapy programme to not only learn but also play. What started as an online shop to purchase therapy toys and school tools as well as find educational support, Sensory Souk has now transitioned into a fully-equipped store at Royal Plaza.

Sit Beit

Zan Prints creates Arabic-influenced cards, notebooks, bags and stationery, designed with Arabic calligraphy. Paintings, designs and printing is done locally in Qatar, and available for everyone around the world. Zan’s products are inspired from the founder’s multi passion for art, calligraphy and music. Zan maintains a principle of making ecofriendly products and prints. m Popular online shopping sites: • Baqaala baqaala.com • Buy It, Sell It, Swap It Qatar (Facebook) • Buy Buy Qatar Online Shopping (Facebook) • Doha Online Shopping dohaonlineshopping. com

Products: Traditional packaged food

• Doha Sooq dohasooq.com

Founder: Rana Al Khatib

• PurpleBox – Qatar purplebox.qa

Website: sitbeitkitchen.com

• Qatar Best Deals qatarbestdeals.com

Whether you are busy or foreign to the concept of traditional Arabic cooking, Sit Beit has your back with packaged ingredients of popular dishes such as molokhia, biryani, mujadara and freekeh.

Filled with fresh, locally preserved ingredients, the packaged ingredients include easy-to-follow recipes, giving you access to mama’s recipes and making it easy for everyone to create homemade traditional food.

• Mzad Qatar mzadqatar.com

• Qbuys qbuys.com.qa • QFresh Online qfreshonline.com • Qgrabs qgrabs.com • QIC Advantage Club (Voucher Clubs) qicadvantageclub.com • Suncart suncart.co • Ubuy Qatar ubuy.qa ©

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© MARHABA MARHABA M75SPRING/SUMMER AUTUMN 2019 2020 177

7/11/19 4:00 3:20 PM PM 3/25/20

Doha Festival City 4035 4444 festivalcitydoha.com

B2

Doha Souq 4041 0000 dohasouq.qa

D3

Doha Mall *Opening soon

E3

Ezdan Mall 4433 4141 ezdanmall.qa

C3

Ezdan Mall, Al Wakra

F5

C3

Hyatt Plaza 4499 9666 hyattplaza.com

D2

B4

Landmark Mall 4487 5222 landmarkdoha.com

C3

Mall of Qatar 4034 6000 mallofqatar.com.qa

C1

TAKE AWAY

SUPERMARKETS

Monoprix

Sun – Wed 10 am – 10 pm Thu – Sat 10 am – midnight

Kipling, Naturalizer, Victoria's Secret, Dorothy Perkins, Ted Baker, Marks & Spencer, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams

✔

Sat – Thu 7:30 am – midnight Fri 7:30 am – 11 am/ 12:30 pm – 11 pm

Jumbo Electronics, Saving Square, Wooden Bakery, Jollibee

✔

✔

✔

10 am – 2 am

Family Mart

✔ ✔

7:30 am – midnight

✘

✘

Aldo, Gant, New Yorker, Riva, Forever 21, Neal's Yard Remedies, Tally Weijl, Tim Hortons, The Toy Store

✔

H&M, LC Waikiki, R&B, Voile, Footlocker, Vision Express, Chocoglaze, Tim Hortons

✘

Sun – Thu 9 am – 10 pm Fri and Sat 9 am – 11 pm

Old Navy, Matalan, Molton Brown, Victoria's Secret, Lakeland, Bath & Body Works, Morgan, Steve Madden

✔

Sat – Wed 9 am – 10 pm Thu 9 am – 11 pm Fri 2 pm – 11 pm

HomesRUs, Rasasi, Aldo, Passion, Morgan Jewellery, Charles & Keith, Nine West, Daiso, LC Waikiki

✔

Thu -- Sun 10 am – 10 pm Fri 2 pm – midnight

51 East, Table Arts, The Kooples, Versace Collection, Juicy Couture, Ted Baker, Rituals

✔

Sat – Wed 9 am – 10 pm Thu 9 am – 11 pm Fri 1:30 pm – 11 pm

Migato, Mac, BHS, Lush, Sephora, Zara, Zara Home, H&M, Marks and Spencer, Boots

✔

Sat – Wed 10 am – 11 pm Thu & Fri 10 am – midnight

By Malene Birger, Call It Spring, Victoria's Secret, Pottery Barn, Phase Eight, Charming Charlie, Loriblu

✔

Daily 7:30 am – midnight

Gulf Mall 4031 0600 gulfmalldoha.com

DEPARTMENT STORES & A SELECTION OF SHOPS

BAKERY

UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, PARKING IS FREE

Daily 7:30 am – midnight

4433 4545 ezdanmall.qa

Lagoona Mall (Zig Zag Towers) 4433 5555 lagoonamall.com

OPENING TIMES

MEAT & FISH

MAP REFERENCE

MALLS

✘

Carrefour ✔ ✔

Mall timings

Carrefour ✘ ✘ Mall timings

Al Meera

✔ ✔

7 am – midnight

Al Meera

✔ ✔

8 am – midnight

Carrefour

✔

✔

8 am – 10 pm

Carrefour

✔

✔

8 am – midnight

Carrefour

✔ ✔

9 am – 11 pm

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SHOPPIN

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

✔

✘

✔

✘

✘ ✔

Over 500 outlets, ranging from day-to-day shopping to high-end fashion.

LAUNDRY

VODAFONE

✔

IN BRIEF

OOREDOO

✔

TRAVEL AGENT

ATM

✔

EXCHANGE

BANK

✔

GYM

ICE RINK

CINEMA

✔

UTILITIES

Seven entertainment areas

✔

✔

✘

✔

✘

VOX Cinema

✘

✘

Opening soon ✘ ✘ ✘

✔

✘

✔

✘ ✔

✔

✘

✔

✘

✘

✘

Four-storey neighbourhood mall in Al Mirqab Al Jadeed St.

✘

✘

Opening soon ✘ ✘ ✘

✘

✘

✘

✘ ✘

✘

✘

✘

✘

✘

✘

Super-regional mall in Bu Hamour.

✘

✔

✔

✔ ✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

✔

Three levels with over 170 stores.

✘

✘

✔

✔

✘

✔

✔

✘

✘

✘

✘

✘

The first and only mall in Al Wakra; two floors with parking for more than 1,500 cars.

✘

✘

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

✘

✘

✘

Three levels with shaded parking.

Mart

✔

MONEY & TRAVEL

RESTAURANT

2 am

FOOD FOOD AREA

✔

BOWLING ALLEY

PLAY ZONE

TAKE AWAY

prix

AMUSEMENTS

ENTERTAINMENT

RKETS

midnight

✘

Flik Cinemas

our ✔

FunVille ✘ ✘ ✘

✔

✔

✔

✘

✘

✔

✔

✘

mings

our ✘

FunVille, KiddyZone

✘

ings

Go Fun

era

✔

Cineco

dnight

Jungle Zone

ra

✔

✔

✔ ✔

✘

✘

✘

✘

✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

✘

✔ ✔

✘ ✔

Mostly one level with over 100 outlets and kiosks.

✘

✘

✔

✘

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

✘

✔

✘

✘

✘

Boutique mall over three levels. Over 140 outlets.

✘

✔

✔

DHL Desk ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

58,000 sq m single-storey mall.

✘ ✔ ✔

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

✔

✔

✘ ✘

dnight

our

✔

✘

Flik Cinemas

0 pm

Circus Land

our

✔

✔ ✔

✔

1 pm

0 10:05 AM

✔

✘

Cinema Land

dnight

our

✘

XtremeLand/KidzMondo

✔ ✔

✔

✔

✘

Novo Cinemas

©

SHOPPING IN QATAR.indd 5 Shopping Ebook.indd 17

Over 500,000 sq m of retail, dining and leisure activities.

© MARHABA SPRING/SUMMER MARHABA M77 SPRING/SUMMER 2020 2020 169

3/25/20 AM 3/25/20 10:06 4:00 PM

FEATURE

Green Shopping

By Ola Diab Shoppers can now shop more at ease with their conscience with hypermarkets across Qatar introducing eco-friendly and sustainable shopping practices and initiatives to encourage shoppers to adopt green and environmentally-friendly lifestyles.

Q

atar’s leading hypermarkets have recently taken new steps to promote eco-friendly and sustainable shopping practices and lifestyle in Qatar.

Recycling machines Al Meera Consumer Goods Company has launched an innovative recycling initiative in some of their branches in Doha. In eight of its major branches, Al Meera has placed branded recycling machines for plastic and aluminium products.

Customers can drop a plastic bottle or an aluminium can into the recycling machine and in return, earn Meera Rewards points, which can be used later at any Al Meera branch. To receive the rewards, customers need to register with the Meera Rewards loyalty programme, which was launched in 2018 where customers can earn and redeem points. Meera Rewards members will also be able to accumulate additional loyalty points for their recycling contributions across Al Meera branches.

Al Meera's recycling machine initiative aims to encourage the public to recycle.

Recently, Al Meera signed a memorandum of understanding with Elite Paper Recycling for a strategic partnership, aimed at reducing and limiting the hazards of waste on the environment and to society.

No plastic bags Many organisations and retail outlets have recently introduced various measures to reduce plastic use, like issuing reusable bags or using paper carrier bags to reduce single-use plastic products.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) and Carrefour Qatar have introduced a no plastic bag campaign called ‘No Plastic Tuesday’ on the third Tuesday of each month, in all Carrefour stores.

Carrefour Qatar will not provide any single-use plastic bags at check-out on that day. Customers will receive a reusable bag for free and 10 extra MyCLUB points on each transaction. Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags as well. Under the campaign, Carrefour aims to familiarise the public with the best ways to use eco-friendly bags and the benefits behind using them, and eliminate single-use plastic bags from cash counters.

Apart from championing various eco-friendly initiatives throughout the year, Carrefour is also investing heavily in several areas designed to reduce its environmental impact. For example, green checkout counters have been implemented in stores nationwide.

QATAR SHOPPING E-GUIDE ©

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©

MARHABA

M76 WINTER 2019/20

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198

GREEN S

197

19 4:18 PM

Efforts of the MME to help protect the environment has got a further boost with more retailers starting to use biodegradable, compostable and reusable bags. Biodegradable and compostable bags are an environment-friendly alternative to plastic bags.

Biodegradable are often still plastic bags that have microorganisms added to break down the plastic.

Compostable bags are made of natural plant starch, and do not produce any toxic material. Compostable bags break down readily in a composting system through microbial activity to form compost.

Mega Mart is leading the use of biodegradable bags, providing customers with the bags at checkout that say 'This bag is 100% bio'.

LuLu Hypermarket introduced paper bags, joining some other major outlets across the country, including Monoprix, Carrefour and IKEA, which adopt environmentally sustainable practices. LuLu also printed a message on each of its paper bags, made from 100% recycled paper, saying 'Good for the planet, Good for us' aimed at creating public awareness on the importance of using safer alternatives.

Besides shifting to biodegradable plastics, Lulu also has affordable reusable bags, which can be used multiple times. If damaged, LuLu will replace the bag with a new one since it has a lifetime warranty to encourage shoppers to make a habit of always bringing their reusable bags with them.

Lulu will be introducing shopping bags made of sustainably sourced paper and home compostable bags made from potato starch. This is in addition to the use of biodegradable plastic bags that are already making a positive impact in reducing the use of plastic.

LuLu has also became the first in the region to allow customers to borrow shopping bags in an effort to cut down on plastic waste. The ‘Borrow A Bag’ initiative allows shoppers, who have forgotten a shopping bag or purchased more than expected, to borrow a bag rather than purchase one.

198

M76 WINTER 2019/20 ©

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Lulu will be introducing the ‘refill’ option in some selected categories soon. Lulu wants to offer a range of options to its shoppers to help them reduce plastic waste rather than imposing any one solution to its customers. m

Become a more conscious shopper with these eco-friendly shopping tips: • Start by driving to the closest supermarket or walk, if possible. Reducing the time spent driving will reduce the amount of fuel you need to make each trip to the market.

When shipping products, companies emit a lot of potentially damaging gases into the air and waste natural resources. If you buy products that are made or harvested locally, you can eliminate this issue.

• Shop less! Cut down the number of times you go to the store to save fuel and reduce emissions that pollute the air.

Many people end up driving to the store for a carton of milk. Buy more at a time and you’ll spend less on gas.

• Buy only what you need! When shopping, avoid impulse buys. Many people buy things that they don’t need, adding more waste, which end up in a landfill somewhere.

• Buy local products! When you buy local, you are buying products that were not shipped in from abroad. Don’t forget to shop for organic where possible.

• Use reusable shopping bags rather than plastic or paper bags. Buy some reusable tote or heavy-duty shopping bags, or a trolley or bag on wheels, so you won’t have to use paper or plastic shopping bags ever again.

©

MARHABA

SPRING/SUMMER 2020

11/14/19 4:18 PM PM 3/25/20 4:00

Mirqab Mall 4036 2777

D3 Sat – Wed 10 am – 10 pm

Damas Jewellery, Armani Jeans, BHS, Mango, jennyfer, illy, Lush, Aljazeera Perfumes

✔

Friday 11 am – 11 pm

QIB, United Tours and Travels, Duke, Panache London, Regeniya Fruniture

✔

Sat – Thu 9 am – 10 pm Fri 3:30 pm – 10 pm

Aida, Al Muftah Jewellery, Ali Bin Ali, Articles, Mont Blanc, Pari Gallery, Sensory Souk, Sizy

✘

Sports Corner, Karisma, Momento, Anotah, Caracole, Techno Blue, Merch, Salamander, The Face Shop

✔

Brands, Pandora, Redtag

✔

Thu & Sat 10 am – 11 pm Fri 10 am – 11:30 am/ 1 pm – 11 pm

mirqabmall.com

Q Mall 4033 9994

C3 9 am – 10 pm

Royal Plaza 4413 0000 royalplazadoha.com

D3

Tawar Mall 4437 9333 tawarmall.qa

C3 Sat – Wed 10 am – 10 pm

The Centre 4444 0202

D4 Sat – Thu 10 am – 10 pm

The Gate Mall 4407 7201 thegatemall.com

C4 Sat – Thu 10 am – 10 pm

The Mall 4467 8888 themalldoha.com

D4

Villaggio 4422 7400 villaggioqatar.com

D2 Sun – Wed 9 am – 10 pm

Wathnan Mall 4487 6691 wathnanmall.com

D2 Daily 5 am – 1 am

Thu & Fri 10 am – midnight

Fri 4 pm -- 10 pm

TAKE AWAY

UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, PARKING IS FREE

SUPERMARKETS

BAKERY

DEPARTMENT STORES & A SELECTION OF SHOPS

OPENING TIMES

MEAT & FISH

MAP REFERENCE

MALLS

Carrefour

✔ ✔

8 am – midnight

Mega Mart

✔ ✔

Mall timings

✘

✘

Spar

✔ ✔

8 am – midnight

Mega Mart

✔ ✔

7 am – midnight

Fri 4 pm – 10 pm Paid parking

Salam Stores, Hugo Boss, Just Cavalli, Paul & Shark, Ermenegildo Zegna, JustKidding

✔

Sat – Thu 10 am – 10 pm Fri 4 pm – 10 pm

IDdesign, Highland, Boots, Merch, Liu Jo, Mothercare, Mango, Oasis, Al Motahajiba, Oui, Lanidor, Opera

Al Meera ✘ ✘ ✘ Opening soon

Marks & Spencer, Boots, Virgin Megastore, Desigual, Ed Hardy, Karen Millen, Muji

✔

Thu & Sat 9 am – 11 pm Fri 9 am – 11 pm

Zarabi Department Store, Ivory, Cendrala Fashions, Party Lady, Families only 3 pm – 1 am Santorini Perfumes

Mirqab Mall

Mega Mart

✔ ✔

8 am – 10 pm

Carrefour

✔ ✔

8 am – midnight

Maskkar Hypermarket

✔

✔ ✔

5 am – 1 am

Tawar Mall

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SHOPPIN

ATM

TRAVEL AGENT

OOREDOO

VODAFONE

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

LAUNDRY

✔

✔

✔ ✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

A total space of 26,000 sq m and 250 car parking spaces.

✘ ✔ ✔

✔

✔ ✔

✔

✘

✘

✘

✘

Two levels of local shops and restaurants.

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

EXCHANGE

BANK

IN BRIEF

RESTAURANT

UTILITIES

FOOD AREA

MONEY & TRAVEL

✔

GYM

ICE RINK

BOWLING ALLEY

AMUSEMENTS

PLAY ZONE

TAKE AWAY

FOOD

Funderdome/Hangout/Jump

ur

✔

CINEMA

ENTERTAINMENT

RKETS

✔

✔

✘

✔

✘

✔

Flik Cinemas

night

art

✔

✔ ✔

✘

✘

✘

ngs

✘

✔

✘ ✘ ✔ ✘ ✔ The Cinema Palace

✔

✘

✔ ✘ ✔ Concierge

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔ ✔

✘

✔

✔

✘

✔

Features a musical water fountain, a traditional souq and a boutique hotel.

✘

✘

✘

✔

✘

✔

✘

✘

✘

✘

✘

✔

One level with beauty, jewellery and clothing kiosks.

CanDo ✘ ✘ ✘

✔

✔

✔

✔

Aramex ✔ ✘

✘

✘ ✘

✘

✘

Boutique mall with three floors of high-end outlets and luxury brands.

Fun Day ✘ ✘ ✔ ✘ ✘ Three-screen Cinema

✘

✔

✔

✔

✘

✔

✘

✘

✘

Two levels with a range of high- and middle-range shops.

Gondolania ✔ ✔ ✔ Cineco 13

✔

✔

✔

✔

DHL Desk ✔ ✔ ✔

✔

✔

✔

✘

Italian-themed mall with luxury brand area Via Domo.

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✘ ✘

First mall with dedicated opening hours for families only.

Bounce Qatar/Kiddy Zone

✔

✔ ✔

night

✘

✔

✘

Novo Cinemas

art

✔

✘

✘

✘

✘

night

art

✔

✔ ✔

pm

ra ✘ soon

✔

ur

✔

✔ ✔

night

ar rket

✔

✘

Wathnan Fun City

✔ ✔

✘

✘

✘

✔

✘

✔

am

0 10:06 AM

Over 100 shops across three levels with high-end outlets.

The Gate Mall

Villaggio Mall ©

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Other Places to Shop

M

Barwa Village

Al Furjan Markets

In addition to malls, there are plenty of other shopping destinations in Qatar from the luxurious mixed-use urban development project, The PearlQatar, to wholesale markets to traditional souqs.

The Omani Souq E1 has relocated to the new Al Sailiya Central Market. Tangy, salty aromas of dried fish compete with the sweet smell of ripe dates. It offers a large variety of goods, including desert truffles, spices, nuts, perfumes, gardenware, plants, camel sticks and incense burners. Contact: 6672 0259

Al Furjan Markets Al Furjan (neighbourhood) markets have house provision stores, bakeries, butcheries, pharmacies, ATM kiosks, laundries, barber shops, fruits and vegetables, vending areas and eateries, among other facilities.

Al Furjan Markets are not widespread but can be found in areas such as Al Qutaifiya, Rawdat Al Hamama, Rawdat Aqdim, Al Thumama, Al Mearad, Umm Al Seneem, Al Aab and Jarayan Nujaimah. The Al Furjan project aims to have 44 markets in designated areas with a total of 645 shops covering 28 basic commercial activities, providing for the main needs of inhabitants of the neighbourhood.

Al Sailiya Central Market E1 Aswaq for Food Facilities Management relocated the previous Wholesale Market in Mesaimeer to the new Al Sailiya Central Market in January 2020.

Spanning over 78,000 sq m, the new central market is the largest in Qatar, located in Al Sailiya, approximately 25 minutes away from Doha.

The market is divided into several connected and air-conditioned sections for fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables, and a slaughterhouse for camels, cows and sheep. The market has nine air-cooled storages (2,600 sq m). It includes a traditional market with 52 shops, in addition to the existing 102 shops in the retail market and the 50 shops in the wholesale market.

Moreover, there are imported products at the auction hall, which spans over 8,000 sq m. Upon completion of the auction, the products are loaded either out of the market, or to the wholesale market or air-cooled storage.

Al Wakra Central Market F5 Aswaq for Food Facilities Management, a subsidiary of Hassad Foods, opened Al Wakra Central Market in January 2020. The facility includes a livestock central market with an automated slaughterhouse, cattle barns, shops, hypermarket, traditional and vegetable markets, shops and administrative buildings.

Spread over an area of approximately 230,000 sq m, the market is located in the midpoint of central road networks.

The 14,000 sq m automated slaughterhouse has a capacity to handle 9,000 livestock a day. The barns section comprises more than 600 livestock barns.

The public can buy animals from the barns and transfer them to the slaughterhouse.

The retail, wholesale and hypermarket sections are air-conditioned. The market includes 102 shops to support the market’s main activity such as fodder, grain, and veterinary supplies. The market also includes fodder storage space of more than 5,200 sq m. Additionally, the retail section includes 76 shops and a traditional market that sells vegetables and fruits, dried fruit, honey and dates.

There are several seasonal farmers markets across Qatar. Local farmers sell produce directly to customers. Fresh fruit, vegetables and plants can be bought in bulk. Open Thursday to Saturday from 7 am – 7 pm, between October and June.

Barwa Village E5 Barwa Village, just off Al Wakra Road, is a residential and commercial complex that has much to offer. In the centre of Barwa Village is The Plaza – home to Megamart and Centrepoint – and also

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SOUQ MA

Al Rayyan

Al Kahraba Street

Underground Car Park

Souq Waqif

A

7 37

23 21

26

9

18 13

22

Bismillah Boutique

16

SouqWaqif Park

DHOW HARBOUR

St

14

Arumaila Boutique Hotel

ssim

Al Mirqab Boutique

11

29

Rayyan TV & O Radio Al Bidda Boutique 32 Al Jomrok Boutique

in Ja

43 45 8 28 M 4 1 42 L F 24 38 30 N

Najd Boutique

15

Ab

H

ed St

I

Al Jasra Musheireb Boutique Boutique

dulla hB

Street dulla in Ab

20 34 5 31 46 J 41

19

Mohamm

D

G

Un Walkw derground ay to C ar Park

A li B Gold Souq

25

Jassim Bin

t

B

K

E

med S

oham Bin M

Al Koot Fort

36 12 44 27 39 3 40 10 33 2

Al Najada Hotel Apartments by Oaks

P

Underground Walkway

Msheireb Museums

e St ree t

35

6

treet

S Thani

Al Co rnich

t ee Str

Al Najada Boutique

Al Najada Hotel

lla Bin

Abdu

Jassim

Amiri Diwan

Shioukh Mosque

Baraha Msheireb

St lmood Bin Ja

ire b

Alwadi Hotel Doha MGallery

by AccorHotels

Road

Park Hyatt Doha

Mercure

Mandarin Oriental, Doha

eet ail Str Al Kh

Msheireb Metro Interchange Station

a ush iM Wad

0 10:08 AM

Msheireb Downtown Doha

Gold Souq

H

Car Park

Car Park

Grand Hamad Street ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTRE

C

QATAR CENTRAL BANK

Souq Faleh Souq Souq Al Nasser Asiery Bin Saif

SOUQ WAQIF

02.2020 marhaba.qa

Souq Waqif

Restaurants/Cafes

Doha’s authentically restored central market district is a great place to find souvenir bargains, relax over a coffee or meal, or simply soak up the atmosphere of lively street life.

1

Places of Interest A Abdul Aziz Nasser / Al Rayyan Theatre B Al Koot Fort C Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre D Camel Area E Clock Tower F Embrace Doha G Falcon Souq H Gold Souq

174

SOUQ MAP M77.indd 23 1 Shopping Ebook.indd

I J

Horse Area / Stable Le Pouce by César Baldaccini K Novo Cinema L Police Post M Souq Waqif Art Centre N Tourist Information Centre O Traditional Majlis P Msheireb Museums

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Abdel Kader Alhallab Sweets Abo Shariha Al Adhamiyah Iraqi Restaurant Al Aker Sweets Al Bandar Fish Market Al Baraha Restaurant Al Ghaarayah Coffee Shop Al Jasra Traditional Food Al Koot Cafe Al Mandarin Al Matbakh Rooftop Grill Al Mourjan Al Shurfa Al Terrace Argan

©

16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Asherg Coffee Bandar Aden Bosphorus Cafe-Tasse Coffee Beanery Coffeesho Company Corner Cafe Damasca One E'easair Cafe Shujaa Restaurant Saida Italia Mia Jasmine Thai Restaurant Khariss Cafe La Boca Argentinian Restaurant La Piazza Layali Al Qahira

Terminal for Banana Island Resort Doha

by Anantara

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Le Gourmet Little Sailor Missan Restaurant Parisa Royal Tandoor Second Cup Shawarma Station Tajeen Tea Time The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 44 The Rice and The Noodle 45 The Village 46 Zaatar W Zeit

© MARHABA SPRING/SUMMER MARHABA M77 SPRING/SUMMER 2020 2020 173

3/15/20 4:00 5:39 PM 3/25/20

Souq Al Asiery

a health club, an international school, a nursery and a medical clinic. An abundance of restaurants awaits, including Spicy Route, Dakshin and Smaisma Café for Indian fare, Asian Traditional Restaurant for global cuisine, Chinese, Thai and Filipino, Beijing House offering a taste of China, Shater Abbas for Persian delicacies, and Tofu & Cake Restaurant for Indonesian cusine.

The Pearl-Qatar B4 A relaxed waterfront project of residential apartments, villas, cafés and restaurants, and luxury retail outlets, where you can browse in style amid a Mediterranean atmosphere while admiring the views across the lagoon.

There are a superb selection of restaurants, from wonderful Turkish cuisine at Hasan Kolcuoglu, the healthy Insta-worthy café Evergreen Organics, French-Italian at The French Olive, Thai at White Oryx Restaurant, Sammach for a seafood dining experience, Mexican at ISLA, or try Caffe Vergnano 1882. 4495 3851, thepearlqatar.com For more information, see The Pearl-Qatar section.

Souqs In addition to the popular Souq Waqif and Souq Al Wakra (see Souq Waqif and Souq Al Wakra sections), there are various souq or market complexes scattered around town. When people in Qatar talk of the 'souqs', they usually refer to the city’s oldest market area, in the heart of the city near the old Amiri Diwan.

Souqs range from the traditional-style Souq Waqif, which still retains the atmosphere and spirit of the old bazaar, to the more modern air-conditioned, marble-clad complexes. When shopping in the souqs, you have the opportunity to bargain. At souqs, you can find anything from clothing to home accessories to kitchenware to souvenirs and unique gifts. Kitchenware shops stock everything from huge cooking pots to dainty glasses, cutlery and table ornaments. Luggage, tools, general hardware, DIY and gardening equipment, are

Souq Al Dira

also available. Clothing includes a wide range of inexpensive clothes, casual wear and shoes.

Most shops take payment in cash only. Between the traditional and the modern souqs, you will find the cheaper imports, high-end designer items and just about everything else. Similar products to those found in malls are usually cheaper in the souqs.

Shopping hours at the souqs are usually 10 am – 1 pm and 4 pm – 7 pm (Souq Waqif has longer opening hours).

A map of the central souqs is in the Souq Waqif section.

Parking is limited at the most of the souqs. The earlier you arrive, the better. You may consider parking in the underground car park at the Souq Waqif park. Entry can be found along the Corniche. There is now an underground car park in Souq Waqif near Al Koot Fort, as well as an air-conditioned underground car park adjacent to Shioukh Mosque and the Amiri Diwan, off Al Rayyan Road, with an underground walkway connecting to Souq Waqif. See the map of Souq Waqif for precise locations.

Access to cash is limited at most of the souqs.

ATMs are avaliable but it's best you carry cash with you at all times.

First in the downtown souq area is the busy Souq Faleh D4 shopping centre, which houses several abaya, clothing and body accessories stores.

Adjacent to Souq Faleh is Souq Al Asiery D4, which is known as the 'Escalator Souq' – as it was the first and only one in Doha to have an escalator. It has a massive selection of fabrics available at prices to suit all. Other outlets include clothing, shoes, perfume and accessories.

Connected to Souq Al Asiery is Souq Al Dira D4, your one-stop shop for upmarket textiles. The building, has huge arches, lantern-style lights and stained-glass windows, can be found right behind

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Facing you at the end of Al Ahmed Street is Souq Al Jabor D4. Stores along the outside as well as inside the block offer a good selection of footwear, clothes and a wide range of other products.

In addition to souqs, there are many low-budget shopping centres in Qatar with branches across the country where you can buy clothing, home accessories and kitchen appliances at affordable prices such as Al Rawnaq, Ansar Gallery, Dragon Mart and Ramez. See Where to Shop in this section for numbers.

Souq Al Ali C3 is a neighbourhood souq in Al Gharrafa right across from Immigration Department. It houses textile, tailoring and abaya stores, and a few pet shops. It's a popular destination for shoe repair and carpentry stores.

There's a KFC, Yellow Cab and other eateries in the souq as well.

The old yet urban Thursday and Friday Souq E3 is located on the Wholesale Market Street in the Bu Hamour and Mesaimeer district. The shopping centre is a well-known destination for abayas, jalabiyas, affordable clothes and other garments as well as toys. There are also a few spice, date and honey shops.

The Gold Souq There are several jewellery shops in the gold souq area, surrounding Grand Hamad Street and Ali Bin Abdullah Street. In addition to buying and/or selling gold, most jewellers will repair and replace jewellery, providing a receipt.

Designs cater for Western and Eastern tastes and are of local and international manufacture.

Traditional bridal jewellery is an interesting sight and comprises solid gold belts, gub (small gold caps), hair ornaments, mirtash (chest-length decorated chains) and bracelets.

Personalised name pendants can be made at short notice with your name written in Arabic calligraphy, as a keepsake or gift.

Coins, ingots and gems of various weights are available at most jewellers.

High-quality second-hand watches on sale at specialist shops include brands such as Rolex and Cartier.

Buying gold is safe as all gold sold in Qatar is tested and hallmarked in the country, so quality is guaranteed. Most of the gold is 18 and 22 carat.

Some modern and traditional jewellery items have artificial stones and this is reflected in the price. You are welcome to try anything on, and the salesmen are willing to bring pieces from a nearby shop if they don’t have what you are looking for.

You will need the purchase receipt when selling

your jewellery, and you will only receive the value of the weight of the metal or precious stones excluding the workmanship.

Selling gold The Ministry of Interior lists procedures for obtaining the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the police to sell gold. A fee of QAR10 has to be paid through a debit/credit card to get the NOC. Other requirements are necessary such as bringing the gold for inspection, producing bills for the gold, and bringing the ID and passport of the owner or seller. The gold should belong to first or second degree relatives. The service is provided by the Gold Sales Office in Souq Waqif and security departments across the country.

Invoice Many jewellery shops issue invoices based on the format prescribed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI). The MOCIapproved format, introduced in 2016 to protect consumers' interests, offers customers a detailed sales invoice. It shows particulars such as unit price without processors, price of workmanship, purity degree, and trademark.

Other details include information about the piece of jewellery like the total price, carat, gram, number, description, item code, the shop’s stamp, seller’s name and signature, shop data, invoice number, customer name and customer’s Qatar ID number. m ©

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Souq Al Asiery. High-quality beaded fabrics, heavy lace and 'designer' fabrics are all on sale. The souq also has shoes, perfume and accessory stores, and cloakroom facilities. Many Indian and Filipino eateries can be found there.

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FEATURE

Prices Up, Prices Down

By Ola Diab The new year starts with a hike in prices of gold, but prices of locally-produced fruits, vegetables and fish have declined.

G

old prices rose by around 17% in 2019, driven by strong demand and unstable global economy. The price of one gram of 22 carat gold increased by around QAR26 in 2019.

On 1 January 2019, gold with the precious metal trading was priced at QAR150 per gram. After going through volatility throughout 2019 due to global factors, gold prices rose to QAR176 per gram on 31 December 2019. One gram of 24 carat gold was trading at QAR160 at the beginning of 2019 while it ended the year at QAR186.

Nevertheless, the demand for gold was high throughout 2019 especially during May and June, around the time of the holy month of Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.

Interest rates in the US, the value of the US dollar and trade tensions between the US and China were the main factors that impacted gold prices in 2019. Gold prices were determined by the interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, trade negotiations between the US and China, and strong demand from emerging market central banks. In the first quarter of 2019, gold demand from central banks, especially China, India, Turkey, and Russia, increased by 68% year-on-year.

In addition, gold prices have recently increased significantly due to geopolitical tensions. One gram of gold was trading at QAR176 on 1 January 2020 but in a matter of few days, the prices increased to QAR182. Gold prices are expected to remain firm this year due to low interest rates in the US and the weakness of the dollar.

Buying gold is safe as all gold sold in Qatar is tested and hallmarked in the country. Most of the gold is 18 and 22 carat. You will need the purchase receipt when selling your jewellery. The Ministry of Interior lists procedures for obtaining the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the police to sell gold. Other requirements are necessary such as bringing the gold for inspection, producing bills for the gold, and bringing the ID and passport of the owner or seller. For more information on buying or selling gold, see Shopping in Qatar in this section.

Prices down While the prices of some products have increased others have decreased. Prices of locally-produced fruits and vegetables as well as fish have dropped.

The prices of locally-produced fruits and vegetables have seen a considerable drop compared to the prices of the previous weeks at the yards for selling local agriculture products, due to the good yield of the agriculture season. Many Qatari farms have introduced their various products at the market including some new varieties for the first time locally such as sugarcane, and types of broccoli, pumpkin, corn and others.

However, courgettes and cucumbers were sold at high prices of QAR30 for a big box and QAR15 for a small box. Other prices for different types of vegetables were seen as good by customers. For instance, a box of aubergines is sold for QAR6, broccoli for QAR8, green beans for QAR16, sweet peppers for QAR11, hot peppers for QAR10, and other leafy vegetables for QAR3 for two bundles.

In January 2020, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a bulletin, announcing the price drop of local fish by 23%.

The price of the popular kingfish, locally known as kanad, dropped by about 26% and the price of Siganus rivulatus (Safi fish) dropped by 30%.

From month to month, the prices of fish continued to decline in 2019 by 32% in October, by 27% in November and by 24% in December.

Since September 2019, the ministry began issuing a daily bulletin of the maximum prices for selling fish and seafood, which has stabilised the prices of fish and other seafood in the local market. The compulsory daily price bulletin benefits all relevant parties such as the fisherman, merchant and consumer. m

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THE PLACE WHERE COLLECTORS, ENTHUSIASTS, AND CURIOSITY SEEKERS MEET From our galleries and auction hall in Katara Cultural Village, AlBahie Auction House engages our community of local and international collectors with monthly auctions, selling exhibitions and special events to nurture the discovery of our shared cultural history and to further understanding and communication between different cultures in a cross-cultural dialogue. A first of its kind for the region, AlBahie is an essential stop in Doha’s dynamic art scene.

OPENING HOURS 10:30am - 8:30pm Monday - Thursday

4:00pm - 10:00pm Friday - Saturday

Katara, Building 22C | Doha, Qatar | +974 4408 0534 | info@albahie.com albahie

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