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THE number of Saudi tourists vis-iting Qatar in the first quarter of this year increased by 16 percent to 280,255

compared to the same period last year, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) said. The first quarter of 2016 saw an 11 percent increase in the number of visitors to Qatar from all GCC countries (403,023) compared to the first quarter of 2015 (361,660), with most of the growth generated by Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia tops our source

markets in terms of its current size and rate of growth over the past five years. In the first quar-ter of 2016, the number of Saudi visitors increased by 16 percent (280,255) compared to the same period in 2015 (241,008),” said Rashed Al Qurese, Chief Market-ing and Promotions Officer, QTA.

“This is due in large part to our shared language and her-itage, which allows tourists from Saudi Arabia to enjoy the excitement of visiting a luxury destination while feeling at home and ensuring their families are

comfortable,” he added.“We will continue to build on

this positioning, especially as we near the summer events popular among GCC tourists, including Eid celebrations in Qatar and Qatar Summer Festival,” he said.

Last year, 1.3 million vis-itors from the GCC came to Qatar, marking a 16 percent increase from 2014 and follow-ing a large-scale promotional drive that involved road shows in Gulf countries. Over 160 travel agents in the region completed QTA’s online TAWASH training

programme, which aims to equip travel agents with knowledge of Qatar’s landmarks and unique tourism offerings.

As interest in Qatar among Saudi tourists and travel agents grows, QTA stepped up efforts to tap into the market through a strong presence at the Riyadh Travel Fair, which it joined for the first time as a strategic part-ner. The Qatar delegation, led by QTA, included 18 co-exhibitors representing a cross section of Qatar’s tourism sector.

According to Al Qurese, the

fair provided an important plat-form to capitalise on the strong demand from the Saudi market to reinforce Qatar’s position as the destination of choice for Saudi consumers and travel agents.

He said the fair provided a unique opportunity for QTA and its partners to engage directly with consumers looking for their next holiday destination, in addition to travel agents and other pro-fessionals in the leisure tourism industry. This was Qatar Desti-nation Brand’s first appearance in Riyadh.

GCC visitors to Qatar up 11% in first quarter

The number of Saudi tourists visiting Qatar in the first quarter of this year increased by 16 percent to 280,255 compared to the same period in 2015. Last year, 1.3 million visitors from the GCC came to Qatar, marking a 16 percent increase from 2014 and following a large-scale promotional drive that involved road shows in Gulf countries.

CHAIRMANSheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid Al-Shafi

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

SUPPLEMENT COORDINATORAhmed Eltigani Idris

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DESIGNAbraham Augusthy

PRODUCTIONViswanath Sarma

IMAGE PROCESSINGMohd Sajad Sahir

TypesettingDeepak John

ATAR is set to become one of the best connected nations in the world. The country has already initiated work for 5G services in Qatar, said Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Exec-utive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, at the IEEE Wireless Com-munications and Networking

Conference at the Sheraton Doha. “Ooredoo is already laying the founda-

tions for 5G services in Qatar. We have signed agreements with global technology leaders to build the region’s first 5G research and devel-opment centre in Doha,” said Waleed Al Sayed. “We are set to become number one country

in the world for fibre penetration, thanks to our nationwide fibre programme,” he added.

He presented the company’s vision and outlined how this investment would support the deployment of Internet of Things innova-tions across a range of industries.

“The rise of the ‘Internet of Things’ means that we need networks that can support billions of connected devices, as well as millions of peo-ple. Our investment in the Ooredoo Supernet means that we will be ready for this techno-logical evolution and will offer our customers

the latest solutions as they become availa-ble,” said Al Sayed.

Events like the IEEE Wireless Communica-tions and Networking Conference enable us to transfer knowledge and build partnerships for the future, as we push to become the leading integrated ICT provider in Qatar,” he added.

The Chief Executive Officer also showed a video on the incredible services that the Super-net will bring to customers in Qatar. Highlights of the video included the nationwide use of smart payments, mobile ticketing and a country-wide super-fast 5G connection.

Qatar’s achievement in the field of ‘Infor-mation, Communication, Technology’ (ICT) sector has been acknowledged in the past at global level. Qatar was ranked first worldwide on the indicator measuring the percentage of individuals using Internet in the develop-ing countries in 2014 (91.5 percent) and first among Arab countries and second globally on the indicator measuring the percentage of households with Internet (98 percent), according to the 2015 edition of the State of Broadband report.

Earlier in the week, Al Sayed said that the first stage of Ooredoo’s 5G network, the next generation telecom services, will be launched by 2018 and will be commercially availa-ble by 2020.

Once the 5G network is rolled out in Qatar, the internet speed will jump to between 1GB and 10GB per second. “We are already work-ing to build the first R&D Centre and also a research laboratory with Huawei, which is going to be open for professionals soon,” he said.

“We are ready to implement 5G in Qatar as soon as it is standardised and available commercially. The building is ready, and it will take another one year to be operational as we are in the process of putting in place the needful equipment and support services. So the challenge is how fast the standard-ised can be brought forward to launch 5G,” Al Sayed added.

OOREDOO and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) relaunched the Scratch and Win Com-petition due to popular demand. With the competition, Ooredoo customers can win QDF shopping gift vouch-

ers worth up to QR1,000 for buying an Ooredoo Passport Card. To enter the competition, Ooredoo customers have to buy their card at QDF, Ooredoo’s premium dealer, at Hamad International Airport before April 30. Customers who purchase an Ooredoo Passport from QDF will be given a special scratch card which will give them the chance to win one of three prizes — a discount of QR50/QR100/QR1,000 for purchases at QDF.

QDF has a wide range of products for travellers, including perfume, food, clothes and souvenirs. Ooredoo Passport Card customers get 100 roaming minutes for all incoming and outgoing calls and 1GB

of roaming mobile data in more than 60 countries. Ooredoo Passport also offers an extra 1GB of

roaming mobile data for use in the GCC. It works on all GCC networks and while roaming in the GCC,

customers can enjoy 4G speeds in the UAE (Etisalat), Saudi Arabia (Mobily & STC), Bahrain (Batelco), Kuwait (Ooredoo Kuwait) and Oman (Ooredoo Oman), at no additional cost.

Qatar to be one of the best connected nations

Ooredoo has already laid the foundations for 5G services in Qatar and signed agreements with global technology leaders to build the region’s first 5G research and development centre in Doha.

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Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, addressing the IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference.

Ooredoo Passport and Qatar Duty Free relaunch contest

OOREDOO Mobile Money announced that its pop-ular QR1 Money transfer fee promotion has been

extended until April 30 2016, as the company continues to offer great value for customers.

The money-saving offer has been extended as part of Ooredoo’s vision of giving back to Qatar’s diverse com-munity of international residents.

The promotion, which was first launched in 2015, enables customers to send money abroad instantly with a money transfer fee of just QR1, one of the lowest in Qatar.

Thanks to this low fee, customers can send money quickly, easily and safely for collection at more than 347, 000 MoneyGram agents in 200 coun-tries, all through the convenience of their mobile phone.

The QR 1 offer is available for cus-tomers transferring money through MoneyGram to a wide selection of 200 countries including the Philippines, GCC, Asian countries such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and most of the African countries.

Ooredoo Mobile Money customers can also enjoy the QR1 fee promotion when making direct to bank account transfer transactions to Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka with the “Ooredoo Exchange” service. All new and existing Mobile Money customers will be able to send money home instantly with a flat money

transfer fee of QR1 during the promo-tional period, and users will also enjoy one of the best exchange rates in Qatar.

Customers can deposit money into their Mobile Money Wallet at any Oore-doo Self-Service Machine or Ooredoo Shop, or by direct transfer from a QNB Account through QNB Mobile Payment service.

Ooredoo Mobile Money extends promotion until April 30

OOREDOO has announced a new

competition for Ooredoo Mobile

Money (OMM) customers, offer-

ing them the chance to win a brand new

Suzuki car when they transfer money

internationally or purchase Ooredoo

services via mobile money service.

Anyone who registers for Ooredoo

Mobile Money and uses the service to

make an international money transfer,

purchase a Hala top-up, pay their Oore-

doo bills or recharge data or the Ooredoo

Passport by July 10 will automatically be

entered into the competition.

New customers can register for

Mobile Money for free with a valid Qatar

ID at any Ooredoo shop, by dialling *140#,

or downloading the free ‘Ooredoo Money’

app on their mobile and following sim-

ple on-screen instructions. Once cash is

deposited into a mobile money wallet

at any Ooredoo shop or through Oore-

doo self-service machines, customers

can use the wallet balance to transfer

money home to 200 countries, using

MoneyGram for a fee of QR1.

For details, customers can ask about

Mobile Money at an Ooredoo shop or visit

Mobile Money section on the Ooredoo

website at https://www.ooredoo.qa/

portal/OoredooQatar/win-a-suzuki-car

Win a new Suzuki

car with OMM

Ooredoo tv records huge rise in demand for smart content

SINCE the launch of its next generation Ooredoo tv service, Oore-doo has recorded an unprecedented surge in On-Demand content, as customers look to enjoy entertainment whenever and wher-

ever they are in Qatar.Ooredoo tv has become the fastest-growing TV service in Qatar,

and more and more customers are taking advantage of its accessible content and huge On-Demand library, as it fits in with their busy and connected lifestyles.

Ooredoo tv has been designed to provide viewers with unrivalled access to content from around the world. With Ooredoo tv set top box, customers can watch movies, sports, news and more live and on demand, stream content from their TV, play games and download apps.

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AN ESTIMATED 200,000 people visited the seventh Qatar Inter-national Food Festival (QIFF). The record turnout was based on

daily visitor counts at the three ven-ues — Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park, Katara and the Pearl-Qatar.

The week-long event, expanded to three locations, was billed the largest and most popular yet in terms of the

number of visitors and participating chefs, including world-renowned Martha Stewart, George Calombaris of Master Chef Australia and Salma Soliman of Fatafeat TV.

According to Rashed Al Qurese, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer, Qatar Tourism Author-ity (QTA), this year’s QIFF has set a new standard for festivals and events in Qatar, which “QTA will con-tinue to build on with our partners

in future editions. Festivals are an important part of our strategy to diversify Qatar’s tourism offering and we are proud of the success QIFF has achieved as a homegrown event that is now eagerly anticipated by people in Qatar and visitors from across the region.

“The seventh edition of QIFF was the perfect platform to show-case our country-wide five-star culinary and hospitality offerings,

Record 200,000 visit seventh QIFF giving visitors a taste of Qatar’s most authentic experiences.”

QIFF 2016 was marked with new locations — the Pearl-Qatar and Katara Cultural Village — con-nected with the main venue at MIA Park with water taxis that proved highly popular.

The Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture was celebrated with a court, along with signature activities such as Dinner in the Sky by Qatar Airways (QA), QIFF Live Cooking Theatre, High Tea by the Bay, InstaMarket, Health Court, Dinner on a Dhow and BBQ on the Bay.

“This year was the first time we expanded the festival to multi-ple locations. While the expansions were limited, we were able to create a city-wide celebration of all things food,” said Mashal Shahbik, Director, Festivals and Tourism Events, QTA.

“In the planning process, we had asked members of the community to share what they would like to see in QIFF and that was a large part of its success. As we wrap up and look for-ward to the 2017 edition, we encourage residents and visitors to share feed-back through QIFF’s social media pages,” added Shahbik.

Qatar Airways, co-host of QIFF, welcomed guests to its premium lounge to enjoy A Taste of Business Class and its award-winning hospi-tality on board its signature Dinner in the Sky experience. A stellar line-up of the world’s most celebrated chefs made their cooking debut at QA Cook-ing Theatre.

Salam Al Shawa, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Corporate Communications at QA, said: “We are delighted to see that the popu-larity of QIFF continues. This year’s new satellite festivities were a great success and delighted the local com-munity and tourists and visitors who experienced Doha’s finest food and fun entertainment. As the country’s national airline, QA is proud to support such a world-class event, delivering the award-winning hospitality and entertainment we are renowned for the world over, for everyone to enjoy in Qatar.”

“This year’s QIFF has set a new standard for festivals and events in Qatar, which “QTA will continue to build on with our partners in future editions. Festivals are an important part of our strategy to diversify Qatar’s tourism offering and we are proud of the success QIFF has achieved as a homegrown event that is now eagerly anticipated by people in Qatar and visitors from across the region.”

Qatar Airways welcomed guests to its premium lounge to enjoy A Taste of Business Class and its award-winning hospitality on board its signature Dinner in the Sky experience.

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HAMAD International Airport (HIA) said it has started the testing phase of its programme to trans-form into a ‘smart

airport’ by integrating state-of-the-art technologies that would offer passen-gers more control and independence over their journey.

Prime Minister and Interior Min-ister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, along with the Minister of Transport and Commu-nications, H.E Jassim Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti attended a trial session at HIA. The new technologies at the airport were demonstrated to them by Engr

Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Oper-ating Officer at HIA.

From check-in to boarding, every step of the journey will be self-serv-ice enabled to significantly improve efficiency and reduce waiting time, facilitating fast and seamless passen-ger experience.

Combined with the airport’s complimentary Wi-Fi and the iBea-con enabled mobile app that offers way-finding and context relevant infor-mation, HIA’s passengers will truly enjoy an immersive travel experience.

HIA became one of the first air-ports to support Home Printed Bag Tags (HPBT) and already provides self-serv-ice check-in. It will soon be introducing

its next generation common use self-service check-in and self-service bag drop services which will enable pas-sengers to check-in themselves, print their boarding pass and baggage tags, tag their bags and simply drop them off at the custom designed bag-drop system.

Eng Badr Mohammed Al Meer said: “HIA continuously and proac-tively focuses on its people, processes, technology and partnerships with key stakeholders to provide world class service, as recognised by the indus-try. The latest passenger processing and security technologies are either already deployed or being trialled to maintain and boost our position as one of the best airports in the world.”

These services will be continuously enhanced to offer our valued custom-ers options such as excess baggage payment, ability to purchase upgrades and access to lounge services, in part-nership with airlines.

HIA currently has 63 automated border control e-gates that allow enrolled nationals and permanent residents to swiftly pass through depar-ture and arrival immigration process based on biometric and travel docu-ment verification.

The airport is actively working with the responsible government authori-ties to extend these benefits to the large number of visitors to Qatar.

The airport is among a few in the

world that are championing smart security and has ongoing trials using latest technology to optimise the secu-rity checks by speeding up the process and minimising inconvenience to the passengers. HIA has also successfully completed trials for self-boarding gates to expedite passenger processing at boarding gates.

HIA has initiated dialogue with government authorities and other airport stakeholders to co-create a vision for the next-generation single-token based travel at the airport that would provide the ultimate experi-ence by eliminating the need for the passengers to present the same doc-umentation at multiple touch points.

HIA to become ‘smart airport’From check-in to boarding, every step of the journey will be self-service enabled to significantly improve efficiency and reduce waiting time, facilitating fast and seamless passenger experience.

AKBAR Al Baker, Chief Executive, Qatar Airways (QA) Group, highlighted the importance of art and its influence throughout the development phases of the carrier’s hub Hamad Interna-tional Airport (HIA), at the second edition of

the annual New York Times ‘Art for Tomorrow’ conference.He shared the creative vision and importance of the

iconic art pieces selected and positioned across nodes and concourses of the airport. “Introducing an airport as a destination location required significant design detail and influence. The vision of the airport was to make the experience like no other; comfortable, desirable and mem-orable. An important element of this was introducing art and design.”

Open for nearly two years, HIA has 41 contact gates in operation, more than 40,000 square metres of retail and food and beverage spaces, an in-terminal 100-room hotel, 25-metre swimming pool, squash courts, fitness and spa facilities, luxury shopping opportunities, Qatar Duty Free brands and much more.

The presentation at the conference at W Hotel in Doha centred around the sculptures, paintings and design of the existing and upcoming phases. The airport’s main architectural and design firm, Foster + Partners, took the audience through the main scope of the project and how harmony and symmetry was layered uniformly through-out all passenger offerings.

Art and architectural features have been a hallmark since the opening of the airport, providing passengers with an ambiance of aesthetically pleasing, inspiring, functional spaces for quietude, rest, shopping, dining and business purposes.

Al Baker said: “QA’s hub is designed with all of our passengers in mind, whether travelling short-haul, with a brief connection time, medium or long-haul. Not only is the airport filled with art elements, we have also paid attention to make it a highly convenient airport, techno-logically advanced and with an intuitive design.”

An iconic element of HIA is the highly acclaimed sculp-ture Lamp Bear by Urs Fischer positioned in the centre of the departures terminal, anchoring all concourses and food and beverage outlets. It has been in HIA since the opening in April 2014.

QA Chief highlights ‘Creative Airport’

HIA launches mobile app with iBeacon capabilities

HAMAD Interna-tional Airport (HIA) launched its new iBeacon enabled mobile

app to provide its passengers with an immersive experience and stay connected while they travel through Qatar’s iconic airport. HIA is among a select few airports in the world to have successfully used iBeacons for wayfinding and providing its customers with context relevant information about promotional offers to enhance their airport experience.

With a simple scan of the boarding pass and opt-in for location detection, the app provides real-time information about flight status, baggage claim, time and direction to boarding gates and food, beverage and retail offers from Qatar Duty Free, the airport’s award winning shopping emporium.

To ensure that customers benefit from the best deals, the app alerts the user when walking past outlets with ongoing promotions. A unique global search feature matches and delivers relevant content and information fast, eliminating the need for navigating through traditional app menus.

Engr Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said: “We take pride in having conceptualized, designed and developed our HIAQatar mobile app in-house, which gave us the control and flexibility to ensure a customer-centric and intuitive design, much like our airport.

With the installation of over 700 Bluetooth iBeacons across the expansive terminal, the app

helps put our passengers at ease by helping them identify their real-time location in the airport, informing them how long it will take to reach their desired location within HIA, guiding them along the way and alerting them of any updates to their flight status.”

The app is current ly avai lable for iOS based devices. The future road map includes launch of the Android app in Q2 2016, further improvements to the wayfinding experience through integration with the airport’s complimentary passenger Wi-Fi system and ongoing collaboration with technology industry leaders.

Positioned at the edge

of the Arabian Gulf, Hamad International Airport’s tranquil waterside setting provides a perfect backdrop for its stylish architectural elements, underpinned by advanced airport systems. It features two runways, among the longest in the world, a state-of-the-art air traffic control tower, a stunning passenger terminal with an initial design capacity of 30 million passengers per year, over 40,000 square meters of combined retail, food and beverage facilities, and a uniquely shaped public mosque. Hamad International Airport is a world-class facility that sets new benchmarks and redefines the passenger and transit experience.

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ATAR Airways’ (QA) cus-tomer experience has again been recognised for its industry leadership posi-tion, having received the ‘Best In-flight Duty Free’ for the Middle East and Africa 2016 in the Pax International

Readers Awards.The annual awards for “the industry’s

most deserving players” are selected by read-ers of the travel trade title, Pax International, over six months. The wide selection of lux-ury and affordable brands in QA’s in-flight duty free programmes were commended, together with competitive prices and out-standing customer service levels.

The in-flight duty free award comes just weeks after QA’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was announced as the world’s fifth ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ at the 2016 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

Qatar Duty Free (QDF) operates the 40,000 square metre duty free shopping emporium at HIA, including 70 boutiques and over 30 cafés and restaurants.

Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive, QA Group, said: “QA prides itself in being attentive to cus-tomer experience details — from the check-in process to the seat comfort on board. This extends to our in-flight duty free programme. We curate a specific, exclusive collection of market-leading duty free products for our guests travelling across our global network.

“QA’s in-flight duty free has always been regarded by our passengers as one of the finest in quality and product range, and the

award, voted for by readers of Pax Interna-tional, recognises our customers’ satisfaction and QDF’s dedication to providing an excep-tional shopping experience to all passengers flying with QwA. QDF brings together some of the world’s leading brands for our custom-ers to purchase on board and in our home, HIA, where it has created a visionary travel retail experience that sets it apart from air-ports worldwide.”

QA boasts a hand-picked selection of affordable and luxury brands that make in-flight shopping an essential part of every passenger’s journey.

Its in-flight duty free magazine Extrava-ganza introduces passengers to a collection of over 170 in-flight products, offering an ideal balance of classic bestsellers and con-temporary new launches.

Passengers can choose from a collec-tion of fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, watches, jewellery, fashion accessories, toys and QA memorabilia — all from the comfort of their seat.

QA was also recently recognised for the outstanding quality of its on-board enter-tainment platform, Oryx One, awarded for Middle East Content Innovation by Inflight magazine and F&E Aerospace.

QA was applauded for offering over 3,000 channels of entertainment and a wide selec-tion of content to suit its global passengers’ needs, from the latest premieres to classic movies and popular TV to special-interest programmes and TV series tailored to the Middle East market.

A global partnership with Ooredoo has

further enabled QA to enhance passengers’ journeys with free on board connectivity.

Passengers flying on QA flights served by its B787, A350, A380 and A319 and select A330 and A320 aircraft can enjoy free Wi-Fi for the first 15 minutes with a simple-to-use portal that makes it easy for them to browse the Internet or post on their social media channels while in the air. Continued use is offered at very reasonable rates, from $5 to $20.

ATAR Airways is globally recog-nised as being one of the fastest grow-ing airlines in the world and now the national carrier has reinforced that rep-utation again in the

digital sphere. Recently, the Sky-trax ‘World’s Best Airline’ achieved the impressive benchmark of having one million followers on Instagram, the world’s most popular photo-shar-ing platform.

Having only launched its Instagram account in May 2013 the award-winning airline has managed to interest and attract new followers at an average rate of 30,000 people per month thanks to its engaging and diverse eye-catching imagery.

Often showcasing the hugely popular destinations on Qatar Airways’ extensive network, the captivating Instagram account allows followers to travel the world from their own homes, inspiring them to explore new environments and experience new cultures. Among the most popular posts have been Sydney, with a stunning air-to-air image of the airline’s first flight over the Opera House; LA with Mariah Carey performing at an intimate dinner and a spectacular landing

near the beach in Phuket. Qatar Airways cabin crew, pilots

and passengers have proven to be the best advocates for the global brand showcasing the airline to the world from a first-person perspective.

Instagram is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing social media platforms, allowing users to share images and videos with their online community. Especially popular in the GCC, Instagram has become a valuable tool for any international brand looking to engage with consumers in this region.

Salam Al Shawa, Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Qatar Airways, said: “Achieving this milestone of one million followers, plus the continuous growth across all of our social media platforms, aligns with Qatar Airways’ vision to be number one in the aviation industry. Our social media platforms allow us to communicate directly with people all over the world and is the truest

embodiment of our brand campaign – Going places together. Our strategy for sharing the story and spirit of Qatar Airways with our followers through inspirational and engaging content has seen our relationship with our global community continue to grow and flourish.”

No stranger to innovation on its aircraft, Qatar Airways has continued to experiment and push the boundaries online. Qatar’s national carrier is forging new ground on Snapchat (qatar-airways), and is currently one of the only airlines in the world active on the emerging social media platform. Never shy of taking its followers behind-the-scenes, the airline makes extensive use of GoPro cameras to capture footage of inaugural flights from the pilot’s perspective. And at the most recent ITB Berlin, Qatar Airways unveiled a bespoke interactive hologram, designed to showcase new aircraft at trade shows across the world.

Qatar Airways, like many

successful global brands, has harnessed the power of social media to share content and create a dialogue with fans and it is clearly paying off.

This year saw the airline ranked as one of the world’s most valuable brands for the first time, becoming the first Qatari company to be represented in the 2016 Top 500 Global Brand ranking. With 14 additional new destinations announced for this year at ITB, Qatar Airways anticipates further growth across its social media networks to align with the rapid growth in its network.

Qatar Airways recently launched the latest evolution of its brand with the Going Places Together campaign, which has seen an incredible level of support and engagement from social media fans and passengers. Qatar Airways has distinguished itself as a world-leading brand, and as it continues to grow, it will con-tinue to invest in its relationships with passengers and the commu-nities it serves, both offline and on.

QA surpasses one million followers on Instagram

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Among the most popular posts have been Sydney, with a stunning air-to-air image of the airline’s first flight over the Opera House; LA with Mariah Carey performing at an intimate dinner and a spectacular landing near the beach in Phuket.

Qatar Airways Cargo launches innovative new mobile app

ATAR Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest interna-tional cargo airline, launched of its first mobile app QR Cargo, available for both Android and iOS devices via Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This applica-tion aims to provide ease and convenience to the cargo airline’s customers, by having all the important infor-mation at their fingertips on their mobile devices. In addition to getting detailed status of their shipments,

customers can now use this app for various enquiries such as Qatar Airways pas-senger flight and freighter schedules, office contact details, product descrip-tions and more.

“The all new Qatar Air-ways Cargo app is linked to our in-house Cargo Res-ervations, Operations, Accounting and Manage-ment Information System (CROAMIS), which provides real-time data and updates for each logistic milestone achieved, direct to our customers,” said Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo. He added: “We are excited about the launch of our first mobile app that provides more convenience and value to our customers, giving them the freedom to manage and access to their global business anywhere and anytime on their schedule.”

The Qatar Airways Cargo app key features include: Instant ship-ment tracking, weekly flight schedule search, recent search history, charter service request, location and navigation services to Qatar Airways Cargo worldwide offices and many more useful tools. Besides requesting shipment bookings and charter services, customers can also easily track each piece of their shipment with a microscopic view of each stage of the process through this mobile app. The recent search history option allows users to look for frequently searched shipments, routes or schedules without having to remember lengthy details such as the 11-digit airway bill (AWB) numbers.

Additionally, a comprehensive directory of the cargo airline’s world-wide offices is integrated within the application which enables customers to navigate to these offices using location maps featured in their mobile devices or calling the offices directly with just a tap.

Customers can download the application at http://www.qrcargo.com/apps and follow the links to the iPhone or Android smartphone app store. Qatar Airways Cargo currently has a fully-fledged homepage and mobile website www.qrcargo.com, which are connected to its in-house cargo management system, CROAMIS.

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Airline wins ‘Best In-flight Duty Free’ awardThe airline’s in-flight duty free magazine Extravaganza introduces passengers to a collection of over 170 in-flight products, offering an ideal balance of classic bestsellers and contemporary new launches. Passengers can choose from a collection of fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, watches, jewellery, fashion accessories, toys and QA memorabilia — all from the comfort of their seat.

QATAR Airways (QA) has brought its unique offering to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s leading travel trade fair tak-

ing place in Dubai from today until April 28. QA will showcase the award-winning

service and hospitality that the airline is renowned for, making memorable expe-riences for passengers world-wide.

At its state-of-the-art exhibition stand, QA will give visitors a premier experience in its A380 First Class cabin, which takes luxury travel to new heights. The cabin, featuring ultra-wide seats, privacy dividers and the flexibility to

convert the space into a fully flat bed or extend a table to invite a guest to dine with them, provides travellers a haven of tranquillity and relaxation while cruis-ing at Mach 0.85 for business or leisure.

Visitors can also get a feel for the luxuriously appointed Dubai Premium Lounge located in Dubai International Airport’s Concourse D.

Available to QA First and Business Class passengers and Privilege Club Platinum, Gold and Silver members, the Dubai Premium Lounge is a modern and sophisticated space where trav-ellers can relax and rejuvenate before

their journey. The recently opened lounge is dec-

orated with artistic Arabic calligraphy, Mediterranean-style tiles and calm-ing water fountains, featuring private family areas, shower facilities, spacious seating areas and an international cui-sine buffet.

Speaking on the airline’s involve-ment in Arabian Travel Market for this year, QA Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “Arabian Travel Market has consistently been one of the most exciting platforms for us to participate in, providing us with the opportunity to

network with our passengers and part-ners alike.

“We are looking forward to recreat-ing the unique QA experience at our stand this year, enabling visitors to get a true taste of what it means to be a QA passen-ger travelling to any one of our more than 150 global destinations.”

Several senior representatives from QA will be present during the event. The airline’s expansion plans, upcoming developments, and the newest additions to its growing portfolio of offerings will be unveiled during the event.

QA to showcase A380 First Class cabin at ATM

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ATAR Airways has added a second daily, non-stop flight along its popular route between John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York City and Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha. The new route features the acclaimed Airbus A350 and a new morning departure time

from JFK, allowing passengers to arrive in Doha the morning of the following day.

The new flight represents the 10th Qatar Airways route between Doha and the United States. The airline, named “2015 Airline of the Year” (Skytrax), has now been operating in the United States for nine years and recently added daily, non-stop service to Boston (BOS) on March 16, and will commence service to Atlanta (ATL), on June 1.

“This new route is evidence of our rapid growth in the United States,” said Qatar Air-

ways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker. “By offer-ing a second flight from JFK, we pro-vide our leisure and business travellers with convenient connections, via Doha, to top des-tinations in Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East. In particular, busi-ness travel between New York City and

Singapore on Qatar Airways is now one of our most popular routes, offering business travellers a best-in-class experience featuring the Air-bus 350 — the most technologically advanced aircraft in commercial aviation flying today — on every leg of the journey.”

Qatar Airways was the global launch part-ner of the A350 in 2015. The airline currently operates eight of the advanced aircraft on four different continents, including routes to Frank-furt, Munich, Singapore, and from next month, Adelaide. In the United States the A350 cur-rently operates to Philadelphia and Boston, in addition to the second daily flight to New York’s JFK International Airport. Qatar Air-ways has an additional 72 A350s on order, and maintains one of the youngest, most advanced fleets in the skies.

Along with Qatar Airways’ award-win-ning services and amenities, the A350 features an innovative system for the reduction of jet lag. By using a high precision air management system to reduce cabin pressure and optimise humidity, along with a dynamic LED light-ing system to manage passenger melatonin levels, the A350 combats the effects of inter-national travel and leaves passengers feeling more refreshed upon arrival.

“The Airbus A350 is an iconic commercial aircraft of the next decade,” said Al Baker. “We were proud to be a part of its inception and we look forward to introducing this unparalleled

aircraft with business and leisure travellers along our New York – Doha route.”

The second daily flight departs JFK from Terminal 7 at 11:15 hrs and arrives at Hamad International Airport at 06:45 hrs local time (Qatar). The new flight to New York City arrives in JFK’s Terminal 7 at 09:15 hrs, providing convenient access to the city and connect-ing flights across the United States. Terminal 7 is also home to other oneworld members, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, and Qantas. Qatar Airways will con-tinue to operate its evening route, scheduled to depart New York at 23:00 hrs, from Terminal 8, providing an alternative and convenience when visiting Doha or connecting with out-bound flights to the airline’s global network of more than150 destinations around the world.

Daily, Non-Stop Flights Between Hamad International Airport (DOH) and New York City (JFK)

Flight Route Departure Time Arrival Time JFK Terminal AircraftQR Flight 701 Doha – New York 08:15 15:15 Terminal 8 Boeing 777-300ERQR Flight 702 New York – Doha 22:00 17:35 +1 Terminal 8 Boeing 777-300ERQR Flight 703 Doha – New York 02:25 09:15Terminal 7 Airbus A350-900QR Flight 704 New York – Doha 11:15 06:45 +1 Terminal 7 Airbus A350-900

Q

The airline, named “2015 Airline of the Year” (Skytrax), has now been operating in the United States for nine years and recently added daily, non-stop service to Boston (BOS) on March 16, and will commence service to Atlanta (ATL), on June 1.

Qatar Airways doubles flights from New York CityService to Birmingham begins

QATAR Airways on March 30 inaugurated the airline’s fourth United Kingdom (UK) gate-

way, with direct flights between Doha and Birmingham, connecting the city with more

than 150 destinations worldwide. The addition of Birmingham marks the fourth UK

gateway for Qatar Airways after London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh, with

the eight weekly services operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Qatar Airways now operates 73 flights per week to the UK, with 42 flights per week to

London Heathrow, 16 to Manchester, seven to Edinburgh and eight to Birmingham, from its

state-of-the-art hub, Hamad International Airport.

The Birmingham route is operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a two-cabin configura-

tion, comprising of 22 seats in Business Class and 232 Economy Class seats. All seats include

individual television screens, with Economy Class customers benefitting from a screen 10.6

inches wide, offering the latest inflight entertainment comprised of up to 3,000 options, com-

plimented by the airline’s award-winning service. Every seat has direct aisle access in Business

Class, where passengers can catch up on sleep in a fully-flat bed or make productive use of

their time utilising the large work surface area. Passengers can also stay connected while trav-

elling with the option of Wi-Fi which is available throughout the aircraft.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: Birmingham (BHX) to Doha (DOH) departure

08:55 arrival 17:35 Doha (DOH) to Birmingham (BHX) departure 01:30 arrival 06:50

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: Birmingham (BHX) to Doha (DOH) departure

16:20 arrival 01:00 (next day) Doha (DOH) to Birmingham (BHX) departure 07:00 arrival 12:20

787 Dreamliner to serve Geneva from July 1

QATAR Airways has announced a substantial aircraft upgrade on the Doha (DOH) to

Geneva (GVA) route from July 1, 2016 to become the airline’s second Dreamliner route

to Switzerland after Zürich. The route, which is currently operated by an Airbus A320

with 132 seats, will be served by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, almost

doubling capacity on the direct daily service to 254 seats. The introduction of the 787 Dream-

liner will further enhance the onboard experience for passengers between the two cities, in

addition to increasing capacity to 80 tonnes of cargo per week carried to and from Geneva.

Business Class is configured in a 1–2–1 set-up with 22 seats, while Economy has a 232

seating capacity in a 3–3–3 layout. Since January 2013 the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has oper-

ated the daily Doha to Zürich route and Qatar Airways was the first airline to introduce this

aircraft type to the Swiss market.

QATAR Executive (QE), the private jet division of award-winning Qatar Airways (QA), is preparing for the holy month of Ramadan and the busy

summer season by adding a second all-Premium Class Airbus A319 aircraft to its luxurious charter fleet.

As Ramadan is a very popular time to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia, the two 40-seat all-Premium Class Airbus A319 aircraft are expected to be well-received by large families, as well as travel agents looking to charter air-craft for group bookings.

Umrah travel by charter aircraft is made more comfortable and con-venient with direct-aircraft access via the Executive terminal and cus-tomised immigration and customs processing.

The Airbus A319 aircraft is perfectly suited for travel to Ta’if, Jeddah or Madinah from where passengers can continue the holy pilgrimage to Makkah.

In addition, the Airbus A319 air-craft can serve destinations around the globe with completely customised

schedules, allowing for more flexi-bility and the option to reach remote or multiple locations in the shortest amount of time in ultimate comfort. Passengers are offered an exclusive private jet experience, award-winning service, spacious cabins, and world-class cuisine.

QA Group Chief Executive Akbar

Al Baker said: “We are delighted to offer our distinguished clientele these bespoke charter travel solutions, and to provide them with a singular, luxuri-ous experience at the time and location of their choosing.”

Airbus A319 aircraft can serve destinations around the globe with completely customised schedules

All-Premium Class Airbus A319 aircraft ready to serve travel needs during Ramadan

The 40-seat charter aircraft can cater for big families and group travel

The 40-seat aircraft with a single aisle, 2-2 seating configuration, and range of up to 3,700km/6,850km, can easily connect destinations throughout the Middle East with major cities in Europe, Africa and South Asia.

The seats recline and convert into 79-inch long fully-flat beds, which come with elegant Italian Frette linen and duvets. Each seat further provides generous space for work or rest, and comes equipped with power outlets, WiFi, GSM services, USB port, audio sockets and LED lighting.

The two all-Premium Class Air-bus A319 aircraft complement QE’s existing long-range fleet of two brand new Gulfstream G650ER and eight modern Bombardier aircraft, includ-ing three Challenger 605s, four Global 5000s and a Global XRS, all available for worldwide charter.

Second A319 joins Qatar Executive fleet

QATAR Airways (QA) celebrated the launch of daily, non-stop service to Boston with an illustrious gala event, hosted at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. In attendance were many of the city’s dignitaries and business leaders. Guests experienced a red carpet rose-wall welcome, and the Emcee for the evening

was television red carpet host and fashion designer Giuliana Rancic, followed by stunning musical performances by Nikka Costa and Strings and En Vogue. “The gala was a memorable evening for QA and for the city of Boston,” said QA Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker. “With every new destination we serve, we seek to become a part of that com-munity and Boston welcomed us with open arms.”

He stressed the importance of aviation, both as a catalyst and facili-tator for global trade, commerce and vital cultural exchange. Following the airline’s global brand campaign “Going Places Together”, he thanked the city of Boston for inviting QA into their community and invited guests to experience the renowned services of the reigning three-time winner of the prestigious accolade, ‘Airline of the Year’ by Skytrax.

“We are pleased to be operating to Boston with our state-of-the-art Airbus A350, and connect travellers from this great city to a global net-work,” continued Al Baker. “QA’s new service from Boston will form the foundations for new business and social ties around the world. I look for-ward to our long and prosperous relationship.”

Launched on 16 March, the new route between Boston’s Logan Inter-national Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport represents the airlines’ ninth US destination. The airline also recently commenced service to Los Angeles on 1 January and added a second flight to New York City route on 1 April. The airline will also commence service to Atlanta on 1 June 2016.

Gala guests experienced the airline’s renowned hospitality and refined signature service, including award-winning cuisine offering and personal service from its cabin crew. At the end of the evening, the airline held their traditional gala raffle. Two lucky winners were awarded two round-trip business class tickets to their destination of choice, anywhere on the air-line’s route map of over 150 global destinations.

Airline marks new Boston service

QATAR Airways’ (QA) premium in-flight services have proven again to be a favourite with global travellers as the international airline has been awarded two best-in-class accolades at the TravelPlus awards

in Hamburg, Germany.QA received TravelPlus Airline Gold Awards; the

first for its signature Missoni sleeper suits and its recently launched Hasbro children’s activity pack.

Rossen Dimitrov, Senior Vice- President, Cus-tomer Experience, QA, said: “We are very proud once again to be honoured for delivering outstanding customer experience for all our passengers trav-elling together with QA. Both awards recognise the airline’s high quality service and standing as a world-class airline.

“From first class luxuries to family fun, our in-flight amenities are designed to make every passenger’s journey more comfortable and add a special touch by becoming great souvenirs of their flight with QA.” QA released a fun video showing Mr. Potato Head heading off on his holidays to cele-brate the new on board activity sets and meal boxes, it can be viewed at https://youtu.be/LjgpMA__fJ0

QA won gold in last year’s TravelPlus Awards

for its exclusive Italian designer Giorgio Armani fragrances and Beauty First Class Male amenity kit and the Business Class Middle East amen-ity kit. Assessment for the acclaimed industry awards focuses on wishes and needs of travel-lers, with selection criteria adhering to trend, pleasure, luxury, usability and style, all from a traveller’s perspective.

Renowned for its hospitality, QA offers First Class passengers on overnight flights stylish and luxurious sleeper suits and slippers designed by Italian fashion house Missoni. The sleepwear offers comfort and promotes relaxation throughout pas-sengers’ journeys.

The award-winning airline launched its new chil-dren’s activity pack on board its worldwide network this January in partnership with Hasbro Gaming to provide more entertainment for its youngest guests. The new kits offer more levels of interactivity and playability, featuring Mr. Potato Head plush toys and Hasbro Gaming brand board games, known for their suite of leading family entertainment properties.

Featured titles include the world’s favourite family gaming brand, Monopoly, and long-standing clas-sics such as Twister, Guess Who and Connect 4. The

activity kits are available on board and have been developed for children aged 0-2 and 3-12 years.

Four kits, each featuring a different game, are available to families flying to and from Doha on long-and short-haul flights. Young travellers can explore and play with glow-in-the-dark toys and stickers, interactive bags and a gadget stand. Kits for infants include a peek-a-boo Mr. Potato Head plush toy and soft books.

Children-friendly meals can be pre-ordered and are served in vibrant and reusable Monopoly or Mr. Potato Head collectable meal boxes.

Double accolades at TravelPlus Awards Renowned for its hospitality, QA offers First Class passengers on overnight flights stylish and luxurious sleeper suits and slippers designed by Italian fashion house Missoni. The sleepwear offers comfort and promotes relaxation throughout passengers’ journeys.

8

DOHA Bus, Qatar’s first Hop-on, Hop-off open-top sightsee-ing bus tour, has launched a night tour service where resi-

dents and tourists can see the city’s iconic landmarks and impressive sky-line in the evening.

Lasting 90 minutes, the ‘once round’ tour starts from Souq Waqif at 7.30pm and continues to the Cor-niche to West Bay, providing guests with the opportunity to see the beauty of Doha at night. The tour includes an informative audio commentary in seven languages, including Arabic, English, Korean, Brazilian, Japanese, Chinese and German on the city’s highlights and history.

A complimentary cup of hot karak, one of Qatar’s signature drinks, is served to guests.

“Doha Bus is pleased to have added the night tour to its growing list of local offerings and this is a unique way to see the city. By start-ing at Souq Waqif and exploring key destinations along the Corniche and around Doha, visitors are able to see our city’s wonderful diversity,” said Khalid Alsuwaidi, CEO, Doha Bus.

Night tour ticket costs QR45 (child), QR95 (adult) and QR235 (family) and is valid for 24 hours. In addition to the existing daytime city tours and night tour, Doha Bus has introduced a Qatar

Foundation (QF) route that takes pas-sengers through the ultra-modern and urban landscape of Education City, covering sites, including Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre and Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art. With these new additions to the QF route, the tour is constantly expanding with over 22 stops.

Doha Bus Services will further expand with the soon-to-launch Sealine Beach Resort shuttle with paired weekend packages and Mon-ster Truck bus trips into the sand dunes and speedboat sight-see-ing trips from Museum of Islamic Art. Doha Bus also provides school, corporate and group tours at very competitive prices.

Pictures: Salim Matramkot

The tour includes an informative commentary in seven languages, including Arabic, English, Korean, Brazilian, Japanese, Chinese and German on the city’s highlights and history.

Doha Bus launches night tour

9

State Grand Mosque: An architectural landmark

THE Imam Abdul Wah-hab Mosque or Qatar State Grand Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Qatar. The Grand Mosque is located

just south of the Corniche overlook-ing the Qatar Sports Club in Doha’s West Bay. The State Mosque has been renamed after the great Muslim the-ologian, reformer and pioneer of the 18th century “Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab”.

The mosque features an impos-ing building with many domes and was built with a fascinating mix of both traditional Arabic and modern architecture which includes spar-kling half-moons, a minaret and large open outdoor spaces.

The Grand Mosque has a very fresh feel with crispy lines besides it preserves some of the traditional Islamic architectural elements and with its distinguishing doomed roof it

will be a stunning example of archi-tectural magnificence and landmark construction in Doha.

The beautiful mosque also tells the Doha story with the sandstone facades, the lowly building height and 90 smaller domes imperson-ate the building constraints present when Qatar was in its early years.

The mosque covers a total area of 175,164 sq.m. As many as 11,000 men can offer prayers in the air-con-ditioned central hall of the mosque and the adjacent special enclosure is spacious enough for more than 1,200 women. There are three main doors and 17 side entrances to the mosque. As many as 28 large domes cover the central hall while 65 domes cover the outer quadrangle. On the whole the mosque can hold a congregation of 30,000 people.

The mosque is in Al Mohandis-een Street. Travellers can find their ways in the area, as locals around speak English and visitors can also find suitable transportation to move within the city. There are nine park-ing spaces of about 300 cars and is spread over 14,877 square metres.

For foreign tourists, it is essen-tial to be sensitive to Qatari ideas of civility. Tourists should be especially cautious about choosing dressing suitably during their Holy month of Ramadan.

There are three main doors and 17 side entrances to the mosque.

Pictures: Mohd Sajad Sahir

10

TO HAVE a grasp of what is current in contemporary Chinese art, it is a must to visit What About the Art? Contemporary Art from China — an expansive ret-

rospective three years in the making now open at QM Gallery Al Riwaq.

From miniature and gigantic sculp-tures and paintings to a diverse range of video installations and interactive game design, the exhibition is a jour-ney into the creative pursuit of each of the 15 Chinese artists in their dis-tinctive artistic language.

The exhibition is more than a visual feast to every art enthusiast in search of unique works of art by some of the most important artists from China today.

Al Riwaq was divided into 15 sep-arate galleries, each of which houses representative works of each art-ist. Nearly 600 miniature sculptures depicting familiar Chinese artworks and events are displayed in Gallery 1. Arranged in a terrace-field of sand, the sculptures are as interesting as the 56-year-old artist Hu Zhijun, who worked as a peasant for most of his life. He was especially commis-sioned for the exhibition which marks

A visual feast at QM Gallery Al Riwaq

his debut show.One of the stunning installations

at the expo is an eight-metre high and 12-metre large steel tank weighing 40 tonnes in the middle of a white cube gallery space. Titled Freedom, the enor-mous installation by artistic duo Sun Yuan and Peng Yu contains a black sus-pended hose from which water gushes and sends it into violent contortions at high pressure.

Celebrated expatriate artist Huang

Yong Ping’s six-tonne giant “sea mon-ster” Wu Zei is also featured in the central circular 22-metre gallery hovering above ground. A chande-lier hangs within the head of the giant octopus-like creature while its eight tentacles contain sea-born wastes in their grip. The title means “cut-tlefish” in Chinese and was chosen as the first syllable is a homophone for pollution.

A total of 37,000 silk worms worked

for two years to complete the ‘Moon Garden” installation by Liang Shaoji. The installation is an ode to the rise and fall of the ancient civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and to the present condition of the region. Two curving acrylic sheets resemble winding riv-ers and covering the sheets is a thin layer of raw silk, but visitors can see the Arabic word “serenity” in the soft light within the silk pattern.

Artist Xu Zhen packed oil paint of

various colours into pastry bags to cre-ate his stunning three-dimensional oil paintings “Under the Heaven”. The dense mouth-watering swirls of paint convey a sense of revelry evident of the artist’s Triumph inside the gallery. “Xu Zhen” is a brand synonymous with experimentation with artistic method or language.Liu Wei’s “Big Dog” is a large architectural installation made from ox-hide dog chews representing a breakthrough in terms of scale and creativity. It depicts the artists re-imag-ining of iconic architecture to represent the dimensions of religion, politics, society and power.

Another set of striking pieces is Liu Xiaodong’s paintings created on site, part of which is the portrait of the former Minister of Culture’s fam-ily representing three generations, a heretofore-unprecedented depiction of a local family by a foreign artist.

Video game designer Jenova Chen, who strives to create emotional expe-riences to gamers, presents “Journey” — his most significant work to date. Players awake in a desert and must find their way to a distant mountaintop during which they encounter darkness and confusion as well as enlighten-ment and glory.

Wang Jianwei creates his pieces out of wood, metal, rubber and paint to express his desire to perfect form and control. He creates his works based on a concept and methodology he calls “rehearsal” in which the works freely evolve and transform according to impulses and emotional responses in the process of creation.

Other artists whose works are dis-played at the four-month long expo are

Hu Xiangqian, Li Liao, Jennifer Wen Ma, Wang Jianwei, Xu Bing, YangFu-dong and ZhouChunya.

The exhibition is curated by the internationally acclaimed New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang following the immense success of his solo exhibitionCai Guo-Qiang: Saraab, held at Mathaf five years ago.

Cai Guo-Qiang said: “The exhi-bition is intended to inspire and resonate with young Arab artists who are pursuing creativity and reflecting on their own contribution to global culture. At a time when major exhi-bitions and biennials are focused on popular topics such as the environ-ment, violent conflict, or on textual analysis of the artists’ cultural iden-tities and the external context of the works, there continues to be a lack of direct inquiry into the art and artists’ practices themselves. The exhibition raises this question to the contem-porary art world.”

The curator also authored a 528-page exhibition companion book of the same title.

Presented by Qatar Museums under the leadership of its Chairperson, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the exhibition is the major highlight of the Qatar China 2016 Year of Culture, a landmark initiative developed to deepen understanding between nations and their people through mutual exchanges of arts, culture, heritage and sport.

The exhibition is supported by the China National Arts Fund, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Artron Art Group, and Beijing Imaginist Time Culture Company.

The exhibition is open to public until July 16 from 10.30am to 5.30pm on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays, 12noon to 8pm on Thursdays and Saturdays and from 2pm to 8pm on Fridays. It is closed on Tuesdays.

ATAR has maintained its position as the fifth most popular destination in the global Muslim travel market, says a research focusing on this fast-growing sector. The MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2016, which covers 130 destinations,

saw Qatar remain in the top five list. Malaysia held on to its pole position, followed by the UAE, Turkey and Indonesia on the list of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations.

Singapore also retained its pole position for the non-OIC destinations, with Thailand, the UK, South Africa and Hong Kong making up the top five. The study also revealed that in 2015, there were an estimated 117 million Muslim visitor arrivals glo-bally, representing close to 10 percent of the entire travel market.

This is forecast to grow to 168 million visitors by 2020 equal to 11 percent of the market seg-ment with a market value projected to exceed

$200bn, says a release. Asia and Europe were also revealed as the two leading regions in the world for attracting Muslim visitors - account-ing for 87 percent of the entire market.

“Many already successful destinations around the world are looking to diversify their visitor base to maintain tourist growth rates in today’s increas-ingly competitive travel market and the GCC is at the forefront of understanding the needs and pref-erences of Muslim travellers and how to adapt and

tailor products and services for them. “The Muslim travel market is flourishing in

each of the GCC states and these high rankings are further testament to the continuous growth and development of this sector in these countries. We believe that the GMTI provides real value to businesses and governments looking to tap into this important market segment further,” said Raghav Prasad, General Manager, Gulf Coun-tries, MasterCard.

“The MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Mus-lim Travel Index 2016 has now become the number one tool for destinations around the world to realign their strategies to reach out to the Muslim consumer.

One of the biggest trends we are seeing is non-OIC destinations making a concerted effort to attract the Muslim tourist and they now represent over 63 percent of the destinations covered in the GMTI.

The GMTI 2016 is the most comprehensive research available on one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors in the world, which represents 10 percent of the entire travel economy, said the release.

Qatar fifth most popular destinationin global Muslim travel market

Q The MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2016, which covers 130 destinations, saw Qatar remain in the top five list.

11

KIDZMONDO Doha, one of the largest indoor edutainment theme parks in Qatar, is gear-ing up to open its doors this year. Located in

the Mall of Qatar, KidzMondo is an awareness and educative indoor theme park for playful learning developed on ‘learning by doing’ principle.

It has been designed for children aged between two and 14 years and their parents. It’s a miniature replica of a real city where children will get to role-play as adults in over 60 occu-pations and professions. It is an ideal forum where social rules and values are promoted and ingrained in chil-dren to prepare them to behave as good adult citizens would in real life.

Through their partnership with Qatar Airways, KidzMondo Doha will offer children an opportunity to enact their dream roles as pilots and cabin crew, and get an understanding of the functioning of the world-class airline within a specially adapted real air-craft model. Children will be able to explore the plane, examine its differ-ent parts, and become familiar with the daily tasks required of Qatar Air-ways pilots and crew as they lead the global air space.

Built around the concept of the ‘City of Education and Entertainment’, KidzMondo Doha features an inter-active small-scale city developed for and managed solely by children. The self-sufficient city includes over 80 real life simulation activities across diverse business environments, and allows chil-dren to dress up and role-play realistic

tasks in a safe, interactive and mean-ingful environment.

The entertainment park, with its own economy and currency, has been designed to provide a holistic experi-ence to support physical and mental development amongst children, and help improve their self-esteem and confidence. Built on a total indoor area of about 8,000 square metres, KidzMondo Doha will partner with more than 60 brands that will spon-sor various activities in the kids’ city and will open its doors in 2016 in the Mall of Qatar.

KidzMondo is actively present in Beirut and Istanbul, with expan-sion plans across the GCC including the UAE, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Alge-ria among others.

KidzMondo Doha is anticipating some 350,000 (65pc children and 35pc adults) visitors during 2017 out of the nearly 20 million footfall the Mall of Qatar is expecting during the year.

KidzMondo Doha is in the proc-ess of hiring over 200 staff, including educators, coordinators, supervisors and other middle and top level man-agement, expected to be completed before June-end.

KidzMondo characters excite young visitors at QIFF

Bringing joy and excitement to young visitors at the 7th Qatar Interna-tional Food Festival (QIFF), KidzMondo Doha crowned families’ experience at the signature entertainment event

Upcoming attraction: KidzMondo Doha

with a trickle of novelty, animation and delight.

KidzMondo’s participation at QIFF was a huge success that added flare to the event’s growing scope and variety of offerings. As part of KidzMondo’s presence, the festival’s visitors were introduced to the booming edutain-ment brand through its lead-off virtual

tour, which was followed by the danc-ers performing a routine to the tune of KidzMondo’s official theme song.

Children were thrilled to meet KidzMondo’s characters for the very first time,which was a great opportunity for the brand’s mascots to interact with youngsters, who were excited about visiting KidzMondo’s one-of-a-kind indoor edutainment park. Through-out the festival’s seven days, lots of kids and parents were eager to have their memorable pictures taken with the KidzMondo characters, Kozmo, Eena, Dogzilla and Leeloo.

Commenting on KidzMondo’s suc-cessful participation in the festival, Nabil R Barakat, the General Man-ager of KidzMondo Doha, said: “Our participation in this year’s QIFF was a great success and we had just as much fun interacting with the fes-tival’s young visitors and families, as they did. Besides showcasing our unique edutainment brand to kids and parents in Qatar, the KidzMondo Doha team enjoyed celebrating the festival with the children and par-ticipating in the event’s various competitions and activities. We are thrilled to have been a part of this wonderful event that brought fun and excitement to the whole family, and are looking forward to playing a role in more entertainment and edu-cational events in Qatar as well as adding our own flavor to the young visitors’ experiences.”

KidzMondo Doha, one of the largest indoor edutainment theme parks in Qatar, is gearing up to open its doors this year. Located in the Mall of Qatar, KidzMondo is an awareness and educative indoor theme park for playful learning developed on ‘learning by doing’ principle.

12

QATAR has received the largest number of visi-tors in one month last March with a total of 305,014 visitors, accord-ing to Qatar Tourism

Authority’s (QTA) Q1 2016 Tourism Performance Report.

The number of international vis-itors entering Qatar on leisure visit visas (tourist visas, personal visit visas, family visit visas, and transit visas) has risen by 6% in the first quarter of this year in comparison to the same period last year.

Total visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2016 (822,626) dropped by 2% in comparison to the same period in 2015, due to a lower number of vis-itors from non-GCC Arab countries, the Americas, Europe and Asian coun-tries including Oceania. However, visits to Qatar by nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries increased 11%, while visits by nation-als from Other (non-Arab) African countries increased by 7% in com-parison to the same period in 2015.

Within the GCC, Saudi Arabian nationals have contributed to the majority of the growth in arrivals from the region. Compared to the first quar-ter of 2015, arrivals of Saudi nationals have increased by 16%.

The arrivals of UAE nationals increased by 14 percent, and Bah-raini nationals rose by 2 percent. Data shows that the number of visits spiked in the period between March 9 and 18, which coincided with spring hol-idays in Saudi Arabia.

“Qatar continues to attract a healthy number of leisure visitors, signifying the growing portfolio of tourism offerings, especially for vis-itors from the GCC who find Qatar a place where they can enjoy new experiences while benefiting from the comfort of shared language and her-itage,” said Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at QTA.

“This data offers us important insights as we step up our develop-ment and promotional efforts. It also helps us as we guide investors and work with our partners in the pub-lic sector on the expansion of Qatar’s leisure and business events offering, as well as the cruise industry.”

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Qatar is the only coun-try in the Middle East region that has maintained consistent arrivals growth for over a decade. The country had registered a 3.7 percent growth in annual arrivals in 2015, compared to 2014, and an average of 11.5 percent growth over the past 5 years (2010-2015), making it one of the fastest growing destinations in the world.

Meanwhile, occupancy rates in the tourist accommodation sector are aligning more closely with glo-bal averages, with an average of 70 percent for hotels and hotel apart-ments recorded for the quarter. This

Qatar received 305,014 visitors last monthThe number of international visitors entering Qatar on leisure visit visas (tourist visas, personal visit visas, family visit visas, and transit visas) has risen by 6% in the first quarter of this year in comparison to the same period last year.

is 14 percent lower than the average occupancy rate of Q1 2015, which reflects the growth in accommoda-tion supply (11 percent increase in total room stock since end of March 2015) and the continued maturation

of Qatar’s tourism industry.Such drops in occupancy rates,

along with simultaneous (albeit smaller) drops in average room rates, have led to declines in revenue per available room (RevPar) as well.

RevPar across the entire accom-modation sector has declined by 20 percent between Q1 2015 to Q1 2016, with hotels dropping by 21 percent and hotel apartments by 14 percent.

However, the Total Revenue

achieved across the accommodation sector has held stable between Q1 2015 and Q1 2016 (at -0.3 percent), as increased revenues from food & bev-erage and other sales has compensated for decreases in room revenues.

Souq Waqif celebrations