The eleventh edition of Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) opened on Friday, 26 November. In a first for the festival, QIFF is set to run for three weeks before closing on the eve of Qatar National Day. The festival will be staged at Al Bidda Park against the backdrop of Doha’s skyline where over 140 vendors will serve culinary masterpieces. Vendors from Doha, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and international markets will participate in the festival.
QIFF is Qatar’s longest-running food and beverage festival, combining culinary arts with a range of activations, including a live cooking theatre by globally renowned chefs. The festivities also include plenty of family entertainment for residents and visitors of all ages.
Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said, “QIFF is a celebration of Qatar’s multiculturalism, contributing to the diversity of tourism experiences in the country. Over the past eleven years, the festival has been instrumental in enhancing the country’s thriving dining scene. Before opening local outlets, many international chefs have tested the waters at QIFF, as have local entrepreneurs. QIFF is illustrative of our sector, and its importance – introducing people to new products and experiences and facilitating business.”
The festival will additionally host food trucks along a stretch of Corniche Road for eight days between 26 November and 3 December. There will also be fireworks displays at 8 p.m. on the weekends i.e., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday throughout the course of the festival.
QIFF Cooking Theatre
QIFF will stage a daily cooking theatre with at least two demonstrations, events and competitions every day. The cooking theatre will feature celebrity chefs from the region including Dani García, , Aisha Al Tamimi, Shams Al-Qassabi, William Dissen & Saif Rahman, Hervé Courtot, Hassan Al Ibrahim, Grenal Godinho, Aleksandre Ugrekhelidze, Arturo Mendez, Roberto Reatini, Aaj Fernando, Sergio Galaz, Hari Wahyudin and Santiago Guerrero.
Timings:
4 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. with 2+ demonstrations, events, and/or competitions per day
Digital Recipe Wall
A digital recipe wall will be set-up so that attendees can scan a QR code to access a web page app enabling them to share their favorite recipes.
Entertainment
QIFF is providing family entertainment throughout the festival. The entertainment features a mix of live music and DJs, roaming entertainment, mini golf, trampolines, a hot air balloon experience, carnival games, and much more. Multiple local and regional artists will also perform at the festival including Music Vending Machine, 11 Strings, Harget Kart, Pablo Discobar, Hadis, Soul Brother, REJAM, AFCENT Band, Charlie Porter Quintet, and AFCENT Band.
Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table gives diners the opportunity to sit and eat with the chef who has cooked their meal. The following restaurants have confirmed their participation in the Chef’s Table:
- Hakkasan with Chef Ho Yiek Chung
- Scalini with Chef Roberto Apa
- Riyasat with Chef Grenal Godinho
- Isaan with Chef Somporn
For further details and bookings, please contact the restaurants directly.
Opening Hours
Weekdays: 3 p.m – 11 p.m
Weekends: 3 p.m – 1 a.m
While general admission to QIFF is free, 10 VIP areas around the festival can be reserved for 350 QAR per two-hour booking. Each VIP area can accommodate eight people..
Qatar Tourism follows the Ministry of Public Health’s (MOPH) hygiene and safety guidelines to ensure visitors a safe experience at its events and festivals.
Arriving at Al Bidda Park
The organizers of QIFF recommend using the metro to access the festival. Attendees can choose from three commute options to access QIFF at Al Bidda Park.
- Visitors can commute on Doha Metro to arrive at Al Bidda Station which is connected by both Green and Red lines. To facilitate the flow of visitors, metro will run until 3 a.m. during the duration of the festival.
- There is also limited parking space available for cars at Al Bidda Park’s Car Park 5.
Zones
The festival will be split across five themed zones at Al Bidda Park and one at the Corniche:
- Al Bidda Park
- Oasis
- Pier
- Urban
- Market
- Garden
Al Bidda park will also have a Qatari Corner to give visitors a unique, traditional Qatari experience.
- Corniche
- QIFF Avenue
Partners
The eleventh edition of QIFF will be supported by partners across key sectors including Qatar Airways as the exclusive airline partner, Ooredoo as the telecommunications partner, Snoonu as the delivery partner, and Al Bidda Park as the host venue . Moreover, Monoprix is the exclusive provider of ingredients for the live cooking theatre with Askar Industrial is providing kitchen and cooking equipment for the live cooking theatre. Qinwan is providing Arabic coffee and dates to our guests in the VIP area. Lastly, Wasfa is supporting the event by setting up and organizing the digital recipe wall.
Qatar Tourism supports its partners from the private sector in developing a diverse and rich annual events calendar in order to energise the hospitality and retail sectors, drive domestic tourism and attract regional visitors year-round.
Instagram: @QatarCalendar
Twitter: @QatarCalendar
#QIFF2021
For media-related inquiries, please contact Qatar Tourism’s Press Office on:
+974 3392 4466 | pressoffice@visitqatar.qa
About Qatar Tourism (QT)
Qatar Tourism’s mission is to establish Qatar as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism will regulate and develop the tourism industry, encouraging investment from the private sector. It will set the national strategy for the tourism sector, reviewing it periodically and overseeing its implementation, with the aim of diversifying tourism offerings in the country and increasing visitor spend. Through our network of international offices in priority markets, and cutting-edge digital platforms, Qatar Tourism is expanding Qatar’s presence globally and enhancing the tourism sector.
Web: www.visitqatar.qa
Twitter: @NTC_Qatar
LinkedIn: Qatar Tourism
