Doha Festival City, the largest entertainment, retail and hospitality destination in Qatar, managed and operated by Al-Futtaim, opened its doors to the public yesterday, 5th April 2017. Thousands of visitors flocked to the new Mall from 10am to be amongst the first to shop, dine and be entertained. With something for everyone, visitors enjoyed the country's biggest Marks & Spencer, the market's first West Elm, the much anticipated Muji and the new flagship stores from H&M and Centerpoint. Over the next few weeks visitors will also be able to enjoy brands including the first VOX Cinemas in Qatar and the world's largest Monoprix Hypermarket amongst many others. Trevor Hill General Manager of Doha Festival City Mall said, "We currently have an extensive number of new-concept and first-to-market stores opened and are looking forward to many more over the coming weeks and months including Harvey Nichols, Mama's & Papa's, All Saints, Hanna Andersson and four unique theme parks. The first Angry Birds World globally, indoor snow park Snow Dunes, ‘edutainment' park Juniverse and digital experience Virtuosity, will all be open by the end of the summer. We have also opened our purpose built Outdoor Leisure Trail, a 3km track designed with fun and fitness in mind – with this element free for our customers to enjoy." Nick Batey, General Manager, Marks & Spencer Al-Futtaim, MENA, "As the biggest store opening for Marks & Spencer in Qatar this year, we are proud to be launching our world renowned chilled food for the first time in Qatar, as well as our table service M&S Café, which offers our customers a more leisurely experience. After much anticipation M&S in Doha Festival City has received a very positive reaction from our first customers today." Raphael Rouget, a customer who visited the mall said, "Doha Festival City is absolutely beautiful and we are really impressed with the selection of shops already open – with some of our favourites as well as a few we have never seen before. We came here early to try and beat crowds, but actually our experience has been stress-free throughout. The mall is really spacious and all the staff and security teams have been really helpful. We can't wait to come back." In order to further enhance its customer's journey, Doha Festival City has partnered with twelve hotels* across Doha to offer its guests complimentary trips to and from the Mall – with shuttle services running throughout the day seven days a week. As a ‘Smart Mall', Doha Festival City has incorporated a number of innovative concepts that combines with unique technology, enhancing its visitors' experience at every part of their journey within the destination. From digital wayfinding, smart car parking and free high-speed wifi to its extensive digital media network – every ‘Smart' aspect has been considered throughout. Hill, continued, "After many months of anticipation, we are tremendously proud to finally welcome the public to our world-class destination and are already enjoying the positive feedback. We invite visitors to come and celebrate with us time and again, as we have a number of surprises in store at Doha Festival City to ensure ongoing one-of-a-kind experiences for all."
