Souq Waqif Local Dates Festival; festival sees a steady increase in the number of participating farms, from 85 to 103 this year

The annual Souq Waqif Local Dates Festival, which features over 100 farms from Qatar, kicked off with a bang on Thursday in Al Ahmed Square. People have rushed to the event in order to secure one of the 14 available dates. The 10-day tournament will go through August 5. Every day from 3 p.m. to 9.00 p.m., the event will be open to the public. The Festival will be open until 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. To get to the Souq Waqif Local Dates Festival location, visitors can take the Doha Metro's Gold Line.

The number of participating farms has steadily increased over the years, rising from 85 to 103 this year. The celebration will include local kinds of dates such as Al Khalas, Al Khenaizi, Al Shishi, Al Barhi, Al Saqai, Al Razizi, Nabt Saif, and Al Lulu. The event was different this year, according to Khaled Saif Al Suwaidi, General Supervisor of the event, since it gave participants more alternatives. This year, a special area featuring fruits and plants has been created, giving the Festival even more diversity. A competition to recognise the best local dates and branches was also introduced, enhancing the event's relevance within Qatar's agricultural community.

According to Al Suwaidi, the Festival provided a forum for farmers to learn from and communicate with one another, exchange information on packaging processes, discover new date varieties, and encourage cooperation with other farms. Date pricing are likewise quite reasonable, starting at QAR6 per kilogramme and up to QAR25 for three kilos. Khalas dates cost QAR10 per kilo, Khinaizi dates cost QAR8, while Nabth Saif, Lou Lou, Raziz, and Gor dates cost QAR6 per kilo.