The eighth edition of the popular Souq Waqif Local Dates Festival, featuring over 100 farms from Qatar, started with a big bang at Al Ahmed Square on Thursday.

People have flocked to the event to grab 14 varieties of dates that are available at the venue. The 10-day event is set to run until August 5. The festival will receive the public every day from 3.00 pm until 9.00 pm. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the Festival will be open until 10.00pm.

انطلاق فعاليات مهرجان سوق واقف للرطب المحلي الثامن والذي سيستمر حتى 5 أغسطس#سوق_واقف pic.twitter.com/nYjvtlk26L

— سوق واقف (@souqwaqif_qa) July 27, 2023

The festival has seen a steady increase in the number of participating farms, moving up from 85 to 103 this year. Local varieties of dates including Al Khalas, Al Khenaizi, Al Shishi, Al Barhi, Al Saqai, Al Razizi, Nabt Saif and Al Lulu will be available at the festival. 

Khaled Saif Al Suwaidi, General Supervisor of the Festival, said the festival was different this year as it provided people with more options.

“This year’s Festival goes beyond the traditional offering of fresh dates for purchase. The visitors also have the option of buying from a diverse array of date-based products including cakes, tarts, smoothies, jams, and juices. This year, we have the most number of farms participating, which is also a huge positive,” he was quoted as saying.

تفضلوا بزيارة مهرجان سوق واقف للرطب المحلي الثامن من تاريخ 27 يوليو حتى 5 أغسطس، وجربوا أجود أنواع الرطب المحلية pic.twitter.com/o4JxHgrE3H

— سوق واقف (@souqwaqif_qa) July 26, 2023

This year, an exclusive section showcasing fruits and plants has also been added, adding more variety to the Festival. A competition was also launched to recognise the best local dates and branches, elevating the event’s importance among Qatar’s agricultural community.

Al Suwaidi said the Festival provided farmers with a platform to learn from and interact with one another, exchange insights on packaging techniques, discover new date varieties and foster collaborations with fellow farms.

The prices of dates are also very affordable, with the lowest starting at QAR6 per kilogramme and going up to QAR25 for three kilos.

One kilo of Khalas date is priced at QAR10, Khinaizi at QAR8 and Nabth Saif, Lou Lou, Raziz, Gor at QAR6 per kilo.

تنقل مع مترو الدوحة لحضور مهرجان الرطب المحلي! استخدم محطة سوق واقف على الخط الذهبي للوصول إلى سوق واقف.

Travel to the Local Dates Festival with the Doha Metro! Souq Waqif station on the Gold Line gets you to Souq Waqif.
#DohaMetro #RaghebAlama #Dates #مترو_الدوحة pic.twitter.com/EzxbwgUeil

— Doha Metro & Lusail Tram (@metrotram_qa) July 26, 2023

You can travel by the Gold Line of Doha Metro to reach the venue for the Souq Waqif Local Dates Festival.

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