Doha, Qatar : Doha Festival City, Qatar’s one and only mall of choice for shopping, dining, and entertainment, participated earlier this week as a platinum sponsor in the third edition of the Qatar Balloon Festival. The event, held from the 19th to 28th of January 2023, with Qatar Tourism as the strategic partner, received amazing traction from Qatar residents and visitors, who found it an exceptional and unique experience. This year, the event expanded its scope significantly from the previous iterations, with balloon flights taking off from multiple locations around Qatar, including Lusail City, Aspire Zone, Sealine Beach, and its main location, the Old Doha Port, where crowds were treated to daily shows and attractions. The event had a remarkable effect on the old port, significantly increasing its footfall and making it one of the most visited places in Doha during the last period. This year’s bigger and better version provided thousands of adventurous riders from around the world the opportunity to fly in over 50 balloons from 17 different countries. The balloons took off over the Doha skies every morning, colouring the skies and allowing their passengers to savour breath-taking views of the city and the sand dunes from over 30 meters in the air. Attractions and activities during the event included music, live performances, and shows to entertain the crowds, as well as a wide variety of international cuisines at the food kiosks, and a children’s area filled with activities and inflatable toys. The event also featured the 'Night Glow' shows, during which the balloons lit up the evening sky with dazzling displays. Mr. Robert Hall, General Manager for Doha Festival City said: “We are proud of our contribution to the success of the third edition of this amazing event. As one of Qatar’s largest malls and a leading shopping, dining and entertainment destination, we look forward to supporting more events, offering visitors engaging experiences and memorable moments inside our mall and beyond not only to our mall’s visitors, but to all visitors to Qatar as well. ” Earlier this year, the Mall unveiled its new brand motto “It’s my place, my choice” tailored for 2023, with the aim of bolstering its position in the market as the ultimate destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment, while further diversifying its offering, activations, and events to provide a truly bespoke experience to its visitors. For more information on the mall’s operating hours please call on 4035 4444 or check https://www. dohafestivalcity. com/home / -Ends- For media enquiries, please contact: Ghina Chaaban, Senior PR Manager, Muse: ghina. chaaban@the-muse. co About Doha Festival City Doha Festival City is Qatar’s one and only choice for fashion, dining, and entertainment. Bringing several firsts to Doha, this incomparable mall – is one of the largest such developments in the Middle East, offering almost a quarter of a million sqm of leasable space, providing something for everyone, and creating exceptional and memorable experiences with every visit. Doha Festival City is home to famous brand names in retail, many of which have made their Qatar debut, including Harvey Nichols, Charlotte Tilbury, Kiehl’s, Dior Beauty Boutique, and ACE. It also houses the country’s only IKEA, which has been open since 2013. There are over 100 places to dine and relax including restaurants, cafés, and casual dining outlets, from brands that are unique to Qatar including Jamie’s Italian, and Aimee’s Cafe. Doha Festival City is also home to the Edge Fitness, a state-of-the-art fitness center, boasting a large area of training space with the latest top of the line equipment from Technogym, separate male, and female parts, as well as circuit training areas. Doha Festival City has the country’s biggest world-class entertainment offering including a unique mix of indoor and outdoor attractions–from Qatar’s first VOX 4D cinema complex with 18 digital screens Theatre by Rhodes, to green spaces for outdoor exercise and Outdoor Leisure Trail cycling and three unique entertainment parks, including Angry Birds World, Snow Dunes and Virtuocity. The world’s first Angry Birds WorldTM, introduced and developed by the leading location-based entertainment company Trimoo in partnership with Rovio Entertainment, opened in Doha Festival City in May 2018. The Park is an unparalleled family entertainment destination, inspired by the global gaming sensation and the blockbuster movie. VIRTUOCiTY™ is the region’s first dedicated gaming hub that merges the virtual world with the real world. Opened in December 2018, this entertainment park is equipped with full motion racing simulators, escape rooms and an astonishing multipurpose eSports arena. The venue offers an immersive digital experience for teens and adults. Snow Dunes ™ is the first indoor snow park in Qatar, featuring a castle inspired by authentic Qatari architecture. It is based on an old folk tale about a wave of cold coming in the spring and covering the ground with a white mantle. The Park uses state-of-the-art technology to produce snow-white ice at temperatures of -4 degrees Celsius. As a ‘Smart Mall’, Doha Festival City offers innovative digital options including free Wi-Fi and digital wayfinding to enhance consumer experience, and is easily accessible, offering 8,000 smart parking spaces and VIP valet services. Doha Festival City’s new parking can accommodate additional 165 cars, providing easy access to the Luxury Area and the Edge Fitness, and a direct exit to Al Shamal Road, helping to avoid congestion during peak hours. Doha Festival City’s exclusive Fashion TV ‘FFTV', broadcasted on the mall’s website and YouTube channel, brings Doha’s fashion personalities to showcase the mall’s host of retailers and unique fashion offering. Festival Magazine, the Mall’s very own quarterly online lifestyle magazine, brings the readers to the front row of the mall’s latest happenings, uncovering the last fashion trends and offering previews of collections and exclusive offers available at the mall. The magazine is the ultimate showcase for top fashion, beauty trends & dining experiences. Doha Festival City applies stringent safety measures throughout the mall for its staff and visitors. This includes a thorough mall disinfection treatment on a weekly basis, robust cleaning and sanitization operations during mall’s trading hours, 127 hand sanitizing stations installed at all commonly touched areas. Doha Festival City won the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award by Tripadvisor, based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, placing the Mall in the top 10% of the hospitality sector in the world. For more information visit http://www. dohafestivalcity. com.