'Eid festival' draws crowds in Qatar

Record ID: 1671276

  • Title: 'Eid festival' draws crowds in Qatar
  • Date: 4th May 2022
  • Summary: DOHA, QATAR (MAY 3, 2022) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF FIREWORKS DURING ‘EID FESTIVAL’ AT THE CORNICHE IN DOHA WOMAN FILMING THE FIREWORKS SHOW ON HER PHONE VARIOUS OF CHILDREN WATCHING FIREWORKS SHOW (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic/English) LEBANESE EXPAT LIVING IN QATAR SINCE TEN YEARS, ALI HARB, SAYING: “We are happy because we were afraid that corona(virus) (restrictions) will remain during the World Cup, and that we wouldn’t be able to go out. We are (have been) excited for more than nine years here to (get) to this moment, you know.” PEOPLE AT THE EVENT VARIOUS OF HUMAN-SHAPED PUPPET LANTERNS BEING PARADED ON CORNICHE DURING ‘EID FESTIVAL’ SIGN READING (English): “EID IN QATAR. 3-5 MAY 2022” VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING NEXT TO FOOD COURT AT THE EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN EXPAT LIVING IN QATAR SINCE 11 YEARS, AHMAD CHAWQI, SAYING: "Of course, there is a difference regarding this Eid (from previous years) as you can see there are celebrations, events, singers, balloons, restaurants, there is a nice environment on the corniche. It has been since 2020, two years now, without an atmosphere, (it was) difficult with precautionary measures, with the spread of the disease that kept the country closed a bit, but now things are loosening up and moving, and I think that during the World Cup things will be much better." PEOPLE WALKING NEXT TO FOOD COURT AT EVENT BALLOON SHAPED AS ‘PAW PATROL’ CHARACTER ON DISPLAY AT FESTIVAL EVENT WORKERS STANDING IN FRONT OF BALLOONS CHEERING MORE OF PEOPLE STANDING AND WALKING DURING EVENT PEOPLE WALKING NEXT TO LARGE BALLOON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXPAT LIVING IN QATAR WITH HIS FAMILY, TANGUY, SAYING: “Unfortunately, the festival tonight was a little bit, it was less ambitious than what was scheduled due to the weather but anyway it was a good time to enjoy with the family.” PEOPLE TAKING PICTURES NEXT TO BALLOONS BALLOON SHAPED AS ‘PAW PATROL’ CHARACTER ON DISPLAY AT THE EVENT / PEOPLE WALKING DOHA SKYLINE AS SEEN FROM CORNICHE AREA / PEOPLE WALKING ON CORNICHE WEST BAY SKYLINE AS SEEN FROM CORNICHE DECORATIVE LIGHTING ON BUILDING READING (English): “EID MUBARAK”
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2022 13:35
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Doha Eid Festival Fireworks Qatar World Cup
  • Location: DOHA, QATAR
  • City: DOHA, QATAR
  • Country: Qatar
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001563704052022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:People gathered to enjoy fireworks and a festive atmosphere during the 'Eid Festival', a three-day event organised by the government in Qatar's Doha that includes a range of family-friendly activities such as live music and parades.
    "There is a nice environment on the corniche", said Ahmad Chawki, an Egyptian living in Qatar for 11 years, adding that over the past two years, coronavirus restrictions had "kept the country closed a bit".
    The Arabian Peninsula eased COVID-19 restrictions earlier in April after a decrease in coronavirus cases.
    These recent changes eased Ali Harb's fears that restrictions could have an impact on the organisation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
    The Lebanese who has lived in Qatar for 10 years told Reuters he had been looking forward to the football competition for years.
    The Gulf state will host the first World Cup in the Middle East, the first in a Muslim state, and no other tournament has ever been held in the northern hemisphere winter.
    Qatar, which is roughly the size of Jamaica, is also the smallest state to have held soccer's biggest event, with fans from the 32 competing nations set to watch games at eight stadiums clustered around the only major city -- Doha.
    (Production: Imad Creidi)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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