The festival, continuing until August 3, offers local varieties of dates at cheaper prices than open market. Pic: Rajan Vadakkemuriyil/The peninsula
Doha, Qatar: 9th Local Fresh Dates Festival at Souq Waqif has sold 81,492 kilograms of dates in its first four days, as announced by Souq Waqif on the social media platform X.
The 12-day festival, which runs from July 23 to August 3, 2024, is open to the public daily from 4 PM to 9 PM, with extended hours until 10 PM on Fridays.
The event takes place at the Eastern Yard of Souq Waqif.
This year's festival showcases a variety of fresh local dates including Khalas, Shishi, Sukkari, Khanizi, Barhi, Nabt Sayf, Lulu, and Raziz.
The sales distribution over the first four days was as follows:
• Day 1: 16,920 kg
• Day 2: 18,746 kg
• Day 3: 20,049 kg
• Day 4: 22,749 kg
Khalas dates have emerged as the most popular variety, followed by Shishi and Khanizi.
This year’s festival sees participation from 110 farms, offering high-quality fresh dates at prices competitive with other markets.
Additionally, the festival has expanded its offerings to include seasonal fruits such as almonds and figs for the first time.
