A 2008 file photo of Souq Najada.
Souq Najada, the old mobile phones market next to Souq Waqif, is being redeveloped as a new tourist destination as an extension of Souq Waqif, said a senior official. The souq is expected to open soon after renovation.
“Construction work to redevelop Souq Najada has been completed,” said Adel Al Kaldi, Media Coordinator for the festivals of Souq Waqif. “Final touches on interior decoration is going on. The Souq will be opened soon”, said Al Kaldi in a Qatar TV programme recently. “Souq Najada is an extension of Souq Waqif as it is being developed as a market comprising shops, cafeterias and restaurants. It will be added to Souq Waqif. Souq Najada was redesigned in 2007 mixing traditional and modern architecture to provide services of international standard," he added.
The new project is part of the plan to expand Souq Waqif to attract more visitors. “Qatar has emerged as a tourist destination especially for the GCC families over the past several years amid fast developments of the country in all sectors like tourism, economy and politics among others.”
Souq Waqif expanding fast
The occupancy rate of hotels at the Souq Waqif is very high. "These days when the festival is going on, the occupancy rate of the hotels has crossed 90 percent. Even normal days, the hotels have very impressive occupancy rate. Hotels in Souq Wqaif offer discounts and especial packages to their customers during the festival," said Al Kaldi.
Restaurants inside the hotels also run promotional offers to attract the customers. The visitors can benefit from these special offers and discounts.
Souq Waqif has been developing day-by-day with additional spaces and new services as per the plan. There are three parking areas around the Souq, at West with the capacity of 1,000 cars, at East with parking lots for 2,000 cars and about 1,000 parking lots at Al Shuyokh mosque. These parking areas are connected to the Souq through tunnels for the security and safety of the visitors, said Al Kaldi.
