This year’s Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) will include several new features such as a dozen food trucks, a market that sells special ingredients and a Chinese food pavilion to mark the Qatar-China Year of Culture 2016, organizers have announced.

The festival will be held from March 22-28 at the Museum of Islamic Art park, with Katara Cultural Village and the Pearl-Qatar serving as new satellite spots for the first time this year.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, more details about the seventh annual festival were unveiled by the Qatar Tourism Authority, which said that water taxis are being planned to transport visitors between different venues.

At the Pearl, the festivities will be held on Lido Beach in Qanat Quartier, where food trucks will be parked to give the QIFF an “urban feel.”

Other offerings

In a statement, QTA said the festival will have the following:

“A Snack Court which will feature popular eateries, cafes and restaurants. The Cuisine Court will include fine-dining creations by chefs from the country’s hotels, at prices ranging between 5-35 QAR, as well as High Tea by the Bay.

And, in the Culture Court, Chinese and Qatari cuisine will come together in an area dedicated to celebrating the Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture. A new area dubbed The Market Court will be introduced in which delicacies and special ingredients will be on sale.”

There will also be organic food on offer and health checks and medical advice given at a “Health Court.”

The food festival will also be open earlier this time around to facilitate school field trips, organizers said.

Do you plan to go? Thoughts?