Aspire Park appears to have scrapped new unofficial dress code rules that prevented a countless number of visitors from entering the park over the past two weeks.
According to the head of the park’s PR, who spoke to Doha News this morning, the only requirement is that park visitors must dress “decently,” covering their shoulders, midriffs and knees.
The clarification follows days of confusion amid arbitrary enforcement of new unannounced dress code rules that have caused guards to turn away, among others, women in t-shirts at the playground with their children, men in Qatari thobes with their families and expats wearing saris or other ethnic garb.
The spokesman denied new rules had ever been introduced, adding that any incidents of people being refused entry for not wearing sports clothing in recent days were “single incidents which will not happen again.”
He also told us that single men and women are not required to wear sports clothing to enter, but emphasized that Aspire is a park primarily for families.
After numerous requests for comment from media outlets, Aspire first broke its silence on the issue on Monday night with tweets denying that Qatari men must wear sports gear to enter the park.
A spokesman had promised to clarify rules for expats at a later date.
Aspire’s Head of PR is keen to point out that the park is a place for everyone to enjoy being outdoors.
“Our objective is to help people enjoy activity. We are not against people, we are working with them. But everyone should also respect the country and the tradition here,” he said.
Anyone who’s visited the park today noticed a difference in enforcement?
Credit: Photo by Teilhard Scott