The Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha (festival of the sacrifice) begins on Saturday, Oct. 4, and is traditionally celebrated for three days.

But this year, because Eid begins on a weekend, the Emiri Diwan has said that most government employees will get all of next week off and return to work on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Schools will also be closed for the week, and private sector employees usually get at least three days of break.

Though Hamad International Airport is gearing up for a busy flying season, many residents plan to remain in Qatar – and tourists from neighboring countries will likely be visiting, too.

To that effect, the Qatar Tourism Authority has organized a series of events around town, including fireworks, musical acts by famous Indian, Arab and Filipino performers and plenty of children’s activities.

Here’s our roundup of everything you need to know about spending Eid Al Adha in Qatar this year (we will keep updating this post as information comes in):

Prayer times

Eid prayers will be performed at 5:42am on Oct. 4, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf). The prayers will be held in nearly 300 locations around Qatar, including some with space for women.

And for the first time in many years, Eid prayer-goers can go to the historic Eid Prayer Ground at Msheireb Downtown Doha, which will open especially for the holiday.

Bank hours

The Qatar Central Bank has announced that financial institutions and the Qatar Exchange will be on holiday all of next week, resuming normal services on Sunday, Oct. 12.

However, many banks will offer services at some locations throughout the week, including QIB, Doha Bank and QNB.

Weather

With the hot, humid summer months slowly behind us, temperatures are to continue dropping.

In a statement, the Qatar Meteorology Department (MET) has forecast cooler weather with some precipitation in the form of light rain on Saturday, as the transition from summer to winter continues.

It continued:

“And the weather is going to be relatively hot during the day and moderate temperature by night, where the maximum temperature is expected to be on Doha between 37-40C (in the) daytime, and the minimum between 27-30C by night.”

Hamad International Airport

Last year, there was heavy congestion on both the roads and at Doha International Airport (DIA) during Eid Al Adha. A number of residents reported having to ditch their rides and walk to the airport — luggage in tow — to catch their flights.

Things are expected to run more smoothly with the new Hamad International Airport, which faces its first Eid Al Adha test this weekend.

Travelers are being advised to arrive at the airport three hours before departure and use self check-in desks to avoid long queues.

Short-stay parking is free for the first 30 minutes and costs QR5 per hour thereafter. Long-stay parking will remain free during the holiday season, with a free shuttle bus taking passengers from the car-park to the airport.

Hamad Medical Corp.

The Emergency Department at Hamad General Hospital (HGH), walk-in centers and Pediatric Emergency Centers will maintain normal hours during Eid.

But other services will change during the holiday week. That includes outpatient department laboratory services at HGH, which will be open on Oct. 8 and 9 from 7am to 2pm and on Oct. 11 from 7am to 3pm.

Outpatient laboratory services at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research will be open on Oct. 5, 7 and 8 from 7am to 1pm only.

Here’s a breakdown of the hours at each HMC hospital:

Women’s hospital

Outpatient Departments: Open Oct. 7 to 9 from 9am to noon. The pharmacy will be open 24/7 throughout the holidays. The hospital’s Anesthesia, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and General Pediatrics sections will be open on Oct. 2 only. All other clinics will be closed.

Laboratory services will be open on Oct. 8 and 9 from 7am to 2pm and Oct. 11 from 7am to 3pm only.

Heart hospital

Outpatient departments will be open with limited capacity on Oct. 8 and 9 for Warfarin Clinic, Medication Room, Consultation Room and Referral Clinic. Laboratory services will be closed from Oct. 5 to 7 and will reopen on Oct. 8 and 9 from 7am to 2pm.

Al Wakra hospital

Outpatient departments will be open from Oct. 7 to 9 for Cardiology, Orthopedics, General Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, General Medicine and Burns Clinics, along with Pharmacy and Laboratory.

Al Wakra’s Radiology Department will be open 24 hours only for patients from Adult Emergency, Pediatric Emergency, Obstetrics, Operation Theater, Dialysis and Inpatients. It will also be open for ultrasound, CT scan, General X-ray and MRI.

Al Khor hospital

The hospital’s Anesthesia Unit will be open from Oct. 6, but all outpatient departments will be closed during the holidays.

The Cuban hospital

Outpatient Departments and Adult Cardiology will be open from Oct. 8 onwards.

Rumailah hospital

The Dentistry Department will be closed during the holidays, but Dentistry Urgent Care will be open on Oct. 8 and 9 from 8am to 1pm.

The hospital’s Community Mental Health Services will be open as follows: Adult Outreach on Oct. 6, 8 and 9; Male Day Care Oct. 6 and 8; Female Day Care on Oct. 8; Older Adult Outreach from Oct. 5 to 9.

See the full list of services and hours for Rumaila and other hospitals here.

PHCs

From Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, Um Salal Health Center, Al Daayen Health Center, Airport Health Center, Al Karana Health Center, Messaimeer Health Center , Al Gharafa Health Center and Abu Nakhla Health Center will be closed.

But several others will be open at certain times. See a full list of names and hours here.

Community events

On Saturday, the Ministry of Interior is organizing various activities for families and “bachelors” from 5pm to 10pm at the West End Park Amphitheater in the Industrial Area and Al Khor Sports Club.

The free entertainment includes cultural shows, songs and the Singing Birds Orchestra. The acts will cater to the southeast Asian communities and be held at the West End Park’s Amphitheater, which can hold up to 16,000 people.

Meanwhile, sporting events such as tug-of-war and a football match will be taking place at Al Khor Stadium at 3pm. Shows and songs by the Al Khor and Nepalese communities as well as the Sariga Orchestra Troupe will begin at 5pm at the 8,000-seat stadium.

Some 250 prizes can be won at both locations through entry draw coupons.

Mall entertainment

Traditional and international shows will be hosted at various malls across the country starting Saturday, and running throughout the week.

The line-up includes traditional sword dance (Arda), the popular singing show Arabs Got Talent, and international children’s shows Shaun of the Sheep, Swan, Mr. Potato Head, Dora’s Ballet Adventures and more.

Face painting and games will also take place.

Mall entertainment will be held at various times between 4pm and 9:45pm at the following malls: City Center, Landmark, The Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Al Khor Mall and Lagoona Mall. Royal Plaza will also hold events on Saturday and Sunday, starting after 6pm.

A full mall schedule of events and activities is below or can be found online here.

Cinemas

A selection of movie screenings are taking place across Villaggio, Landmark, City Center, The Mall, Royal Plaza and West End Park cinemas this Eid.

Cinema-goers can also visit the country’s latest cinema at the Pearl-Qatar, operated by UAE-based Novo Cinemas. The standalone complex has 12 screens, including IMAX (Villaggio also has an IMAX theatre) and VIP theaters. Cinema timings are available online here. 

As always, English, Arabic and Hindi movies are available at all cinemas. Some of the big screen names are staring in movies The Equalizer (Denzel Washington), Good People (Kate Hudson), The Prince (Bruce Willis) and more.

All cinema listings can be found on Qatar Cinemas website, here.

Katara Cultural Village

After canceling its Eid Al Fitr activities earlier this year to pay respect to the ongoing crisis in Palestine, Katara is to host a number of events this Eid.

For example, a 15-minute fireworks show will be held at the Katara Beach on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at 10:30pm (though these appeared to start at 10:15pm on the first day of Eid).

Two performances will also place throughout the week — a Qatari play called Abu Salama, and Big Bang, story-telling based around the universe’s composition.

Three free Big Bang sessions will be held each day at 7:30pm, 9:30pm and 10pm, each lasting 35 minutes.

Angry Birds exhibitions are also taking place from the first day of Eid for the rest of the month. The shows vary by day and tickets cost QR50, but children ages five years old and below are free.

From Oct. 4 to 10, the Angry Birds show will run from 11am to 11pm on weekdays and 1pm to 11pm on weekends.

From Oct. 11 to Oct. 31, shows will run from 9am to 1pm on weekdays and 1pm to 11pm on weekends.

UPDATE: Katara’s “Dreams on Ice” and “Angry Birds” shows failed to debut as planned and will premiere on Oct. 8 instead. Both show schedules will remain the same, with “Angry Birds” taking place until the end of the month and “Dreams on Ice” until Nov. 20.

Dreams on Ice show

Starting the first day of Eid, and continuing through to Nov. 30, Katara is hosting fun family shows for all.

Skating, acrobatics, jugglers, dogs, cats and seals will all be making appearances during the “Dreams on Ice” shows. Each show lasts two hours, with a number of performances taking place each day.

Tickets range from QR100 to QR500 and can be purchased at Virgin Megastore branches.

From Oct. 4 to Oct. 11, the show will run at 5pm and 8pm on weekdays; and 3pm, 6pm and 9pm on weekends.

From Oct. 12 to Nov. 20, the show will run at 10am and 6pm on weekdays; 5pm and 8pm on Fridays and 3pm, 6pm and 9pm on Saturdays.

Concerts

Famous Indian, Arab and Filipino artists will all be visiting Qatar this Eid, putting on a variety of performances:

Shreya Ghoshal

The Bollywood singer will perform live at West End Park on Sunday starting at 7:30pm.

Tickets range in price from QR50 to QR1,000, and can be bought online through Q-Tickets here.

Fares Karam

Lebanese singer Fares Karam and violinist Samira Riachy will perform on Sunday at the St. Regis Grand Ballroom.

Gold seats cost QR750/person and Platinum seats are QR2,000/person. Both options can be purchased at Virgin Megastore branches or online here.

All attendees will be offered a three-course meal and platinum-goers are seated closer to the stage and have the chance to meet Karam after the show.

Doors open at 8:30pm, but the event is limited to those aged 21 and above.

Parokya Ni Edgar

This Filipino band will perform at the Marriot Hotel, Ras Abu Abboud, on Oct. 10 from 6pm. The concert will take place outdoors, and costs QR125 for regular tickets or QR225 for VIP tickets.

Tickets can be purchased at Virgin Megastore branches. Doors open at 4pm, but the event is limited to those aged 21 years old and above.

Sout Al Rayyan Music Festival

Souq Waqif’s Al Rayyan Theatre will hold free folklore dance performances and music concerts from Sunday, Oct. 5 until Oct. 10. Folklore dances will take place from 4pm until 9pm and the concerts will be held from 9pm to midnight.

Souq Waqif

Circus shows, games, an art gallery, folk bands and acrobatics are to be held across the souq’s premises this Eid.

Festivities will begin at 5pm and finish at 10pm, starting on Sunday, Oct. 5 until Oct. 10:

For more information, see a Souq Waqif parking map, schedule and event map online here.

Souq Waqif had also announced that its theater will show Cinderella performances at Al Rayyan Theater from Oct. 5 to 10. Tickets can be bought at the venue, or call 44993089.

UPDATE: Souq Waqif has been reportedly turning away visitors wanting to attend its circus during the first days of Eid.

The souq’s information center has said that there has been no change to the schedule, however.

T20 Cricket Festival

Watch World XI and Asia XI battle it out at a cricket match taking place on the third day of Eid at West End Park.

Kickoff is at 6pm. Tickets can be bought online via Q-Tickets and cost QR35/person or QR50/person, depending on seating.

Disco Dandiya

On Sunday, Oct. 5, the Marriott beach – Ras Abu Abboud is hosting a family night of Indian folklore dancing — Dandiya Raas. There will also be traditional Indian games, handicrafts and Indian food.

Tickets purchased beforehand, up to 3pm on the day of the event, cost QR100/person. Tickets purchased at the door cost QR150.

Tickets can be bought online via Q-Tickets here, as well as the following venues: Doha Rocks, Zaffran Cafe, Aalishan Restaurant, Lifestyle Restaurant and Biryani Hut.

The disco kicks off at 5pm, and entry is free for children under the age of 11 years old.

Aqua Park Qatar

The park will be open from 10am to 10pm on Saturday, with Eid activities taking place from 4:30 to 8:30pm on the first until the third day of Eid. The park has not yet announced what activities will be hosted.

Tickets cost QR130 for adults and QR100 for children. Pre-booking is recommended. To do so, call 44905872/73/78.

Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve

Dosari Zoo is opening its doors to visitors from Sunday, Oct. 5 until Oct. 8, from 7am to 7pm. Admission is free. The zoo is located in Al-Shahaniyah.

The Pearl-Qatar

Several free festivities will be taking place from the first day of Eid until Oct. 6 from 6pm to 10pm. What activities will be held is yet to be announced.

Sealine paragliding tour

For those looking to get their adrenaline pumping, the Qatar Air Sports Committee is holding aerial paragliding tours at Sealine Beach (just before Sealine Beach Resort roundabout).

The tours will be held from the first day of Eid until Oct. 10 from 3pm to 6pm, weather permitting. The cost is QR250 per person.

Qatar’s state mosque (Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab)

The state mosque is located in Dafna near TV Roundabout. Muslims and non-Muslims are invited to take a free tour of the facility, starting the first day of Eid from 4pm to 8pm.

Heritage Village

Located at Al Bidda Park (next to Rumailah Park) along the Corniche, the Heritage Village will host an array of cultural activities for children and families from the first day of Eid until Oct. 7.

Festivities will take place from 5pm to midnight, with free admission.

Lusail Shooting Club

The shooting range will be holding lessons for those wanting to practice their accuracy, but those who want to just have fun can shoot on their own, too.

Training will take place from Saturday, Oct. 4 until Oct. 11 from 4pm to 8pm.

Bullets cost QR100 for 25 pieces. Shooters can purchase as many rounds as they like but must be aged 18 and above.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum

Displaying ancient relics of Islamic art, Qatar heritage, vehicles, coins and currency, this quirky museum will welcome visitors from the first day of Eid until Oct. 11.

Free tours are available are from 8:30am to 6pm, and the museum is located in Al Rayyan.

Museum of Islamic Art

The MIA will be closed for Eid on Saturday, Oct. 4. It will reopen and resume normal operating hours from the second day of Eid onwards.

An array of exhibitions are being held over the holiday, such as insights into how and why MIA collects Islamic art, an exhibition exploring the life of Tipu Sultan, the South Indian ruler, statesman, and patron and more.

What are your plans during the holiday? Thoughts?