Qatar museums are now open to visitors seven days a week

By Doha News Team

The Museum of Islamic Art. Credit: Jameel Riaz/Flickr

Starting today, Qatar’s leading museums and galleries will open seven days a week.

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Al Riwaq gallery in MIA Park, the Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) and the Doha Fire Station will all adopt the new, more visitor-friendly hours.

From Oct. 2, they will be open Saturday to Thursday, from 9am until 7pm and on Friday from 1:30pm till 7pm, Qatar Museums (QM) said.

The move was in response to public demand, the MIA said on Twitter.

It comes as the fall season is about to get underway, kicking off tomorrow with two major art exhibitions marking Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture.

Al Riwaq gallery will host Driven by German Design, which explores how the design in Germany has changed over the past several decades, starting with the 1950s and looking to the future.

Driven by Germany exhibition. Credit: Qatar Museums

Meanwhile, German Encounters — Contemporary Masterworks from the Deutsche Bank Collection will open at the Doha Fire Station on the same day.

This exhibition contains more than 100 works including photographs and paintings that offer an overview of German art from the 1960s to the present.

Park cycle hire

The galleries are following the lead of the MIA Park, which extended its hours last April, to welcome visitors 24/7.

Meanwhile, it is gearing up for the cooler weather by re-starting its cycle rental scheme.

Cycle hire at MIA Park. Credit: Qatar Museums

Bikes for children and adults can be rented during afternoons and evenings from a booth near the carousel, Qatar Museums (QM) announced this week.

The bikes, provided by Rasen Sports, cost QR30 an hour to hire.

They will be operating daily from 4pm to midnight.

The cycle rental is the latest in a line-up of features on offer at the park, which also include water sports such as kayaking and paddle-fit.

There are also open-air fitness sessions during late afternoons throughout the week.

Food trucks soon

Eating and drinking is another popular pastime at the MIA Park, particularly during weekends.

One of the highlights of the picturesque green spaces is its weekend bazaar, which starts the new season this weekend this year with 250 stalls — 90 more than last year.

MIA Park Bazaar. Credit: MIA/Facebook

As well as sweet and savory treats, vendors will be selling crafts, jewelry, accessories, paintings, photography and art.

The bazaar runs every Friday from 3pm until 8pm, and on Saturdays from noon till 8pm.

And at the end of this month, the park will also host food trucks for the first time.

Organic coffee, Thai ice cream rolls, Indian chapati and poori, and local fusion food will be among the cuisines on offer when six food trucks open at the park.

QM announced the successful vendors in August, and a spokesperson told Doha News that the trucks would start selling their tasty wares by the end of October.

Doha Bus. Credit: Gazanfarulla Khan

These are all run by local entrepreneurs and will be:

  • A re-purposed hop-on Doha Bus, which will sell Qatari fusion food and drinks.
  • Coffee-Bike: This mini-chain, which already has outlets in locations including The Pearl and Doha Festival City, will provide organic coffee, juices, smoothies, sandwiches and desserts.
  • Dareen Sweets: Serving sweet and savory biscuits, cakes and drinks, this store is already popular at Souq Al Wakrah.
  • Ice Rolls: The Thai concept that already has a stall at Gulf Mall will offer park customers rolled ice cream in cups.
  • Burger and Burmait: American food with a local twist will be on offer here, using locally sourced ingredients. The start-up already featured its wares at Chi Al-Shiqab earlier this year.
  • Poori & Karak: Here, Indian chapati, poori and parata sandwiches will be served. The MIA Park outlet will be the fifth in the country for the mini-chain, which already operates in Muaither, Al Gharafa, Abu Hamour and Al Wakrah.

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