Six things to do in Qatar this weekend (March 16-19)

From honoring the environment to enjoying some Korean food to cheering on football players and racers and dancing at a concert, there are plenty of things to do around town this weekend. Here are our picks:

Earth Hour

Qatar’s utilities company Kahramaa is urging residents to “gift Earth one hour” on Saturday, March 19 by turning off all non-essential lights.

Earth Hour will be marked around the world on Saturday from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. The annual event, organized by environmental group WWF since 2007, encourages people to switch off their lights and reduce their energy consumption for 60 minutes to raise awareness of climate change.

Kahramaa and the Qatar Tourism Authority have called on hotels and Pearl-Qatar businesses to turn off some of their lights for an hour in honor of the event. In years past, Aspire Zone and some malls have also participated.

Korean cultural festival

Sarang Plus is holding a festival on Saturday, March 19 that is open to anyone interested in learning more about Korean culture. The event runs from 4 to 8pm at the cultural center and costs QR50/person (including a small Korean buffet).

There will be traditional games, a cooking class and various items on sale, including Korean books, cosmetics, food and other items.

The community center, which opened in 2013, is located in Dafna off of Onaiza Street near the International School of Choueifat. More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page here.

JaDine in Love concert

James Reid and Nadine Lustre will perform in Doha as part of the JaDine in Love world tour on Friday, March 18 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center near City Center mall.

The concert starts at 5pm but doors open at 3pm. The Filipino couple will be performing alongside Pop Rock Princess Yeng Constantino and King of RNB Jay-R. Comedienne Tart Carlos is also scheduled to make an appearance.

Tickets cost QR95 for silver seats and QR165 for gold seats and can be bought online here. Children under the age of seven years old can attend for free.

Souk Areej Min Baladi

Students at the College of the North Atlantic Qatar are holding an international day on Thursday, March 17 from 6pm to 10pm in the courtyard.

The inaugural Souk Areej Min Baladi (Flavors of My Homeland) event will feature heritage and traditions from 18 different countries, including Latin America, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

The market is open to all and will include international foods, performances and activities. More than a dozen vendors will also be selling handicrafts, flowers, jewelry, clothing and accessories. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.

Workers’ Cup

The fourth annual Workers’ Cup will kick off at the Qatar Sports Club on Friday, March 18.

The seven-week tournament, which is organized by the Qatar Stars League, consists of 24 teams of blue-collar workers who are involved in building 2022 World Cup infrastructure.

The full schedule of who’s playing is available on the tournament’s website here.

Moto GP

The Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar, the opening round for the 2016 MotoGP World Championship, will take place from March 17 to March 20 at the Losail International Circuit.

The event runs from around 6pm to 10pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Race day is Sunday, March 20. The Moto3 race will be at 6pm, the Moto2 race at 7:20pm and the MotoGP race at 9pm.

Grandstand tickets for four days cost QR200/person. VIP Village seats for Saturday and Sunday cost QR3,250, and Sunday only QR2,550. A Losail Club four-day ticket costs QR2,500/person. Tickets can be bought online here.

Those with grandstand seats can watch the action live and on giant screens. There will also be free go karting, a kids area and a souvenir shop and snacks and refreshments for sale in the cafeteria.

Children under 11 years old can enter for free. More information can be found on the circuit’s Facebook page here.

Bonus:

Francophone events: Three French-language films will be screened for free this weekend as part of the Francophonie Week. Chocolat, telling the story of Chocolat the clown in Belle Epoque France, will be on Mar. 17 from 7.30pm at Katara Drama Theater. On Mar. 18 there will be two movies at Qatar National Theater: the family film Bird of Passage, will be screened at 4pm; then Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu will be shown at 7.30pm. A schedule of events can be found on the Institut Français website.
Internet safety for kids: Vodafone Qatar is holding a “treasure hunt” for families from Thursday, March 17 to Saturday, March 19 at Ezdan Mall. The hunt involves a number of puzzles about the digital world and aims to teach parents about how to keep their children safe when it comes to technology. More information about the event can be found here.
Palestine exhibit: “Children, olive trees & barbed wire,” an exhibition that revolves around the olive harvest in Palestine, is open to the public at the Katara Art Center, Building 5. The work, by Abdul Rahman Katanani, takes people through Palestinian heritage and culture by highlighting the risks both the people and trees are facing due to the occupation. The exhibition closes on April 18.
Cat adoption day: The Cat Assistance Team of Qatar is holding an open house on Saturday from noon to 3pm at the Royal Vet Clinic on Al Waab St. opposite Hyatt Plaza. Visitors can support the group by buying CAT-branded mugs, tote bags, coasters, fridge magnets, calenders, aprons & Lucy Cats toys. Second-hand books and other items will also be on sale. More information can be found here.