All photos by Reem Saad

Hundreds of people have been flocking to a newly launched beach festival at Katara Cultural Village to cool off ahead of the Eid Al Adha holidays.

Splash Waterpark, which opened a few weeks behind schedule to the public in Qatar on Thursday, consists of more than 60 rides and games.

They include a “waterpark city,” inflatables, pools, football fields, an entertainment stage, food vendors and Doha’s first-ever zipline, among other things.

Most activities can be accessed with a one-day pass of QR100 per person (children under the age of three years old are free). An additional QR100 is required for to use the zipline.

Wooing tourists

The festival will continue for two months. It was organized in partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority by a new local agency known as Alaqat.

Speaking to Doha News, event and business development manager Hatim Aboussid said the company had been working to set up the festival in time for the holidays.

Not everyone leaves Qatar for Eid, so “we thought why not give them at least something to hang out to and something to bring their kids and families to,” he said.

The park is also one last “wave of amusement in the heat we are facing these days,” Aboussid added.

Zipline

During a recent visit, Doha News observed children running around the 7,000 square meter area. Many jumped on inflatables, built sand castles and swam while their parents cooled off in the shade.

Several visitors also lined up to ride the zipline.

Exceeding 150m in height, the zipline was installed by a team of experts from the Philippines and can handle up to 150kg at a time.

Prior to the festival’s launch, a rigorous testing process was undertaken to meet safety standards.

“Technically speaking, it wasn’t a piece of cake to put in place and get the approvals necessary, and the safety and security precautions.

But all of them were taken into consideration, (and) everything is pretty solid and tough.”

Aboussid added that new attractions will be added every few weeks, including a 50m-water slide and water blobs.

The waterpark is open from 3pm to midnight daily and will run until Nov. 8.

Who’s going? Thoughts?