When Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Opens a Mall

Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani
A general view of the Grand Opening of The Mall of Qatar (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Mall of Qatar)

When Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani opens a mall in the State of Qatar, the country with the highest per-capita income in the world, it is retailtainment at its finest. On April 8, 2017, the grand opening of the Mall of Qatar welcomed over 150,000 visitors with more than 200 performing artists, 300,000 balloons, and world-class entertainment:

  • The multi-national awarded classical crossover vocal group – Il Divo performed
  •  Shaolin Warriors, a martial-arts group of more than 20 Kung Fu masters demonstrated over a thousand years of Chinese martial-arts culture
  • A Dinosaur Zoo live performance allowed families to meet and interact with an eye-popping collection of amazingly life-like dinosaurs and other creatures
  • MOQ Live premiered the world’s first resident troupe – mall-wide entertainment featuring 52 weeks of headline shows on a 360-degree custom developed revolving stage

The new Mall of Qatar is 500,000 square meters or 5,381,955 square feet of innovative shopping, top-notch recreation, and remarkable leisure options. The Mall offers a retail mix of over 500 brands including over 100 food and beverage options.

A Destination for All Ages

When it comes to entertainment options, Mall of Qatar maintains the traditional mall element of the movie theater with its 19-screen Megaplex, which includes VIP screens, gourmet food services, as well as a bowling alley. However, it pushes the boundaries of the imagination by introducing IMAX’s revolutionary laser projection and immersive sound system on the largest screen in the Middle East region. In addition, the latest 4D projection technology screen offers an immersive experience with special effects and seats that move in synchronization with the movie.

Mall of Qatar opens the doors to children’s imagination with concepts that will delight, entertain and educate young minds while giving parents the opportunity to shop, relax and spend time with each other. KidzMondo features more than 70 scaled-down businesses including a central plaza, fire station, clock tower, police station and hospital. And for the more adventurous, Xtremeland introduces exclusive rides and real-life battlefield action on the latest cutting-edge video gaming machines, and it’s for all ages – young and old!

Entertainment at the Oasis

The Oasis at Mall of Qatar is a source of immersive entertainment designed to enchant audiences with spectacular live shows. The Oasis takes spectators to another world with transformative lighting and sound capabilities to dazzle viewers from every angle. Its 360-degree revolving theatrical stage is home to MOQ LIVE, giving visitors the first 360-degree professional theater in the world inside a mall with custom shows featuring a proprietary resident performing troupe. Up to 25 dancers, singers, actors, and acrobats can be seen live on stage at any given performance.

Transforming the Mall Experience

Mall of Qatar brings the outdoors inside with over 10,500 square meters or 113,021 square feet of natural sky lighting including a 91-foot high skylight in the luxurious court. There are 26 relaxing water features both inside and outside the mall, and some 517,000 square feet of landscaped greenery.

More than just a shopping experience, the Mall of Qatar is planned as a viable contributor to the Qatar economy in terms of job creation, tourism, retail, and import.