THE 2012 edition of the Doha Trade Fair (DTF) at Doha Exhibition Center (DEC) is already a huge success. The 10- day fair attracted more than 20,000 people on Friday. With City Center and Villaggio shopping malls shut and the dust storm less severe compared to Thursday, the Doha residents came outdoors in large numbers for a time out, and their preferred destination was the DTF.

According to DTF officials, a total of 40,000 people have visited the 15,000 sq-m fair premises thus far, with 20,000 on Friday alone. Women customers were mostly seen at Syrian, Tunisian and Indian textile stalls, while the men seemed to be fascinated by traditional household items like carpet, furniture and handicrafts at the Thai, Jordanian, Pakistani, Egyptian and Chinese stalls. People also visited chandelier and antiquity collection shops. An Iranian salesman in one of the painting and antiquity shops said, “We are not bothered with the business. The volume of business is not our primary concern.

We are here to introduce the great tradition of Iranian paintings and the role played by Iran in the field of culture.” Sulaiman Meer, a visitor from Cairo, said, “Exhibitions of this kind are like cultural festivals. It provides an opportunity for people living in foreign countries to know more about culture and traditions of countries. So, just by visiting and understanding the exhibits give me a lot of pleasure. Purchasing goods is not so important.” A shopkeeper from the UAE said, “As regards to business activity, DTF has showcased a wide range of garments and perfumes.

Such items are popular among the people of the Arab world. However, compared to last year, the volume of business is less this year.” A security officer who was managing parking facilities near DEC said, “We were expecting more visitors on Friday. So, we arranged additional parking facilities today. Bad weather kept most of the visitors away from the DTF on Thursday.” A total of 570 exhibitors from 29 countries are taking part in the fair. Participating countries include Bangladesh, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, the US and Yemen. The DTF timings are from 11am to 10pm daily and from 2pm to 10pm on Friday; and the entry is free. The fair will conclude on July 10.