People watch the Samba Carnival as part of Eid Al Adha festivities at Lagoona Mall yesterday. Shaival Dalal
BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: The full opening of the Corniche road eased traffic on the main arterial road leading to major venues where thousands of people enjoyed the celebrations on the first day of Eid Al Adha yesterday.
The road had experienced heavy traffic in the past two months after several lanes were closed for works to convert roundabouts to intersections equipped with smart traffic control system.
At 6pm yesterday, parking spaces around Corniche were full but traffic remained light to moderate.
Festive spirit could be felt on the Corniche with thousands of visitors who thronged the 7km stretch, taking advantage of a pleasant weather.
While some visited the Corniche to meet up with friends, others picnicked and some cruised the Doha bay aboard traditional dhows which witnessed brisk business until late night. The adjacent Al Rumaillah Park also witnessed a gathering of hundreds of families with children flying colourful kites and playing games.
“Compared to previous years, I find these Eid Al Adha celebrations better and more convenient because traffic on the Corniche is not that heavy,” said Mohammad Hassan, who came to Al Rumaillah Park with his family.
Others, however, attributed the light traffic to the fact that many residents were out of the country for Eid holidays. “I think many Qataris and expatriates are out of town to celebrate Eid in neighbouring countries, which is a good thing for us here,” said Noor, another visitor to the park.
The road going to Katara, one of the main venues of the celebrations, was smooth except the internal road close to InterContinental hotel with a tailback of vehicles going for the show Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Katara is hosting for the first time.
Roads around Souq Waqif, a major tourist destination, however witnessed heavy traffic because of ongoing construction, especially at the adjacent Msheireb Downtown Doha. Despite the fact that activities in Souq Waqif for its five-day Eid Al Adha Festival start today, the souq saw thousands of visitors yesterday. The long line of restaurants and cafés was full of people dining with friends and loved ones.
The pathways were also filled with people visiting the hundreds of stalls in the market selling a variety of goods. The Pearl Qatar with its own line-up of entertainment programmes and major malls in the city also saw many visitors yesterday.
The Peninsula
