Doha welcomes back Lusail Winter Wonderland
Also this week: tiara artistry, high-speed karting, shaabi rhythms and herb-inspired art.
Welcome to Al-Monitor Doha.
Al Maha Island gets into carnival mode this week with the Lusail Winter Wonderland’s opening celebration, offering more than 100 rides, live performances and a culinary village to keep families lingering well after sunset. M7 pulls back the curtain on the creation of high-end jewelry, tracing Qatari designer Aisha Alattiya's tiara from concept to precious metal in collaboration with Maison Chaumet. The week also brings jewelry of a different kind to Al Hazm Mall and the seventh edition of the “Asjad” exhibition, kart drivers from across the Middle East and North Africa to the Lusail Circuit, and a theatrical retelling of “The Wedding of the Jinn to Souq Waqif” with Shaabi music and storytelling.
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1. Leading the week: The Lusail Winter Wonderland Opens
Visitors enjoy the Qitar al-Rayan ride at Lusail Winter Wonderland. (Photo courtesy of Lusail Winter Wonderland)
Al Maha Island transforms into a sprawling amusement park this week as the Lusail Winter Wonderland returns with its opening carnival, bringing over 100 rides and attractions to Doha’s entertainment hub. The week-long celebration kicks off with performances by Kuwaiti rapper Daffy, Bahraini hip-hop artist Flipperachi and Bahraini music producer DJ Outlaw on opening night, followed by a meet and greet with YouTube influencer AboFlah and a live performance by Jordanian singer Akhras. But the real draw extends beyond the headliners.
The event creates an environment that ranges from adrenaline inducing to family friendly. The Ooredoo 5G rollercoaster promises high-speed thrills, while the 53 meter AIN QNB Ferris Wheel provides panoramic views across the Lusail marina. New this season are Snow Karts, a karting circuit designed for all ages, and Baladna Farm, with games suitable for children as well as adults.
What distinguishes this year’s Lusail Winter Wonderland is Rafeeq Village, described as a culinary hub offering diverse restaurants and cafes alongside live shows, parades and events. Its addition makes the experience more than just about rides, providing spaces where families can linger rather than rush from one attraction to the next. The village aims to satisfy various appetites while maintaining the festive atmosphere that runs throughout the park.
The carnival is open daily from 6:00–11:30 p.m., with parades, stage shows, circus acts and confetti moments designed to keep the energy consistent from the gate’s opening to its close. Now that Doha’s weather has cooled, those seeking outdoor winter entertainment can turn to one of the season’s most comprehensive offerings.
Date: Oct. 23–30
Location: Al-Maha Island
More information here.
2. Word on the street: “Houbara Haven: A Chaumet Tiara”
A jewelry design from Houbara Haven: A Chaumet Tiara exhibition. (Photo courtesy of Qatar Museums)
M7 is hosting something that rarely gets public visibility: the entire creative process behind a major jewelry commission. The exhibition “Houbara Haven: A Chaumet Tiara” traces Qatari artist Aisha Alattiya’s winning design for such a headpiece and its transformation from concept to finished product, crafted by Maison Chaumet and commissioned by Alfardan Jewellery and Qatar Museums.
The tiara draws on Qatar’s bird-hunting tradition, depicting a houbara — a desert bird prized in falconry — seeking refuge in the branches of an awsaj (boxthorn) tree while evading a trained falcon. The narrative, compressed into precious metal and stones, is rooted in landscape and cultural memory. What makes this exhibition especially compelling, however, is how it pulls back the curtain on a collaboration between a young designer and one of the world’s established jewelry houses.
Through sketches, photographs and behind the scenes footage in M7’s Learning Space, visitors can trace the journey from the tiara’s conception to its execution. The exhibition not only celebrates the end result, but also reveals the technical challenges, creative decisions and iterative processes that characterize high-end jewelry. For anyone interested in jewelry design, crafts or how heritage translates into contemporary works, this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into what happens between idea and object.
Date: Oct. 27–Jan. 12
Location: M7, Learning Space
More details here.
3. Doha diary
ASJAD exhibition at Al Hazm Galleria, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Al Hazm)
- “Asjad,” 7th edition
Al Hazm Mall welcomes back the seventh edition of “Asjad,” a jewelry exhibition that spent years building its reputation as a destination for serious collectors and admirers of fine craftsmanship. The event brings together renowned designers and brands showcasing rare gemstones, intricate designs and pieces that blur the line between adornment and art. Whether you’re looking to acquire something exceptional or simply appreciate the work of master jewelers, the exhibition offers an immersive look at where traditional techniques meet contemporary innovation.
Date: Oct. 27–Nov. 1
Location: Al Hazm Mall
More information here.
- The MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup 2025
The Lusail International Circuit hosts the region’s largest karting event, bringing drivers from across the Middle East and North Africa to compete for the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup 2025. The event features multiple Rotax MAX categories for ages 8 to 31 plus along with MENA R390 Elite sprint and endurance races. With standardized karts and engines ensuring fair competition, the focus shifts entirely to the drivers’ skill as well as national pride as they fight to accumulate points toward the coveted Nations Cup title.
Date: Until Oct. 25
Location: Lusail Karting Circuit
More information here.
- “Nora the Drummer,” a play
Abdulaziz Nasser Theater in Souq Waqif presents “Nora the Drummer,” a theatrical production based on “The Wedding of the Jinn,” a story brought to life through popular music known as “shaabi,” and starring Huda Hussain. The play offers a rarely told narrative performed by a cast of talented artists, blending traditional musical forms with theatrical storytelling in the intimate setting of one of Doha’s most atmospheric venues.
Date: Oct. 23–25
Location: Abdul Aziz Nasser Theatre, Souq Waqif
More information here.
- Planet Kids Club: Discovering Herbs and Food Through Art
The Museum of Islamic Art invites young visitors to explore the connection between art and everyday ingredients in an interactive gallery tour. Children can discover how certain herbs and foods appear in artwork while engaging in hands-on activities that link visual representation to the smells, shapes and stories behind what they eat. This sensory approach to museum exploration makes historical art feel immediate and relevant.
Date: Oct. 28
Location: Museum of Islamic Art
More information here.
4. Film of the week: “Promised Sky”
The film “Promised Sky” (“Promis le ciel,” in French) is a 2025 French-Tunisian-Qatari co-production set in Tunisia. The drama follows Marie, an Ivorian pastor who offers refuge to Naney, a young mother, and Jolie, a student after they take in a young orphan. The bonds between the women are challenged, revealing the strength and fragility of the human connection. The opening film of Un Certain Regard at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, “Promised Sky” has been praised for its powerful and deeply human portrayal of solidarity, resilience and unexpected relationships.
5. View from Doha
Foreign workers play cricket at sunset in Doha on Oct. 17, 2025. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)
6. By the numbers
- Qatar ranked first among Arab countries for the easiest driving conditions based on traffic, road fatalities, registered vehicles and road quality, according to CEOWORLD Magazine’s “Roads to Resilience: The Hardest and Easiest Countries to Learn to Drive” (2025).
- Qatar ranked second among Arab countries in economic growth projections for 2026, with a rate of 6.1%, according to the International Monetary Fund.