Qatar Tourism refurbishes 25 dhow boats

Doha: Qatar Tourism announced the completion of the restoration work on 25 dhow boats in tandem with the dhow refurbishment project, launched earlier this year as part of the Service Excellence programme. The programme is a Qatar Tourism initiative that aims to elevate the customer experience at every touch point of the visitor’s journey and also to conserve the Qatari heritage. Qatar Tourism has also equipped the refurbished boats with more amenities to maximise passenger comfort and facilitate leisure activities for residents and visitors distinguished by high quality service. The purpose of the dhow refurbishment project is to restore and upgrade the boats while retaining the authentic traditional exterior. Each dhow boat was complemented with LED lights to improve visibility, and additional amenities were added to maximise comfort and safety. Director of Tourism Licensing at Qatar Tourism, Mohammad Al Ansari, said: "Elevating the tourism experience at Doha Corniche is our priority, especially as we aspire to achieve Service Excellence at all touch points of the visitor’s journey. We are pleased to see great progress in this project, where we have already achieved more than 60% of the targeted work. This was made possible by the fruitful collaboration with our various partners and the cooperation of the boats owners.”  The first phase of the dhow boat refurbishment project, of which 62% has been completed, will see 40 licenced dhows on the Corniche being restored and upgraded. The second phase will see the modernisation of marinas and jetties to improve the boarding experience with addition of comfortable waiting rooms and new ticket offices. The third and final phase will provide comprehensive training and certification of the workforce including the crews operating the dhows, as well as the staff who oversees the daily maintenance of the marina sites and kiosks.