Doha - (AFP) - In the popular Souq Waqif in Doha, flags of countries, football shirts, scarves and hats are scattered in shops whose owners hope to become a destination for hundreds of thousands of World Cup fans coming to the desert emirate, which awaits a recovery in its economic cycle and tourism sector.
In the middle of an earthen trough in the market, two workers in traditional white robes help two customers ride two camels as they tour the site. But interested customers can take a larger tour outside the narrow alleys of the market known as "camel ride", in an area close to the Amiri Diwan.
The head of the market's stables unit, Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Nama, expects "a huge crowd in the coming period, which will happen for the first time in Qatar ," considering that visitors "will be interested in riding camels and horses, which are considered part of the country's heritage."
"God willing, we are ready," he asserts.
"I believe that many tourists will have a passion to see the camels, because they are not found in European countries and East Asian countries, and they will take pictures with them," he added.
After a massive fire in 2003 destroyed large parts of it, Souq Waqif, which dates back more than a hundred years, was restored and is one of the most famous heritage sites in Qatar. It is said that the sellers at the time were standing at its entrances to sell their goods, which explains the name.
During the World Cup, which begins on November 20 and lasts a month, Souq Waqif will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In the pedestrian alleys, visitors walk between low-rise buildings amidst a series of archways decorated with windows and wooden beams.
"The fans will have a lot of fun," says Yasmine Ghanem, a 28-year-old golfer with the Qatar national team, who was sitting in a cafe in the market. "It will be a great experience, a mixture of Arab culture and football."
On weekends, the market is crowded with visitors of all ages, including children buying balloons from street vendors and families riding around in a small colorful train, while a group of people stand in front of a Turkish ice cream seller watching his acrobatic show.
It is expected that the spherical wedding will give an impetus to the tourism sector in the country, which expects an influx of more than a million visitors during the World Cup between November 20 and December 18.
Hani Al-Kreidi, an Egyptian tour guide who was drinking tea in a cafe, said, "I am studying a lot now so that I can be an ambassador for Qatar and give information to visitors, in order to introduce them to the history of Qatar and its attractions."
Antiques, handicrafts, fabrics, carpets, furniture, decorations, jewelry, and musical instruments are sold in the market... Souvenir shops are especially preparing for a great turnout, displaying lanterns, small statues of colorful camels, and dishes engraved with the Doha skyscrapers.
As night falls, the minaret of the Abdullah bin Zaid Al-Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center (Al-Fanar) mosque, which has a unique spiral design and can be seen from a distance, lights up the market sky. The scene is different in the morning, when workers are busy cleaning the empty streets.
In the market of pigeons and birds, chirping and shouting rises, while cages of various birds are displayed on a high table fenced with wooden partitions.
Men dominate the scene, most of them dressed in traditional dress, sipping coffee while chatting.
At 7 a.m. on Friday, an auction of birds begins, run by a bearded man in a white cloak, who says, "Eight cocktail pigeons, how many? 40 riyals... 50 riyals... 60? Eight 65 riyals."
"God willing, Doha will flourish with the arrival of foreigners, and business will move," said Mohammed bin Nasser, 75, a retired Qatari paramedic, who used to watch the auction as he does every week after the dawn prayer.
Qatar, which has spent tens of billions of dollars to host the World Cup, expects the revenues of the global event to reach $17 billion.
However, the gas-rich emirate seeks to attract six million tourists annually, starting from 2030, according to the Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030.
Camilla Swart-Aris, a professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, says the World Cup "creates a solid foundation for the government in its strategy to attract more visitors by 2030."
"Qatar can certainly seize this opportunity to position itself as a family-friendly tourism destination," adds the sports tourism expert.
A few weeks before the kick-off, the flags of the qualified teams were raised in the center of Doha and huge pictures of world-class players were plastered on the facades of skyscrapers.
Compared to what is usually the case in other countries that have hosted the World Cup , the atmosphere may seem less enthusiastic in Qatar, given that the emirate does not have a long history in football. However, this does not mean that everyone is eagerly awaiting the starting whistle.
On the seaside promenade, where the countdown clock for the event was installed, fans residing in the country, the vast majority of whom are foreigners from Bangladesh, India, East Asian countries and Africa, flock to take pictures.
Anwar Sadath, 56, an Indian who lives in Qatar and is a fan of the Argentine national team, says in Spanish, "Come on, Argentina." And he adds in English, "I admire Messi. I have a ticket to watch one match, which is the Argentina match against Saudi Arabia."
Paul Green (57 years), an American who moved to Qatar a few months ago, confirms that he prefers American football, but "I'm really happy to watch at least some matches... I think it's good to watch them in a different part of the world."
