Latest news with #QatarTourism
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar kicks off
The Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar has officially commenced, with the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (Group 1) marking the first of several Visit Qatar-sponsored races during the event. A world-class field of 8 elite runners from leading international stables took part in the two-mile race, delivering an exhilarating showdown on the Goodwood Racecourse. Scandinavia claimed victory in a hard-fought finish. The trophy was presented by His Excellency Mr. Saad Bin Ali AlKharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar. Beyond the track, Visit Qatar is bringing the spirit of Qatar to West Sussex through an interactive experience designed to showcase Qatar's hospitality, unique culture, and tourism offerings to international festival goers. Guests visiting the Visit Qatar activation are welcomed with traditional refreshments including Arabic coffee and dates. Immersive visual elements throughout the space highlight Qatar's diverse tourism offerings, using striking imagery and compelling storytelling to inspire travel and bring the destination to life. The Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar continues throughout the week with more headline races, including the Qatar International Stakes, the highly anticipated Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes, the Qatar Nassau Stakes, and the King George Qatar Stakes, and the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes on the final day. Visit Qatar is proud to continue supporting world-class equestrian sport while spotlighting the country's growing global appeal as a leading travel destination. For media-related inquiries, please contact Visit Qatar's Press Office on: pressoffice@ About Visit Qatar Visit Qatar is the main arm of Qatar Tourism. Visit Qatar's mission is to promote and expand tourism in Qatar by cultivating its rich culture, developing thrilling attractions, enhancing Qatar's calendar, becoming the leading MICE destination in the region, diversifying events and luxury experiences. Visit Qatar is rooted in Service Excellence, boosting the entire tourism value chain, and increasing local and international visitor demand in Qatar. Through Visit Qatar's network of international offices in priority markets, cutting-edge digital platforms, and marketing campaigns, Visit Qatar is expanding Qatar's presence globally and enhancing the tourism sector. Web: About Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar The Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar is one of the undisputed highlights of the British flat racing season. The world-famous five-day festival is a sporting and social occasion like no other, unrivalled style, superb racing, and hospitality experiences to savour mean it's not to be missed. The 2025 Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar, takes place from Tuesday 29 July to Saturday 2 August. The week is headed by three Group 1 races, including the £500,000 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (2m), the £1 million Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes (1m), and the £600,000 Qatar Nassau Stakes (1m2f). Tickets, dining, and hospitality are on sale. Visit to find out more.
Campaign ME
9 hours ago
- Business
- Campaign ME
The realness guide: How to keep campaigns authentic with AI?
AI is changing the design – fast. From branding visuals to full-blown ad campaigns, it's helping businesses move quicker and spend less. However, research found around 50 per cent of consumers may feel uneasy about AI-generated ads, viewing them as inauthentic and undermining brand credibility. The growing AI design market The global AI in design market is projected to reach $7.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of over 23 per cent. In the MENA region, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing in creative AI startups and AI-driven advertising. For instance, some MENA organisations like National Bank of Oman or Qatar Tourism are already using fully AI-generated marketing campaigns. More teams are jumping in. Around 66 per cent of marketers now use AI tools, especially for content creation. Startups and small brands are using them for everything from logo concepts to social media posts. Canva even reports that 75 per cent of marketing teams have boosted their AI budgets this year. And it works – when done right. AI-generated visuals have outperformed traditional content in some campaigns, with up to 26x higher engagement, as recent studies show. Some MENA organisations like National Bank of Oman or Qatar Tourism are already using fully AI-generated marketing campaigns. But there's a catch: people can tell when a brand loses its human side. In fact, nearly half of consumers say AI-made ads feel off – too polished, too generic. So it's safe to say that AI is a powerful tool, but it's just that – a tool. The real magic happens when brands combine AI's speed with human intuition and storytelling. Here are a few ways to do just that – and keep your creative work feeling real: 1) Realism and accuracy In some cases, AI-generated visuals can indeed be more eye-catching and aesthetically appealing. But eye-catching doesn't always mean trustworthy. If an AI-generated image oversells a product like flowers, food, or home decor, and the real item doesn't match, brand trust takes a hit. That's why, in commercial use, the attractiveness of AI visuals must be balanced with realism and accuracy. A great example of a realistic campaign comes from Desigual, which launched its first full AI-generated campaign with real garments. Created in partnership with Neural Fashion AI, the visuals were crafted entirely with artificial intelligence. 'Behind every generated image, there are human decisions: carefully crafted prompts, art direction, studio management, retouching,' said Sergio González Calmaestra, Desigual's AI Lead. This shows it's not the tool, but the vision that matters. For marketers, the challenge is finding the balance between AI creativity and real-world accuracy. 2) Human interaction and personalisation are essential The secret to branding with AI? Use personalisation. To make sure your content stays you, AI needs to be trained on the things that define your brand – guidelines, colour palette, typography, logo, and tone of voice. How to make it work: Use successful generation examples to train a base model. For particular tasks (ads, social media, product launches), create unique sub-models. Create mood boards using brand worlds, visual cues, and 3D assets. It's simple to maintain your visual identity and consistency at scale with tools like Adobe Firefly or Runway ML. Train your AI with real brand values and people-first storytelling. Add emotion, humour, and empathy – that's what makes content connect. To humanise your output: Use narrative in campaigns Build feedback into your AI prompts Always run visuals by a real creative team Think of AI as the sketch. The human just finishes the piece. No high-quality AI visual should remain untouched – refine the output by adjusting details, enhancing emotion, or replacing awkward elements. This editing must be done manually, with a clear understanding of the creative objective. 3) Educate Your AI and Your Design Team AI visuals should never go straight from prompt to post. At Flowwow, we've built a collaborative review process to make sure each image feels real, looks right, and matches the brand. Here's some tips from our team: Variety first, then curation. Create several versions, but let the people decide what's best. We choose photos according to brand fit, composition, and realism. Reviews of Internal Designs Encourage teams to conduct frequent creative reviews. At Flowwow, we have internal reviews and assign a specific AI designer to look over all produced images prior to usage. Create Quality Checklists Establish standards for examining structure, lighting, texture, facial expressions, and anatomy. These checklists help preserve the team's visual intuition and foster a refined design taste, rather than replacing it with the AI's default aesthetic. Train Teams to Spot 'Lifeless' Elements At Flowwow, we host sessions on visual literacy – from how light behaves to what gives an image depth or emotion. We also cover common AI glitches, like plastic hands or lifeless eyes. 'A prompt is not just a picture description – it's a structured set of parameters, style directions, references, and technical modifiers that guide the AI to generate what you actually need. To make this process efficient, we've created a prompt engineering toolkit with a curated library of tokens and Midjourney profiles,' said Arina Timusheva, AI-design mentor at Flowwow. 4) 3D Visuals Instead of Costly Photoshoots AI is becoming a powerful tool for content production – especially when budgets or timelines are tight. What once took months of planning, props, and post-production can now be done in weeks, with fewer people involved. According to Canva, AI-powered tools and 85 per cent of marketers save a full workday every two weeks. On top of that, brands get consistent visuals across all channels. Instead of setting up expensive shoots, AI can now create realistic 3D renders of your product – faster and cheaper. In April 2025, UAE retailer Brands for Less launched its first fully AI-generated summer campaign. The visuals – from models to backdrops – were created entirely with AI. The campaign ran across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Southeast Asia. 'AI influencers helped us connect with a younger, social-first audience,' said Samar Ragheb, Influencer Marketing Manager. 5) Unlock Creativity with AI Indeed, when it comes to hyperrealistic or surreal imagery, AI visuals are often bolder and more striking than traditional photography. These visuals stand out in feeds and are perfect for campaigns that need something unexpected. Try these tools: Krea AI – turns PNGs or text prompts into 3D-style mockups turns PNGs or text prompts into 3D-style mockups Kaedim or Sloyd – generate custom 3D objects for e-commerce The final result always depends on how well your model is trained and customised. For more unexpected visual ideas during the concept phase, try adjusting Midjourney's 'Chaos Mode' for Out-of-the-Box Creativity in brand campaigns. Some quick tips: –chaos 0 = uniform results –chaos 40+ = wild and varied creativity Ideal range: 20–40 for semi-structured exploration As an example of creative AI campaign with an art installation, BMW transformed its electric car into a moving work of art at Art Basel. They used artificial intelligence (AI) (StyleGAN) to project generative images from 900 years of art history straight onto the car's exterior. An eye-catching installation that reaffirmed BMW's reputation as a company that can successfully combine art and technology. Here, AI didn't replace the artist – it expanded the possibilities. As a designer, I don't see AI as competition – for me it's a co-creator. The idea still starts with us. The feeling still comes from us. But the final touch is always human. For startups and SMEs, AI offers a way to level the playing field with larger brands, enabling faster and more scalable creativity. But the real magic happens when human intuition and machine learning work together. The brands that will truly shine in this new era are those that experiment boldly, customise their tools, and always keep the human perspective at the core. By Darya Buchakova, Design Director at Flowwow.
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Qatar: Public Beaches Development Project to boost tourism
Doha: The recently announced second phase of Public Beaches Development Project seeks to enhance both domestic and international tourism in Qatar, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Municipality. The initiative focuses on upgrading public beaches across the country with world-class facilities, cultural and sports activities, and environmentally sustainable infrastructure to attract visitors and improve the overall quality of life. Senior Quality Projects Engineer at the Ministry of Municipality Eng Issa Muqbil explained that the initiative is built on three strategic goals: improving public well-being, promoting local tourism through cultural and sports activities at the beaches, and attracting foreign tourists by providing world-class beach infrastructure in coordination with Qatar Tourism. Speaking to Qatar TV recently, he said that the project is being implemented in two phases. The first phase, which has been completed, involved the development of eight public beaches across various municipalities. This included the provision of essential services such as signage, walkways — designed to be accessible for people with disabilities — shaded seating, beach furniture, children's playgrounds in family areas, kiosks, sand levelling, and various other amenities to ensure a high-quality visitor experience. The second phase, currently underway, will see the development of an additional 18 beaches across the country. Muqbil emphasized that environmental sustainability is a top priority throughout the project. The Ministry collaborates closely with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change at all stages — from selecting suitable beaches and developing initial and detailed designs, to implementing eco-friendly construction practices. The project features solar-powered lighting systems to reduce environmental impact and a dual-bin waste management system — grey bins for organic waste and blue bins for recyclable materials — to support sustainable waste disposal practices. The selection of the eight beaches for phase one was based on several criteria. These included environmental sustainability, geographical distribution across municipalities to ensure easy public access, and existing infrastructure such as road connectivity and nearby utility networks. Looking ahead, the Ministry is working to incorporate smart technology into beach services. For example, an electronic booking system is being launched for 974 Beach, which has seen significant footfall — particularly on ladies-only days, with attendance reaching 2,800 visitors, and weekend averages of about 800 daily. The Ministry has implemented multiple channels to monitor visitor satisfaction and collect feedback. A dedicated team monitors social media comments and suggestions, while visitors can also submit their feedback via the unified Ministry contact number or the 'Oun' mobile app. Additionally, field teams regularly visit beaches to assess service quality and gather feedback directly from beachgoers. All feedback is carefully reviewed and acted upon promptly. Private sector involvement is central to the initiative. In the first phase, beach development was carried out by private companies, and 974 Beach is currently operated by a private company to ensure high-quality service delivery. Opportunities for private investment will expand further in the second phase, where 18 more beaches are slated for development. Muqbil confirmed that beach development will remain an ongoing effort, with plans to explore new beach locations not included in the current project phases. The findings of the final study for the upcoming development phase are expected to be announced soon. © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Tourism launches first ever ‘Purple Saturday' initiative in Qatar
In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Family and Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Qatar Tourism (QT), through its promotional arm Visit Qatar, is partnering with its stakeholders to launch the nation's first-ever Purple Saturday initiative in the State of Qatar. This high-impact initiative is dedicated to empowering people with special needs in society and will be held annually on the last Saturday of July, QT said in a statement on Sunday. The initiative, launched by the Authority of People with Disabilities (APD) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2021, is celebrated on the last Saturday of July every year. It has now been extended to cover the entire GCC region as a show of solidarity and unity. Purple Saturday in Qatar unites stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to champion accessibility, raise awareness, and foster greater community participation, the statement read. As part of this initiative, QT through its promotional arm Visit Qatar will mark Purple Saturday at the Qatar Toy Festival with a dedicated celebration. People with disabilities will enjoy free access to the festival throughout its duration. To support this initiative, 16 different Qatar Tourism stakeholders which include retail stores and hotels are offering exclusive discounts and adapted services for people with disabilities. Qatar Tourism invites the public to visit the Ministry of Social Development and Family official website to learn more about how to download the "Purple Saturday" digital card, which will be valid for use at participating stores and hotels from Jul. 26 to Aug. 1, 2025. Purple Saturday is a key moment in a growing movement towards greater inclusivity, driven by multi-sector collaboration and a shared vision of accessibility.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Tourism marks inaugural Purple Saturday in Qatar
Tribune News Network Doha In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Family and Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Qatar Tourism, through its promotional arm Visit Qatar, is partnering with its stakeholders to launch the nation's first-ever Purple Saturday initiative in Qatar. This high-impact initiative is dedicated to empowering people with special needs in society and will be held annually on the last Saturday of July. The initiative, launched by the Authority of People with Disabilities (APD) in Saudi Arabia in 2021, is celebrated on the last Saturday of July every year. The initiative has now been extended to cover the entire GCC region as a show of solidarity and unity. Purple Saturday in Qatar unites stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to champion accessibility, raise awareness, and foster greater community participation. As part of this initiative, Qatar Tourism, through its promotional arm Visit Qatar, will mark Purple Saturday at the Qatar Toy Festival with a dedicated celebration. People with special needs will enjoy free access to the festival throughout its duration. To support this initiative, 16 different Qatar Tourism stakeholders which include retail stores and hotels are offering exclusive discounts and adapted services. Qatar Tourism invites the public to visit the Ministry of Social Development and Family official website to learn more about how to download the 'Purple Saturday' digital card, which will be valid for use at participating stores and hotels from July 26 to August 1, 2025. Purple Saturday is a key moment in a growing movement towards greater inclusivity, driven by multi-sector collaboration and a shared vision of accessibility.
