The Harrods Tea Room brings passengers a wide range of Harrods specialties including an impressive selection of teas from Harrods Food Halls
H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and a host of other VVIPs in attendance
DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Duty Free (QDF) and Harrods celebrated the official opening of the Harrods Tea Room at Hamad International Airport (HIA) on 12 December 2019. HIA is the first airport in the world to house a Harrods Tea Room, adding to the existing portfolio of two Harrods signature stores at the state-of-the-art, award winning airport.
The inauguration of the Harrods Tea Room was attended by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and officiated by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, HIA Chief Operating Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer; Harrods Director, Mr. Raj Assanand and Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh. H.E. Mr. Ajay Sharma, British Ambassador to Qatar was also in attendance alongside VIP guests and officials, including dignitaries and senior representatives from Qatar Investment Authority.
Announcing the much-anticipated arrival of the Harrods Tea Room, London Fanfare Trumpets were sounded as H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker proceeded to cut the ribbon, officially announcing the opening of the Harrods Tea Room at HIA. Guests were then invited to explore the elegantly-designed tea room and taste a delicious array of Harrods dishes including British favourites such as fish and chips and a signature Harrods Tea Menu against the backdrop of a live classical jazz performance.
H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “I am incredibly proud to be here today as Qatar Duty Free officially opens the Harrods Tea Room at HIA – a world first for an airport. Harrods is an iconic British brand that is all about the customer experience from start to finish and in this regard, it is the perfect partner for Qatar Duty Free and the wider Qatar Airways group.
“With 10.7 million passengers travelling through HIA in the last quarter of 2019, the Harrods brand is already reaching an audience of substantial proportions. The new Harrods Tea Toom further compliments the two Harrods signature stores already in operation in the airport.”
Harrods Director, Mr. Raj Assanand said: “Harrods is a London institution, but has always been global in its outlook. The new Harrods Tea Room is the next natural stage in our long relationship with HIA and Qatar Duty Free, a partnership which has allowed us to bring the Harrods experience to even more of our international customers. As one of the major gateway airports in the world, we are delighted to continue to work with HIA and Qatar Duty Free to bring the finest Harrods experiences to a new audience of global travelers.”
Hamad International Airport, Chief Operating Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said: “We are pleased to welcome Harrods Tea Room to Hamad International Airport, making us the exclusive host airport of such a prestigious name. We’ve had a long-standing and successful partnership with Harrods, which is one of the most reputable brands in the world.
“We aim to provide a world-class passenger experience through our multi-dimensional lifestyle offerings. HIA and QDF, therefore, work together with brand partners to explore and implement innovative retail concepts at the airport to curate memorable retail experiences for travellers. We look forward to welcoming more
brands, both local and international, into our award-winning terminal, giving them the opportunity to be showcased to a global audience of more than 35 million passengers every year.”
Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh, said: “To be associated with an iconic global brand that is synonymous with luxury and service is a great honour. We are delighted to officially open the Harrods Tea Room at the heart of our award-winning global hub. The Harrods Tea Room at HIA has developed bespoke dishes that fuse the much loved English classics with unique traditional Qatari flavours.
“It is very fitting that this partnership with Harrods, a Qatari owned brand, marks the first in a series of events at HIA to celebrate Qatar National Day on 18 December. Across the month of December, our customers will be able to discover a special menu of Qatari inspired dishes at the Harrods Tea Room in celebration of Qatar National Day. Travellers will also be able to enjoy various performances, activities, shopping and dining offers throughout the airport.”
Taking center stage at the heart of HIA, the Harrods Tea Room brings passengers a wide range of Harrods specialties including an impressive selection of teas from the Harrods Food Halls, along with a menu of mouth-watering pastries. The tea room also features an ice-cream parlour with flavours and quality unrivaled in the region.
Inspired by its counterpart in Knightsbridge, the Harrods Tea Room is impeccably designed to boast classic style furniture with elegant curved backs and stitching details, brass finishing on tables, and lighting. The tea room also features Herringbone timber flooring and classic traditional tiling with elements of abstract peacock theme to tie in with the London Food Hall.
The history of Harrods spans over 170 years. The world famous brand, synonymous with quality, luxury and an amazing array of merchandise, all began with tea. Harrods special relationship with tea growers continues to this day, with over 170 teas sold at the Knightsbridge Store, London.
Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways:
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating more than 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft. The world’s fastest-growing airline has added a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network this year, including Rabat, Morocco; Izmir, Turkey; Malta; Davao, Philippines; Lisbon, Portugal; and Mogadishu, Somalia. The airline will add Langkawi, Malaysia and Gaborone, Botswana, in 2019 to its extensive route network along with Luanda, Angola; and Osaka, Japan, following in 2020.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.
Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.
Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message - Going Places Together.
Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 160 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 250 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 21 Boeing 777 freighters and five Airbus A330 freighters.
For further information, please contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 4022 2200