Valentino Rossi at Lusail International Circuit in Qatar for the MotoGP 2013 season kick-off
Hamad International Airport prepares for Soft Opening
Hamad International Airport will conduct a soft opening for 10 Airlines on the midnight of April 1st. A aircraft from Qatar Airways will be the first to land at HIA thus making it the first Airline to land at the new airport.
Currently HIA will be open to airlines who do not require Lounge access. The following airlines will operate through Concourse B:
1. Royal Nepal Airlines
2. Fly Dubai
3. Air Arabia
4. Air India Express
5. Iran Air
6. Syrian Air
7. Yemenia Airways
8. RAK Airways
9. Biman Bangladesh Airlines
10. Pakistan International Airlines
Here are some maps for you to familiarize with Hamad International Airport:
A shuttle bus from DIA to the bus pavilion outside of concourse A at HIA, will do runs every 30 minutes from DIA and HIA. For more details you can reach HIA on +974 4010 6666.
Photo Credit: Doha Airport Website
Facebook invites to see “New Home on Android”
Facebook sent out invites to press for an upcoming event on April 4th to its Menlo Park Headquarters “Come See Our New Home on Android”
Rumours are that Facebook might announce a deeply integrated android phone in a partnership with HTC which has been doing the rounds for a year now.
Facebook’s invitation comes shortly after the company hosted an event at its headquarters to showcase its new mobile inspired News Feed which will be bringing a cleaner look to owners of smartphones, tablets and desktops. (Via GottaBeMobile)
So what do you think is in store from Facebook?
Doha Bus - Hop On Hop Off by Gazanfarulla Khan and contributed to the Doha News Flickr Group.
Doha has been buzzing with news about Qatar’s first bus for tourists. When reached by phone, the company behind the double-decker kept mum about the details, but did tell Doha News that they hope the bus will start doing tours next month.
According to Gulf Times, the service will launch the second week of April. A daylong tour will cost $50 and some seven buses are expected to be operational by August.
Have you seen this bus around town? Would you ride it?
Earth Hour Qatar
Earth Hour will be celebrated today across the globe from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time.
Below are the participating outlets and the events taking place in Qatar today:
The Torch Doha will switch off its exterior LED lights in support of Earth Hour and will be offering candlelight dinner and chocolate fondue in two of its restaurants Three Sixty & Flying Carpet.
At Torch Café, located in front of The Torch Doha they will have side table mocktails and chocolate fondue.
W Doha Hotel is inviting its followers to a very to a very special event in Wahm this evening. They will be turning of their lights to make the world a brighter place.
Kempinski Residencies & Suites
All the exterior lights of the Kempinski tower will be switched off as well as non-essential interior lighting will be dimmed or turned off; candle light will be used in appropriate public areas such as Aroma and The Lounge.
The Ritz Carlton
The Ritz Carlton Doha is promoting Earth Hour to their local guests and will also be conducting a candlelight yoga activity in their spa during this hour for the second consecutive year.
Grand Hyatt is inviting you all to a Stargaze during Earth Hour by Rocca poolside with a 20% off at Roca from 7 - 11 pm. A complimentary bubbly will be offered during the blackout.
The hotel is encouraging its guests and employees to switch off the lights in all guestrooms and public areas in order to raise awareness for the need to take action against climate change.
To celebrate Earth Hour the hotels restaurants Maxim and Pier 12 will be offering candle light dinners.
Many activities are happening at The Pearl from this afternoon with Kids awareness programs to a Earth hour walk and more. Have a look into their event on Facebook for more details.
The other participating outlets are:
- Grand Heritage Doha
- St. Regis
- Oryx Rotana
- Wyndham Grand Regency
- Four Seasons Doha
- Ooredoo
- Aspire Zone Foundation
- Msheireb Properties
- QU Environmental Club
- Intecon Doha City
Are you taking part? Share your photos and videos with @EarthHour or use #EarthHour. You can also email them to earthhourqatar@gmail.com
The Torch Doha and W Hotel Doha will be joining the Earth Hour on March 23 2013 with many other Hotels and Organisations. Are you taking part, get in touch.
Facebook News Feed - Personalized Newspaper
In an effort to keep its user hooked to the Social Networking site Facebook has launched a revamped News Feed. Currently a Facebook user spends on average 22 minutes online.
The new design that incorporates bigger images, allows customization and may attract advertisers in order to increase the marketing on Facebook. Chief Executive of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg referred to the new design as a “Personalized Newspaper”.
All Facebook users are to receive this new feature before Facebook celebrates its 10th birthday next February.
Photos and video will now have more space on the News Feed, which has changed Facebook’s content in the past few months. Approx. 50 percent of the posts on News Feed is either a photo or a video.
This change is likely to influence Facebook advertisers to be more creative in their marketing pitches as rich media gains most attention across all the Social Media platforms.
There is a waiting list just like Graph Search for the new News Feed.
Doha, turn off your lights for Earth Hour on March 23rd
On Saturday, March 23rd at 8:30 p.m., thousands of cities around the world will go dark for one hour during Earth Hour, WWF’s annual campaign that raises awareness on environmental challenges we all face such as climate change.
As a resident of Doha, I am turning out my lights and I urge our community to take part in Earth Hour. Here’s how:
1. Turn off all non-essential lights in and around our government buildings
2. Promote the event and encourage landmarks and businesses in our community to join in.
Participating for one hour during Earth Hour is only the first step. In addition to that symbolic event, our city can gain recognition for its efforts on climate change through the Earth Hour City Challenge.
Our towns and cities are already facing the staggering costs of weather driven to extremes by climate change, and the resulting power outages, flooded roadways, shuttered businesses, and damaged homes are becoming more and more frequent. Many cities across America understand these risks and are taking practical measures to prepare. Our city must do the same.
With this letter I challenge our city to first take part in Earth Hour and then to participate in WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge! I hope you help protect my family and fellow residents by preparing for the increasingly extreme weather our community faces.
Learn more at http://worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour
Qatar Total Open 2013 Champion @Vika7 Victoria Azarenka. #Qatar #Doha #Tennis #QatarTotalOpen2013 #QTF #TeamVika
Arab Harlem Shake aka Arab Haram* Shake
Video by Sarah Algobaisi on Facebook
