Qatar's first International Coffee Expo at Katara attracts visitors

For coffee-lovers, the latest event at Katara has seen the popular beverage highlighted with the first international coffee expo in Qatar.

Organised under the patronage of H.E Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, "My Coffee, My Identity" celebrates all things caffeine.

The exhibition recognises the increased interest in regional markets for gourmet coffee, with Qatar's own market share sharply increased over the past 10 years.

The coffee expo is open everyday from 10.00am until 10.00pm from 3rd March until 7th March. This five day event hosts coffee retailers as well as representatives of several Embassies.

The coffee and beverage culture of many countries was highlighted from Kenya and Argentinia to others that are not as widely known for their coffee production such as Vietnam and Thailand.

Katara Cultural Village is a fantasic venue for free high-quality cultural events, and this exhibition is no diffferent. There are coffee tasting events, international coffee competitions, and live entertainment provided by the Embassies.

Visitors to the event are also able to sample many coffees for free, whilst there are also many others available to purchase. There are also a range of coffee distributors, retailers and traders highlighting their services.

The event was organised by Art & Art in collaboration with Qatar Heritage and Identity Centre (QHIC), which was established by H.H Sheikha Moza in order to preserve and revive authentic Qatari heritage and cultural identity.

Visitors are encouraged to visit QHIC's traditional bedouin-style tent to try deliciously hot Qatari karak served the authentic way.

The opening ceremony on Thursday evening highlighted the importance of coffee to world cultures, commerce and societal development across the ages.

An interesting art gallery provides many interesting facts and information about coffee, whilst coffee seminars over the weekend highlighted the art of tasting coffee.

A community Majlis was presented by Qatar Living as a way of giving back to the community. Don't forget to enter the Qatar Living Selfie social media competition when you visit the event.

You can do so by taking a selfie at the QL Community Majlis. Make ssure you use #QLcoffee and tag @qatarliving and @icedoha. The competition closes March 6th. The winner will be announced on Instagram.

A three part Coffee Barista Competition will be held over the duration of the expo (4th-6th March 2016), with three rounds of competition.

Participating baristas must prepare one espresso, one cappuccino, and one cocktail drink (they will bring their own special ingredients or toppings for the cocktail drink).

Winners will participate in a final round on 6th March with winners revealed at 9.00pm. The final winner will win a trip to Italy as well as advanced Barista training.

The highlight of the festival were the many Embassies showcasing the coffee cultures of their countires, with some interesting exhibitions from the Embassy of Ethiopia, Egypt and Turkey.

The Embassy of Indonesia however stole the show, with their guest Asian civet who provided an interesting aspect to their booth. They were highlighting the 'Kopi Luwak' version of coffee processing producing on of the world's most expensive coffees.

Pic Credits: QE and ICE Doha