Acclaimed Qatari culinary masters and artists team up for ALWAN Qatari Food & Art Festival

Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel launches Qatari food and art festival called “Alwan” at Al Hubara restaurant.  A three-day event is taking place between 8-10 Februarys and is bringing together ‘We Café’ Chefs and renowned artists to celebrate art, culture and food.

Mr. Saeid Heidari, General Manager at Sheraton Grand Doha said, “We are thrilled to celebrate, recognize and appreciate talented artists and culinary masters in Qatar. The festival aims to spread Qatari cultural awareness and engagement in our community through food and art. We would like to commend our inspiring artists and chefs for putting forth their best efforts to portray their artistry that reflect what’s dearest to their hearts, our beloved Qatar.”

Making its debut for the first time at Al Hubara restaurant, ALWAN will showcase the best of local dishes and talent from six renowned artists. The hotel invites guests to discover Qatar’s culture through a unique gastronomic experience. The lineup of carefully thought dishes will be prepared by ‘We Café’ Chefs, spearheaded by Chef Hassan Abdullah Al Ibrahim, the director of We group.

Also bringing Amena Rashid Musa, a Qatari baker and a distinctive pastry chef, specialized in desserts making, well known for her iconic Saffron cake which is now widely served in most of the coffee shops in Qatar. Dunya Abed, a distinctive cook specialized in Hijazi dishes such as

Bukhari, Yaghmash and Kabli and other Mediterranean dishes.

While diners are enjoying unique and innovated dishes brought by ‘We Café’, the exceptional visual arts and crafts of Qatari artists will be displayed at the hotel’s lobby by Al Hubara restaurant. Guests are invited to explore the diverse collection of artworks from Ahmed bin Majed Almaadheed, Ahmed Al-Mulla, Abeer Al-Kuwari, Bouthayna Al Muftah, Ahmed Al Jufairi, and Fahad Al Obaidly.

Ahmed bin Majed Almaadheed, known for the iconic portrait of the Emir, Tamim Al Majd (“Tamim is Glory” in English), will be showing his additional work center stage at the festival. His portrait is an expression of the deep love and unparalleled reverence of the people of Qatar — both Qataris and expatriates — for our leader the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Joining Almaadheed is Ahmed Al-Mulla and Abeer Al-Kuwari. Al-Mulla is a specialized artist in drawing portraits and is currently exhibiting his work in Katara. Al-Kuwari, a Qatari multidisciplinary visual artist who emerged in the field of photography, will also be part of the local artist line-up at the festival. She has been awarded many certificates of appreciation and won numerous awards for his beautiful photography.

Visitors to the festival will be able to view an artwork by Bouthayna Al Muftah. Her work is centered in her passion for Qatari tradition and culture due to her very rich background and strong Qatari roots. Among her inspirations are stories of Qatari heritage and the remnants of folklore of the past. For attendees looking for something more abstract, Ahmed Al Jufairi’s art is contemporary, pop-inspired and conceptual. He puts great thought into the meanings behind his pieces and likes to focus on the idea of subliminal messaging.

Finally displaying his collection alongside the other five Qatari artists is fashion curator Fahad Al Obaidly, with multiple interests such as fashion design, film, drawing and installation, Fahad addresses issues of “identity crisis” in his work. His art reflects a state of instability due to the loss of personal identity resulting from the rapid development taking place in the Gulf.

For more information, please visit www.sheratongranddoha.com or call +974 4485 3000.