The Ministry of Municipality announced that Panda house is open to public and that tickets are a mandatory to visit the park in Al Khor City. The public can now see Suhail and Thuraya, the two giant pandas. Tickets can only be booked online through the Oun application, which is available to download for Apple and Android users. Also, the visitors are to note that the tickets purchased is valid only for one day, only for the day specified day at the time of booking. The ticket is also not refundable. As per the Oun application, ticket price is 50 QR for an adult and 25 QR for children under 14 years old. Visitors may access the Panda House from 10am to 6pm.
To mark the strengthening of relationship between the two countries, Suhail and Thuraya had been sent to Qatar as a gift from China, ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Qatar has become the first country in the Middle East which has giant pandas with the arrival of Suhail and Thuraya. The pair had to undergo quarantine before the public could meet them. Since then, Suhail and Thuraya settled in their new home, the Panda House, a state-of-the-art facility, beside Al Khor Family Park.
The Ministry also elaborated on the key features and amenities of the Panda House, which was inaugurated yesterday by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani. The Ministry shared that the facility has an enclosure, outdoor garden pathway, outdoor booths, garden, and a connecting door to Al Khor Zoo. Up to 300 parking spaces are also made available for visitors.
The expanse of the Panda House park contains 464 trees and 2, 814 bamboo plants. It also has a Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) certification. The 120,000sqm park, with a capacity of 725 people, consists of a 37 square-metre plant mural, gallery, and education room. Visitors can access gift shops, cafe, a veterinary clinic, as well as prayer rooms.
