An important commercial hub, the dawn of the millennium saw the oil-rich Middle Eastern countries embark on ambitious tourism-centric projects aimed at wooing high-spending visitors. Determined to match the grandeur of Dubai’s modern hotels and shopping malls, Qatar is on a fast-paced journey towards being named a top tourist destination boasting iconic Doha Hotels and luxury shopping venues.

Situated in the outskirts of Doha, Villaggio Mall is a unique destination and, like Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, one of Qatar’s most distinguishable landmarks. Qatar’s largest shopping mall, this fully-integrated shopping complex opened in 2006 and today, houses world-class retail outlets, dining and entertainment venues.

Named after the Italian word for ‘village’, Villaggio Mall’s Italian-Arab inspired exterior facade carries visitors through the entrance to its wide hallway where the Mall’s Italian theme is more evident. A stroll through the white marble floored hallways take visitors past some of 220 retail shops found in this 130,000 square metre mall under an overhead dome-shaped ceiling that strongly resembles the high domes of Italy’s cathedrals. Regarded as one of Doha’s best shopping destinations, Villaggio Mall houses an array of international designer retail brands and welcomes over a million visitors each month.

The highlight of the Mall’s Italian theme is the 150 metre-long canal, fashioned after the city of Venice, which offer gondola rides along the waterway under a canopy of painted blue sky. The image of Venetian streets is replicated in the numerous bridges that hang above the indoor canal and the lamp-lined walkway lined with Venetian- style buildings that house luxury shopping brands. Visitors can enjoy a meal at one of the Mall’s many restaurants and coffee shops.

Villaggio Mall’s entertainment centre, ‘Gondolania’ is a large indoor theme-park equipped with carnival rides including Bumper cars, Ferris Wheel, a Go-Kart racing circuit, twelve-lane bowling alley and arcade games while its main attractions are its Olympic-size indoor skating rink and Qatar’s only thirteen screen IMAX cinema.

Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+