Held successfully under the safety and hygiene guidelines, the exhibition sets a benchmark for all business events to follow
The 17th Edition of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition, held under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC), concluded on Tuesday, 1st December after five days. The country’s leading exhibition of modest fashion trends, Heya was hosted by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) and organised by its subsidiary, Qatar Business Events Corporation (QBEC).
As the first event to take place since the lockdown earlier this year, the exhibition followed strict hygiene and safety guidelines put forth by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). To maintain safety, all those entering the exhibition had to present their EHTERAZ application, and organisers ensured visitors and exhibitors wore masks throughout. Social distancing measures were followed, with visitor capacity inside the hall maintained at 30%.
Qatar Business Events Corporation CEO Ahmed Al Obaidli commented: “I would like to congratulate all partners, participants and organisers on a successful event, which marks the return of the sector. While the pandemic has altered the way in which these events are held, the continued collaboration among our stakeholders, and the support from our partners at the Ministry of Public Health, enabled us to provide a safe and controlled environment for the public, while showing the vibrancy of Qatar’s fashion scene.”
This year Heya showcased Qatar’s homegrown talent, with established brands and businesses to upcoming designers participating. Over 150 brands presented high-street apparel, haute couture and luxury, to the latest modest evening gowns and abayas. Well-known local fashion figures, media personalities, influencers, designers and entrepreneurs participated in various talk shows and workshops.
Over the years, many local designers and entrepreneurs have made their debut at Heya, going on to building successful and known brands internationally. A partnership with Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development featured talks with inspirational figures in the business, who spoke at Heya and offered advice to aspiring young designers wishing to launch their own businesses.
Mr. Abdulla Faleh Al Saeed, Board Member and Acting General Manager of Bedaya Center said, “Bedaya Center would like to thank Qatar National Tourism Council and the management of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition for their invitation and support to local entrepreneurs especially to projects owned and operated by women, that are always in need for such kind of support.”
“The 17th edition of the exhibition has achieved great success by all standards, and we are pleased to be a part of this success by providing the opportunity to female startup business owners to showcase their products and businesses. We always seek to provide the best solutions to help entrepreneurs achieve their desired goals, and support the SME sector in the country,” he concluded.
Over its five days, participants at Heya were able to enjoy ten talk shows, four fashion shows and two workshops, organised for current and budding designers. Another Heya partner, M7 participated in numerous talk shows focused on empowering young fashion entrepreneurs. An initiative of Qatar Museums, M7 helps designers explore, collaborate, and grow into successful entrepreneurs.
Maha Al Sulaiti, Acting Director of M7 commented, “It was a pleasure to be part of this edition of Heya. We at M7 truly believe that there is no shortage of creative talent in Qatar and we aim to create an environment that nurtures and develops these designers into successful entrepreneurs. Heya has always been a great platform for young designers to showcase their work and engage with the public where otherwise they wouldn’t have that close connection.”
A partner of Heya, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts Qatar) has long been the institution of choice for the country’s fashion design students. Its faculty, alumni and students participated actively in the 17th edition of Heya as panellists, and also in the fashion shows.
Elizabeth Yang Soon Ju, VCUarts Qatar Fashion Design Alumna and Adjunct Faculty said,
"Having my ‘New Normal’ collection featured on the runway at this year's Heya was a great opportunity for me, and indeed very exciting. I received many positive comments and the whole experience gave me confidence and new connections. This show really brings together the entire fashion community and gives Qatar's new generation of designers a platform to be seen and celebrated."
The 17th edition of Heya endorsed ‘fashion for a cause’, partnering with Education Above All (EAA). Founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in 2012, the foundation works with global, national, regional, and local partners to enrol 10.4 million out of school children globally.
Mr. Mubarak Al Thani, Communication Manager and Head of Advocacy at the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), said: “We thank the organisers of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition for their support, as this donation contributes to our mission to enabling the most vulnerable and marginalised children, especially those affected by poverty, poor infrastructure, conflict, natural disaster and culture barriers, to access quality education.”
For more information on the 17th Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition, please visit www.heya.qa.
For media-related inquiries, please contact QNTC’s Press Office on:
+974 4499 7882 or +974 3392 4466 | pressoffice@visitqatar.qa
About HEYA Arabian Fashion Exhibition
Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition provides a collaborative environment where up-and-coming local designers, female entrepreneurs and fashion enthusiasts can come together to showcase, inspire and motivate others in the industry.
Launched in 2007, and now in its 17th edition, Heya has grown to become Qatar’s biggest platform for contemporary Arabian fashion. Welcoming exciting emerging designers to showcase alongside established global brands, Heya strengthens the country’s position as a major regional shopping destination and centre for fashion innovation.
Featuring a large exhibition space, daily fashion shows and forums, and hands-on workshops, Heya attracts thousands of ladies who come to shop for exclusive collections and discover new designers.
Heya is organised by Qatar National Tourism Council and is delivered by Qatar Business Events Corporation, playing an important role in developing the country’s growing exhibition and conference sector.
About Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC)
Qatar National Tourism Council’s mission is to firmly establish Qatar on the global map as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment.
QNTC’s work is guided by the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy (QNTSS), which seeks to diversify the country’s tourism offering and increase visitor spending.
Since launching QNTSS, Qatar has welcomed over 14 million visitors. The economic impact of the tourism sector in Qatar is becoming increasingly visible with the government designating tourism in 2017 a priority sector in pursuit of a more diverse economy and more active private sector.
About Qatar Business Events Corporation (QBEC)
Qatar Business Events Corporation (QBEC) is an executive arm of Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), which was established in November 2018 as part of a new governance structure that seeks to unify and consolidate efforts to develop the tourism sector.
