On 9 December 2021, H.E. Mr. Nathapol Khantahiran, Ambassador of Thailand to the State of Qatar, together with the ASEAN Committee in Doha which consists of the ambassadors of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, attended the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Festival at Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Sidra Mall branch. The festival was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Ridwan Hassan, Ambassador of Indonesia to Qatar, together with Dr. Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Group International,

The festival features more than 160 varieties of fruits and vegetables together with grocery, hot and cold items, ice-creams, chips, candies, biscuits, coffee, dry fruits, canned foods, beverages, and frozen food items from the ASEAN countries. A wide range of health and beauty and household items are also available on shelves at competitive prices. Showcasing at the opening ceremony were ASEAN signature dishes presentation, the ASEAN Anthem and ASEAN tourism promotional video, ASEAN national costumes exhibition and a cultural performance from Indonesia. The festival does not only help expanding market access for ASEAN products in Qatar but also increase awareness on ASEAN among the general public. Special discount on a wide range of imported products from ASEAN countries will be available in all Lulu outlets in Qatar from 9 - 15 December 2021.

At present, there are around 300,000 Southeast Asian nationals residing in Qatar and they contribute greatly to economic sectors in Qatar and also to their countries. In 2020, the volume of trade between Qatar and the ASEAN countries amounted to over USD 9 billion.