DOHA (AFP) – Qatar became the first Middle Eastern country Wednesday to receive Chinese giant pandas -- Suhail and Soraya -- who, took up residence in luxury air-conditioned quarters.
Crowds of children and reporters watched as the four-year-old male and three-year-old female took their first steps in a temporary enclosure in a ceremony at the Al Khor park about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Doha. The Chinese government sent the animals as gift to mark the World Cup that starts November 20. China has not qualified for the event, but is a major customer for Qatar’s natural gas.