Middle East shopping mall ‘Mini Venice’ has gondolas, M&S and theme park

A travel influencer was stunned to discover a “replica of Venice” in a shopping mall thousands of miles away from the real Italian city.

Sabrina Samoria, who calls herself the “Queen of Vacations” on her TikTok page, shared a video this week from her recent trip to Qatar. The footage shows her exploring a shopping mall that bears a striking resemblance to the iconic Italian city of Venice, known for its picturesque waterways and boats.

“You can even take a gondola ride here. The covered canal is a striking feature and runs through the middle of the mall,” says Sabrina as she wanders around the venue. Despite her visit being at night, the video she posted shows a clear blue sky thanks to an impressive artificial sky installation.

She explains: “How cool is this? It’s pitch black outside right now, but you look up and there’s this beautifully painted ceiling that honestly feels real.”

The mall, located in Qatar’s capital Doha, has even more Venice-inspired features, including a theme park called ‘Gondolania’, equipped with a Ferris wheel and roller coaster. “It’s absolutely crazy,” grins Sabrina, adding that “the mall is a big indoor, air-conditioned attraction.”

As well as the canal, the mall features a 7D cinema, a lazy river and a video game arcade. There’s also an Olympic-sized ice rink and a plethora of shops including Zara, Lacoste and Marks & Spencer – some of which Sabrina “definitely didn’t expect” to find so far from home.

“So where do you find this beautiful piece of Italy?” asks Sabrina. “This is Villagio Mall, which is located in the Aspire zone in western Doha.” One user, clearly taken with the country, replied: “I can’t stop thinking about Qatar since I’ve been there.”

Another user, however, was unimpressed with the mall, commenting: “Not Venice, I’d say they’re trying to copy/replicate the land of legends.. nothing original at all.” While another wondered: “What’s a 7D cinema?”

According to Movie Power, 7D stimulates the viewer’s various senses by “integrating motion control systems for seats” and synchronizing with “7D guns, on-screen events and various environmental effects such as wind, water splashes and scents.”