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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

Many fans, especially Argentines, flocked to the Souq Waqif marketplace to buy the traditional clothing worn by Lionel Messi as he lifted the World Cup trophy, Qatar's Al Raya newspaper reported.

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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

Many fans, especially Argentines, flocked to the Souq Waqif marketplace to buy the traditional clothing worn by Arabs in Gulf countries, Qatar's Al Raya newspaper reported.

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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

"We are very proud that the bishts in our store are entirely a product of the Qatari industry," the daily quoted a producer of bisht, Ahmed es-Salim, as saying.

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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

He said there has been strong demand for the attire from World Cup fans, especially Westerners, since the trophy ceremony took place Sunday, adding he expects sales to increase further in the coming days.

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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

A bisht was gifted to Messi by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani during the World Cup championship celebrations.

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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

On Sunday, Messi-led Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties to win the World Cup.

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Traditional Qatari cloak worn by Messi at World Cup ceremony attracts great interest

Bishts are worn in the Gulf region for special events and celebrations. Symbolizing wealth and royalty, the attire comes in different colors such as gray, black, brown, white and beige.