HH The Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani inaugurated the 12th edition of the distinguished Katara Traditional Dhow Festival on the splendid waterfront of Katara Beach, organised by the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara.
HH The Father Amir was accompanied by Former Prime Minister and also former Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani. Katara Director-General, Professor Khaled bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, was there to receive HH The Father Amir.
Prior to his visit to the festival, HH The Father Amir also set off the journey of the flags of the 32 nations qualified to join the festival on greatly preserved heritage dhow boats that sail past the Doha Corniche and the iconic Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), and on to Doha Port. HH then toured the pavilions of participating countries and was briefed on the activities of the festival and its heritage activities, marine competitions and folklore performances.
Showcase of Qatar’s pearl-diving legacy
The grand and hugely popular festival showcases Qatar’s pearl-diving legacy and the rich values of fishing and maritime history – a cultural pride in the hearts of Qataris for several generations.
The festival includes 50 pavilions – including exhibitions of marine heritage collectibles, crafts and handicrafts known as 43 handicrafts, and ship-building workshops from nine countries that include Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Yemen, India, Turkey and Tanzania.
Professor Al Sulaiti said that the 12th edition of the Dhow Festival is exceptional and a landmark occasion since it coincides with Qatar’s historic hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. He said that the distinctive and celebrated festival will be a window for all visitors from around the world to learn about the strong connection of Qatar and the other Gulf nations with the sea, and the richness of its maritime heritage and history.
The Festival will further add to extending the bridge of communication between cultures and peoples.
The festival, through its various sections, seeks to present various details that would enrich one’s knowledge of life in the Gulf countries in general during ancient times. It will also help revive traditional marine sports through various competitions that were inspired by heritage and their voyage into the sea while seeking livelihood for many decades.
On opening day, the Dhow Festival witnessed a large audience of different age groups and nationalities, who followed a variety of folkloric presentations and performances featuring deep-sea divers and their diving journey as represented through songs.
The various sections of the festival extend over the entire Katara beach, evoking the ancient form of Al Furjan, offering a variety of products related to traditional crafts and industries associated with the sea.
Mexican-Qatari Center
As part of the festivities to celebrate the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Katara also inaugurated the Mexican-Qatari Center with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United States of Mexico, HE Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon.
The centre has its own health clinic and security office, passport clearance office and cultural events office, to cater to Mexican visitors to Qatar supporting the Mexican national football team at the FIFA World Cup™.
Katara aims to coordinate with various authorities and institutions in the country in everything related to the World Cup, including providing various services needed by the fans who support the participating teams.
A special programme to celebrate the World Cup prepared by Katara, is open to the public for the duration of the tournament, until 18 December.
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