Qatar today celebrates its National Day with patriotic fervour, commemorating the historic occasion when the founder of the nation, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani, assumed power in 1878 and laid the foundations of a confident and modern Qatar as we know it today.
The excitement that has been building up over the past few weeks over the National Day festivities will reach its climax today with public and private celebrations throughout the country. Qataris and expatriates join the festivities in honour of the country’s founder.
The National Day is a source of pride for Qatar’s history as the country managed to achieve great milestones from the era of its founder until the reign of the HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Qatar, which has become a model for comprehensive and sustainable development, has been able to achieve progress and prosperity to its citizens and reach a leading international status which has allowed it to carry out a significant humanitarian role in achieving world peace and promoting human values and principles.
The country’s wise leadership has provided all necessary support to achieve comprehensive development. It focused on developing the Qatari people as the main target and higher goal in the development process. Therefore, the State provided the Qatari people with whatever it takes to develop their capabilities in order to fulfil their responsibilities towards the homeland and participate in building the country.
HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday attended the celebrations to mark the National Day. They toured a number of celebratory functions organised by Qatari tribes in different areas of the country.
As can be seen in the celebratory mood all round, Qatar’s National Day is significant not just for its citizens, but also for the vast expatriate population it plays host to. Pride over the country’s achievements cuts across to anyone who has made Qatar their home.
Today Qatar can proudly look back on its past achievements. The most important among them is none other than the nation winning the rights to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, thus bringing the prestigious event to the Middle East for the first time.
Over the past few decades, Qatar has made phenomenal progress by establishing a strong academic system that is of tangible value to current and future generations, and is seamlessly tailored to usher in a new era of advancement. HH the Emir has made an ongoing commitment to the development of notable educational initiatives and reforms.
The focus of learning today, as detailed in Qatar’s National Vision 2030, is to ensure that young Qataris are both academically and vocationally equipped to take the lead on the home front and to become major players in the international arena.
The National Day is an articulation of the affection and respect that Qatar’s people feel for the country. It is also a way to encourage the younger generation to take an interest in the nation’s rich history.
