A wide range of events and festivities marked the second day of Qatar National Day celebrations at Katara – the Cultural Village Foundation yesterday.
A large number of visitors flocked to Katara to take part in and enjoy the various educational, entertaining and cultural activities on offer from 10am until 10pm.
The National Day celebrations are being held this year under the motto “and I have dealt with others with honesty, wisdom and purity of heart” – words from Qatar’s founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani.
On the occasion, Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti said: “Katara is pleased to celebrate the National Day of Qatar, our homeland, where we live in welfare, safety and security. The festivities are a message of love and loyalty to our wise leadership for the huge efforts in raising Qatar’s profile and rank among the world’s developed nations.”
Some 42 events and activities are being held across different locations, mostly along Katara’s Corniche, and continue until today. Organised in collaboration with over 20 public and private institutions, the festivities include marine activities, military, horse and motorcycle parades, heritage tents and competitions, in addition to power parachuting, awareness initiatives and an all-new Katara FM radio station.
Visitors were thrilled by military shows performed by the Qatar Amiri Guard at the amphitheatre, where they enjoyed music played on a variety of instruments, in addition to a silent military parade and another with army rifles and fire shots.
The Amiri Guard also showcased 14 horses in national costumes, eight of which toured Katara’s Corniche, four were available for photo shoots with visitors and two toured the Cultural Village’s alleyways.
On the occasion, Katara’s Public Relations Department distributed gifts, comprising a container for Arabic coffee along with serving cups.
The gift package was accompanied by a booklet containing an explanation of how to prepare Arabic coffee and another titled “Tarahib wa Salloum”, which includes a number of local terms with Arabic and English commentary to introduce local heritage and culture to tourists and visitors.
Katara has also launched the Katara FM radio station on internal radio frequency 95.1, which sheds light on all events, activities and programmes held in the Cultural Village.
Currently, the radio broadcast is focusing on National Day festivities by airing national songs as well as a series of daily programmes, including a religious programme during the time of dawn prayers and “Black and White”, which broadcasts traditional songs, “Oldies’, “Katara in the eyes of visitors”, “Katara Cinema” and “Katara in a week”.
Built in the style of traditional Qatari houses, the Katara Cultural Market has attracted a variety of audiences. It is open from 9am to 12 noon and from 5pm to 10pm.
Aspire Hospitality has also organised special events for children, including drawing and distribution of flags, in addition to offering visitors free drinks and snacks.
Among the key attractions is the “Book of Loyalty’, a giant book on whose pages visitors from all walks of life jot down words of love and gratitude in different languages and dialects. The initiative is being carried out for the third year in a row.
“The tale of a homeland” gives spectators the opportunity to witness the country’s renaissance through an audio-visual display broadcast via eight windows with attached headphones.
With a traditional tent on the Katara Corniche, the Qatari Society of Al Gannas continued to participate in the celebrations for the second day in a row.
The tent features a photo gallery of previous championships as well as a number of preserved deer, falcons, foxes and rabbits.
Posters of hawks and gifts are being distributed at the tent and information on the upcoming hunting and falcons festival is also being provided to visitors.
The Cultural Village’s restaurants have been decorated with Qatari flags, while all staff members are dressed in traditional costumes and tables decked up with flowers.
Meanwhile, the Qatari Cultural and Social Centre for the Deaf has contributed to Katara’s festivities with special contests conducted in sign language as well as showcasing a number of drawings and products derived from Qatar’s heritage.
The centre’s director, Moza al-Mansouri, said their participation shows the eagerness of deaf people to play an active role in national events and express their feelings of loyalty and gratitude to Qatar.
As part of its National Day celebrations, Katara has set up a number of heritage tents along its Corniche, while exhibitions are another major highlight of the festivities. There are special attractions for sports enthusiasts as well.
Meanwhile, a mobile studio allows visitors to have their photographs taken and then optionally printed on various memorabilia.
