Commercial Bank, Qatar’s first private bank, has celebrated the joyful tradition of Garangao with a large number of children in its new branch at Gulf Mall and at Commercial Bank Plaza.
Children wearing traditional dresses took part in the mid-Ramadan festival attended by the bank’s CEO, Abdulla Saleh al-Raisi, other officials and employees.
The little ones participated in a number of games and cultural activities such as singing Garangao songs. They also received gifts and collected sweets, candies, and nuts.
The fun-filled activity is known to be a tradition deeply-rooted in Arabic culture intended to teach children the value of giving and sharing, regarded as an essential Ramadan concept.
“As a home-grown Qatari bank with strong roots in Qatar for 40 years, we are deeply committed to investing in the Qatari community though our range of CSR initiatives and I am delighted that these celebrations this year not only help to maintain a link between children and our rich cultural heritage but also support a talented young Qatari entrepreneur grow her business,” al-Raisi said.
For an innovative surprise, children at the Garangao celebrations were treated to two Qatari cartoon characters “Joud wa Soud” making an appearance for the first time.
The 3D characters were developed for edutainment purposes by Nada al-Musleh, a young Qatari female entrepreneur, and represent Qatari values and culture.
Al-Musleh was invited to introduce the cartoon characters at the bank’s Garangao celebrations as part of its support for Qatar’s entrepreneurial business community and commitment to strengthen and diversify Qatar’s private sector in line with the National Vision 2030.
“Joud wa Soud is an enterprise project that targets children in primary school. The idea falls around three cartoon characters animated in a creative way, using the latest 3D art technologies,” she noted.
“Joud wa Soud are twins, a little boy and girl who represent our community. The third character (revealed in episode two as a surprise for the children) acts as a vehicle for Joud and Soud to explore their surroundings,” al-Musleh said.
“Our vision is to reinforce original Qatari traditions through these characters and play a role in spreading knowledge of our genuine heritage in a modern way,” she added. “The whole project will be presented in two languages, Arabic and English, to enable children from different backgrounds to learn about our Qatari culture and enjoy Joud wa Soud’s exciting adventures.”
Commercial Bank officials also visited a paediatric ward and spread happiness with kids at Hamad Hospital.


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