Katara-the Cultural Village Foundation said it is gearing up to host the Katara Ramadan Festival, which will offer an array of activities and events under the theme “Hospitality in various Muslim nations”.
Katara Ramadan Festival 2017 focuses on 12 Arab and Islamic countries, showcasing their traditions and customs specific to the holy month of Ramadan. This was announced yesterday by Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti and Ramadan festival committee chairman Khalid Ibrahim al-Sayed.
The scheduled events consist of lectures, competitions, exhibitions, workshops, traditional games, beach sports and children’s games. There will be 31 events in all. The Islamic lectures and seminars are being organised in co-operation with RAF Foundation, Qatar Charity and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.
A Holy Qur’an memorisation competition will be held for children. As in the previous year, Katara’s mosque will host the Tarawih prayer followed by Islamic gatherings and lessons every day.  
Katara’s beachfront will feature beach volleyball and football matches in the evenings. A new addition to the festival will be traditional games, to be divided into two categories: brain-teasers and fun games. Registration for the traditional games competitions started on Monday. Besides games, cultural and fine arts tents will be set up in Katara’s southern area, and include several cultural lectures presented by prominent Qatari intellectuals as well as various workshops.
The statement notes that Katara’s visitors are “guaranteed a traditional Ramadan-like ambiance” as the Iftar cannon will be installed in Katara’s southern area and fired daily at Maghrib prayer time. In addition, two characters — Mesaharati and the storyteller — will be roaming Katara’s premises to entertain the public. Also, Katara will bring back the treasure hunt contest during the holy month, which will be conducted on its premises and at Meerat Ramadan.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Meerat Ramadan market in Katara’s southern area will be a key component of Katara’s Ramadan Festival this year. Meerat Ramadan has become “increasingly popular” with visitors as it offers provisions from renowned food and beverage suppliers in Qatar as well as 35 other outlets, the statement adds.
The produce and food items on offer are priced in a way that enables Katara’s visitors to meet their grocery requirements at a low cost during the month of Ramadan. The market also offers a wide array of fresh produce and cupboard staples that are usually in large demand during the holy month.
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