Asian expatriate communities and several of their organisations joined the Qatar National Day Celebrations with great enthusiasm and excitement by participating in a wide range of associated activities, organised by the Ministry of Interior on Monday.

MoI had arranged special programmes in six different venues all across the country where thousands of students, families and Asian community members took part in cultural shows, music performances and other related activities. Large number of spectators were present at the venues right from early afternoon.
With the weather playing a perfect companion, it was a great a depiction of national symbols of Qatar and love for the country as well as a wonderful show of cultural fiesta at Asian Town in Industrial Area where a number of Asian communities presented the programmes. The mega event that started in the early afternoon lasted all through the evening and beyond.



A dance performance by a community organisation


A section of the spectators at the venue

A colourful parade by the students of a number of expatriate schools was the highlight of the afternoon which also marked the beginning of the programmes at Asian Town. A mini presentation of the National Day Parade, the event showcased a large number of students dressed up in various military uniforms, national dress as well as some of the traditional Qatari attire. It also had a number of tableaux highlighting the culture and economic might of the country.
Students from Ideal Indian School, Birla Public School, Noble International School, Sri Lankan Stafford School, Bangladesh MHM School and Rajagiri School took part in the march-past, which was followed by cultural programmes presented by students and associations from Asian communities.
Indian, Sri Lankan, Nepalese and Bangladeshi community organisations presented a number of cultural shows and traditional performances. In addition to the music and dance performances by the community members, there was also a classic car show by Mawater team and a bike show by Harley Davidson riders at the venue.
The community organisations that presented the programmes included Indian Women's Association Qatar, Maharashtra Mandal Qatar, Mangalore Cricket Club, Skills Development Centre, Doha Malayali Kids and Moms and a number of other organisations.
In addition to the cultural programmes, the cricket stadium in Asian town hosted a mega cricket tournament with participation of International players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India. The cricketers included some popular former and current international players such as Lakshmipathy Balaji, Badrinat, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Abdul Razzaq and Fawad Alam Dilhara Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Elias Sunny, Inam-ul-Haq and Ashraful.
Other locations of National Day festivities organised by MoI were Labour City and Barwa Al Baraha in Doha industrial area, Wakra Sports Club, Rayyan Sports Club and Barwa Workers’ Recreation Complex in Al Khor.

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