“We have better and bigger events despite the blockade and people in Qatar are able to live normally,” he told a press conference on the festival yesterday.
Al-Suwaidi was highlighting the success of last year’s festival, which was held at Aspire Park in Doha. It is dubbed as one of the biggest and most diverse festivals of its kind in the world.
The CEO, along with other organisers, also presented a behind-the-scenes video displaying AZF’s preparations for this year’s edition of the festival.
Events Organising Committee chairperson Kholoud al-Hail noted that this year’s four-day kite festival also attracted a large number of students from 15 schools in Qatar who will be taking part in the inter-school kite flying competition.
She said the event will be split into two sessions: from 9am to 12 noon for workshops for students who will be participating in a local kite flying contest while entertainment activities will take place from 3pm to 11pm.
According to AZF, the inter-school contest, organised on the sidelines of the main international event on a smaller scale for local schools’ teams, introduces children to the sport of kite flying based on a ‘dedicated schools programme.’
Winners will receive QR50,000 for the first place, QR30,000 for the second place and QR20,000 for the third place.
Meanwhile, amateur and professional photographers in Qatar will also have the chance to show their talents in a photography competition, organised by AZF, in collaboration with the Qatar Photographic Society.
Entrants can compete by posting their photos on social media under the hashtag #AspireKiteFest for a chance to win QR20,000 (first place), a business class plane ticket to a destination of their choice (second place), and two economy class plane tickets (third place), while the fourth and fifth place winners will receive a professional camera each.
AZF is also organising a poster-making competition for children, aged between of five and 13. It will seek out the best illustration of a kite in the skies above Aspire Park for a chance to win valuable giveaways from Virgin Megastores.
Aspire Park is also hosting more than 28 food outlets, which will offer an array of cuisines, delicacies and drinks for visitors to enjoy.
