HE Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general manager of the Cultural Village Foundation - Katara and chairman of the Organising Committee of the Katara International Arabian Horse Festival (KIAHF 2023), inaugurated on Saturday an exhibition titled 'The Journey... A Tale of the Arabian Horse' in the presence of HE Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Thani and a number of sheikhs, ambassadors and other guests.
On the occasion, HE Prof Dr al-Sulaiti said: “The people of Qatar have been associated with horses since ancient times, and organising the exhibition in conjunction with the Katara International Arabian Horse Festival is nothing but a celebration and confirmation of the importance of horses in our lives since ancient times. Arabian horses and their form make them unique and distinct from others, and the exhibition is a window of knowledge for everyone who wants to see the grace, beauty and majesty of horses and learn more about the historical sequence of Arabian horses."
The exhibition includes nearly 100 paintings well-known artist and historian Peter Upton, a group of collectors from Qatar and Kuwait, namely Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Thani, Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah al-Thani, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hassan al-Thani, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud al-Thani, Arhama Issa al-Sahlawi, Rashid Ali al-Kuwari, Ahmed Sultan al-Ghanim and Saif Mohamed al-Hajri as well as Sheikha Sarah al-Fahd al-Sabah, Mohamed Jassem al-Marzouq and Talal Abdullah al-Mahri from Kuwait.
"The exhibition takes the visitor on an aesthetic, cognitive and documentary journey. Through the paintings, they learn the historical sequence of horses, their forms and the elements of their beauty," a press statement notes.
Since the Arabian horse was an essential part of the life of the people of Qatar, it is for them a symbol of pride, dignity, strength and valour, and their companion in war and peace. It is this connection and interest in history which makes the ownership of horses a highly valued matter among its enthusiasts. Owning and breeding purebred Arabian horses in Qatar is a source of national pride.
The exhibition is open to visitors from 10am to 10pm in Building 13, and continues until the end of the Katara International Arabian Horse Festival 2023, which concludes on February 11.
