Amir Sword Equestrian Festival from Thursday

The Organising Committee of the Doha International Equestrian Championships – Qatar 2025 announced the completion of preparations for the launch of HH The Amir Sword International Equestrian Festival 2025, which will be held over three consecutive days from today until February 15 at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab with the participation of 194 riders from 35 countries. It carries a total prize pool of over 718,000 euros.
The details of the prestigious event was announced at a press conference held on Wednesday, presided over by Bader bin Mohammed al-Darwish, Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Championship, and President of the Qatar Equestrian Federation; Mohammed Jaber al-Khayarin, Director of the Championship; and Nasser al-Hajri, Sports Director of the Championship.
The competitions will start today, with nine rounds to held at the indoor and outdoor arenas of Al Shaqab. Five of these rounds will be for the one-star and three-star categories at different heights up to 145cm, and two rounds for the CSI five-star category at a height of 145-150cm. There will also be the initial dressage round for local riders, and dressage round with the St. George classification.
Tomorrow, nine more rounds will be held; six for the one-star, three-star and five-star categories at heights of 110-150cm, in addition to a round for Future Riders at a height of 80cm, and a round for the Youth category qualifying for the final of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Championship for Group 7 for the Cadets, Juniors and Youth categories at a height of 130cm, and the international dressage round.
On Saturday, the competitions will begin with the CSI five-star round at a height of 145cm (Against the Clock with Jump Off); HH The Amir Sword at a height of 160cm (Against the Clock with Jump Off), two rounds for the three-star category at heights of 140-150cm, two rounds for the star category at heights of 115-130cm, in addition to a round for Future Riders (100cm), and a round for the Youth category qualifying for the final of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Championship for Group Seven for the Cadets, Juniors and Youth category at a height of 130cm.
Al-Darwish said that the Amir’s Sword Festival is one of the most prestigious event in the series of international equestrian championships – Qatar 2025, and constitutes an extension of the exceptional successes achieved by the previous three Doha Tour rounds, stressing that all necessary arrangements have been completed to ensure that the competitions are held at the highest level of organisation, in line with the Qatar’s excellence in hosting international sporting events, and contributes to strengthening its position on the international sports scene.
The Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee also pointed out that the Amir Sword Festival is being held for the second year in a row at the international level, and represents a strategic step in achieving the goals of Qatari equestrianism, including developing and improving the performance level of Qatari riders, enhancing their expertise and giving them the opportunity to compete with the best-ranked riders in the world.
Al-Khayareen said that the festival embodies the sporting excellence that Qatar has come to enjoy at the international level, and constitutes a unique sporting event of its kind in the Middle East and Asia, due to its high value at all levels, which has made the Qatari equestrian championships one of the most important events on the international scene, which reflects Qatar’s leadership in all equestrian, and enhances its position as an exceptional sporting destination.
Al-Hajri, the tournament’s sports director, informed that the Amir’s Sword Festival will witness the participation of 194 riders; 95 of whom are Qatari riders in addition to riders from neighbouring Gulf countries and European countries representing 35 nations in the showjumping competitions, while the dressage competitions will witness the participation of 15 riders and riders. The championship will be held over three days in two arenas: the indoor arena for the one-star category, and the outdoor arena for the three- and five-star categories. The CSIU-Y round for the age group from 16 to 21 years will be in the outdoor arena, which qualifies for FEI’s Group Seven.
“The dressage round has been allocated to CDI1*, as well as the local dressage round, which will include 15 riders. Four riders will compete for HH The Amir’s Sword on Friday evening. In addition, nearly 500 stables have been provided to accommodate the participating horses and riders,” he added.
He also pointed out that the largest proportion of participating riders are from Qatar with 95 riders, followed by Saudi Arabia with 35 riders, and 39 riders from European countries, in addition to riders from other countries.
HH The Amir Sword Festival will witness the allocation of stables for different categories, as the stables allocated to European riders will host 155 horses, the stables allocated to local riders 176 horses, the stables of Gulf riders 130 horses, and the stables of local Al Shaqab horses 40 horses. The total number of participating horses has reached 351 for all categories of the championship.
Regarding the Arbitration Committee, al-Hajri explained that the team includes judges from 7 countries, with the assistance of a local team, including Qataris. The Festival’s organising committee has allocated a special area for the public that includes many entertainment facilities, including a variety of food and beverages for all categories, in addition to providing multiple options from cafes and shops, in addition to various other events that suit all age groups from all segments of society.
The Longines outdoor arena also includes games for children and an area for visual artists, ensuring an enjoyable and rich experience for all visitors. In an effort to provide an exceptional experience for the riders, a Riders’ Corner has been made, which is at a distinguished location directly overlooking the competition arena. A ticket for one person has been provided at a price of 800 euros for the Festival, or a private table reservation for 6 riders at a price of 3,500 euros for the championship inside the pavilion.
The public can purchase tickets from the official platform Qtickets, with general admission ticket prices ranging from QR50 per day for adults, QR25 for children aged 7 to 12, while entry is free for children under 7. Other options include hospitality packages and VIP tickets, which offer multiple benefits such as exclusive access to the stage, premium seating and valet parking.
The Amir Sword International Equestrian Festival is organised by the Qatar Equestrian Federation, Al Shaqab, and the Qatar Olympic Committee, and is officially sponsored by Doha Bank, Al Abdulghani Motors, Zabargad Jewellery, Visit Qatar, and Vodafone, in partnership with Qatar Airways as the official airline partner, Al Kass Sports Channels as the broadcast partner, So Cast as the social media partner, and Sahil Company as the media partner.