Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Culture, celebrated the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage, observed annually on October 17, through a series of events organised in collaboration with the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the Unesco Regional Office in Doha.
The celebration featured a live performance of Qatari Ardah (traditional sword dance), an art and heritage exhibition showcasing traditional crafts, and the presentation of authentic local cuisine.
Additionally, a documentary film was screened, highlighting Qatar’s efforts to document and safeguard its intangible cultural heritage.
The director of ministry’s Heritage and Identity Department, Sheikha Najla bint Faisal al-Thani, said that cultural heritage in Qatar receives significant attention, rooted in a firm belief in the importance of preserving, documenting, and transmitting it to new generations.
Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to the Gulf States and Yemen, and director of its Doha office, Salah Khaled, expressed his appreciation for Qatar's efforts in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
He noted that this commitment extends beyond the national level to the broader Arab region, and the Gulf states in particular, while commending Qatar's pivotal role in the successful inscription of "Bisht" as an element of this intangible heritage.
Meanwhile, cultural heritage expert at the ministry, Hamad Saeed al- Baloushi, highlighted the successes achieved by the State in this field.
He affirmed that Qatar's leadership of the joint Arab initiative, which led to the inclusion of "Arab Bisht" on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the organisation's meetings in India, is a significant milestone.
