Charity organisations, government departments and private establishments across Qatar have upheld the traditions and values of the Holy Month of Ramadan by hosting events and programmes designed to spread joy, brotherhood and solidarity. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Middle East celebrated its ‘Iftar for Cabs’ initiative that brought more than 30 of its hotels and resorts in the region together for a worthy cause. For Iftar, representatives from participating Starwood hotels, including the W Hotel Doha and Sheraton Doha Hotel, distributed Iftar packs containing food and beverages to taxi drivers as they drove through the main entrance. “W Doha is taking part in this Starwood charity initiative to give back to the taxi driver community, by providing Iftar for them as they line up to receive delicious parcels of W culinary delights. This is our way of saying thank you to all the local cabs for their support of our guests during the year,” said PR and Events manager Edgar Vaudeville.Many organisations have hosted special Iftar get-togethers.Ali Bin Ali Group hosted an Iftar for 100 children from Dhreima’s Friends Club Foundation, an orphan support group, this week at the Ramadan Tent of the W Hotel.
Ali Bin Ali’s vice chairman Nabeel Ali Bin Ali said: “The group is immensely pleased to have had an opportunity to share the Ramadan spirit of giving with such a special segment of our society. This Iftar gathering was planned specially to uphold the spirit of Ramadan and this effort forms part of the CSR initiative of the Group. “We carefully chose the W hotel because we wanted to treat the children to something very special; something that stood out from where they usually spend their time and we can see that the children were very happy to enjoy an Iftar gathering of this nature.” Dhreima Foundation general manager Khalid Kamal said: “For us at Dhreima Foundation, it is a special joy to have companies in the caliber of Ali Bin Ali come forward and support our mission. “We know that this evening is a reflection of the commitment of Ali Bin Ali Group, to extend their support towards these children. “I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Ali Bin Ali Group for their generosity and for the time and resources they have spent towards giving all the children who participated at this Iftar gathering a memorable evening.”The evening concluded with a contribution of QR250,000 from Ali Bin Ali Group to support the cultural and educational activities for the children.
The Karnataka Muslim Cultural Association (KMCA), an organisation affiliated to the Indian Cultural Center (ICC) under the aegis of Indian Embassy, also organised a Ramadan get-together and Iftar for members and their families at Maaza Restaurant. An Islamic quiz, recitation and short speech for children was organised as part of the celebration conducted by Abdul Qayyum, Mohsin Sikander and Ifthikar Ahmed. Prizes were also distributed to the winners. Moulana Abdul Rehman Farid Nadwi, the chief guest of the programme, highlighted the importance of Ramadan. Syed Abdul Hye, chief co-ordinator of Islamic Affairs co-ordination committee, and Saquib Raza Khan, President of KMCA, also spoke. IBQ staff gathered for suhoor at the La Cigale Ramadan Tent to celebrate a festive evening. The staff Suhoor was part of IBQ’s annual ‘Do Good Deeds in Ramadan’ campaign, which comprises a series of community outreach initiatives led and sponsored by the bank in Qatar.Attending the suhoor was IBQ managing director George Nasra along with the executive team of the bank, staff and guests. The event included presentation of awards for ‘Employee Excellence’ and prize draws.“Our annual suhoor event for our staff is an opportunity to bring our cosmopolitan community together to celebrate the spirit of the month,” George Nasra said.
“The month of Ramadan is one of solidarity, philanthropy and reflection and we are committed to spread our outreach to support various walks of our community on the occasion. “This is a solid part of our annual corporate citizenship programme through which we seek to sponsor or spearhead initiatives and activities that boost the welfare of our society.” In addition to the staff suhoor, IBQ is planning a visit to the paediatric ward and to have an Iftar organised for the elderly at Rumailah Hospital in partnership with W Doha Hotel. IBQ will be also celebrating the Garangao traditions with the Qatar Orphan Foundation, Dhreima.The Capital Security Department (CSD) hosted a Ramadan dinner on Tuesday to engage with various segments of the community. Many personalities from Doha along with expatriate community leaders attended the event, joined by Ministry of Interior (MoI) department directors, section heads and officers.“The CSD has convened this meeting as part of translating the directions of the Ministry and its keen interest in communication between security forces and people,” said CSD director Brigadier Nasser Jabr al-Nuaimi. He said that communication between the CSD and the public is not limited to the Ramadan meeting as there will be continuous engagements with the public on different occasions to foster the concept of community policing.
Many hotels have set up special Ramadan tents to accommodate people wishing to celebrate the holy month. At the Ritz-Carlton, people breaking their fast are hosted in the huge pavilion tent within the Al Wosail ballroom that is tastefully decorated with a blend of Arabian colours of turquoise, gold and red.The tent, which has the capacity to seat 300 persons, exhibits a spectacle of coloured silks, drapes, soft velvet cushions, sculpted porches, glittering tassels and embroideries of stars and moonlight. A special highlight includes six VIP tents that provide comfort as well as privacy for up to 10 guests.Executive chef Richard Green, with a host of 60 chefs, is ‘on stage’ to provide the taste of Arabia with eight live cooking stations, including two Saj bread stations uniquely presented by Syrian Saj bread makers at Al Wosail foyer. A five-piece band and singer from Lebanon perform live on stage while the henna lady creates beautiful imprints. The falcon man is also present to attract guests with the display of a beautiful falcon every Thursday and Friday evening.Aficionados of shisha, the popular smoke of the Middle East, can also enjoy a wide selection of tobacco flavours, from the traditional to the innovative. Also featured throughout Ramadan is a traditional Arabic souq, displaying gifts such as handmade Middle Eastern carpets, jewellery boxes and local Arabic crafts available for guests to purchase for friends and family. Festivities at the Ramadan tent in the Al Wosail ballroom commence every evening at 6.30pm and are priced at QR180 for ‘Corporate Iftar’ (groups only), QR 250 for Sohour (individual bookings) and QR 75 for shisha. Private VIP tents for a maximum of 10 guests are priced each at QR3,000 including shisha. Iftar for individual guests is available at The Lagoon restaurant from sunset to 8pm and is priced at QR180 per person.At Al Sharq Village and Spa, for the fourth consecutive year, the elegant Seher Al Sharq Ramadan tent in the Al Dasha ballroom is welcoming guests to enjoy a memorable Ramadan experience. Their feast for the senses includes carving stations and over 45 different dishes from cuisines of the region as well as an array of fresh salads and desserts. Live entertainment is provided by musicians coming from Morocco, called the Al Awtar Al Dahabiya band. Shisha connoisseurs may savour over 25 tobacco flavours. Suhour at Seher Al Sharq is priced at QR250 per person, exclusive of Shisha, and on offer from 9pm to 2am.