HE Sheikha Noor al-Subaiee, wife of HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, today launches the eighth Diplomatic Bazaar, a two-day multicultural charity exhibit held by the Social Development Centre (SDC) at Katara Cultural Village. Commenting on the Bazaar, Munira bint Nasser al-Missned, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, SDC, said: “SDC highly appreciates HE Sheikha Noor al-Subaiee’s presence at the eighth Diplomatic Bazaar”. “We feel honoured that one of the centre’s biggest events of the year is being inaugurated by Her Excellency, who represents Qatar in welcoming the many participating diplomatic missions,” she said.Amal al-Mannai, Executive Director, SDC, who was also present at the event, said: “We have found a great partner in Katara, the Cultural Village, and are grateful to them for sponsoring and hosting this event, which fits in perfectly with the traditional atmosphere of the venue”. The Bazaar will see a total of 25 diplomatic missions showcasing unique traditional gift items and souvenirs, including delicacies, clothes, jewellery, and a selection of art and decoration items from their respective countries. As such, the countries present at this year’s Bazaar will be the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Greece, Peru, Turkey, The Netherlands, Algeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, Venezuela, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kenya, Iran, and Oman. Sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar and Katara, the Diplomatic Bazaar aims to raise funds for the centre’s vocational training and development department which provides training for individuals to improve their knowledge and skills in their chosen careers. Over the years, the Diplomatic Bazaar has become part of Qatar’s community fabric, fostering cultural exchange between the diverse groups of residents based in Qatar.It was first held in 1999 to raise funds to support the design, first-stage implementation, and operation of Sheikha Haya Bint Nasser Factory for Industrial Tailoring, a non-profit project developed to create job and training opportunities in dressmaking. The Bazaar is open to the public until 9:30pm today, and from 4pm-10pm tomorrow.