By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter


Hundreds of the country’s residents, both nationals and expatriates, many of them cheering and waving flags, lined up along the 2km-stretch between the Qatar National Museum roundabout and the Emiri Diwan on the Corniche  to watch the colourful parade of the security forces and armoured vehicles held to mark the Qatar National Day celebrations yesterday.
Held for the fifth year running on this day, the parade, marked by patriotic fervour and enthusiasm, and considered to be the masterpiece of the day’s celebrations, reflected the country’s tradition, culture, history and future.
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad  al-Thani, ministers, diplomats and other dignitaries watched the parade from a specially-erected dais, alongside the visitors’ pavilion in Al Rumeila Park for Families.
As soon as the parade ended, HH the Emir walked along the route for quite a distance, which thrilled the crowd that came to witness the National Day parade. They greeted their leader with loud cheers.
The Emir also shook hands with some of those people.   
The country celebrates December 18 as its National Day in honour of the date on which its founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani assumed power in 1878.  Qatar history credits Sheikh Jassim with the bringing together of tribes and sub-tribes and winning a decisive war against the Ottomans in Wajbah on March 25, 1893.  
The crowd along the Corniche and every road that led to the parade zone was perhaps the largest in terms of numbers since the parade started five years ago.
The marching contingents included those from the Army, Air Force, Navy, coastguards,  Internal Security Force, Police Training Academy,  police, civil defence, heritage police, cadets of training academies, and  similar institutions. When the local schoolchildren marched, loud cheers from the crowds greeted the leaders of tomorrow.
As in previous year, the simultaneous parade featuring a large number of armoured vehicles on the three lanes close to the sea-face, along with the marching parade provided a spectacle to the crowds. The skills of the soldiers, weaponry and military possessions left many in the audience awe-struck.
On view was an array of battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers, rocket launchers, heavy guns, anti-aircraft guns and mine detectors.
One of the major attractions of the celebrations was the aerobatic sorties by warplanes and helicopters. The traditional dhows carrying Qatari national flags in the Arabian Gulf too stood out, catching the attention of the gathering, especially before the parade began.
As in the previous years, one could also find Qatari artistes playing traditional music, beating drums, cheering up revellers.  
Vintage cars belonging to the country’s Armed Forces were also on display, alongside Corniche. The cars are expected to remain there for a few more days.
Thanks to the good weather, a large number of residents, including women and children, attended the celebrations.