The Katara International Arabian Horse Festival (KIAHF) came to a dazzling end on Saturday after regaling audiences and equine enthusiasts over the past few days at the Katara Esplanade.
Held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the festival was organised by Katara – the Cultural Village Foundation in co-operation with Qatar Equestrian Federation, Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club, and Qatar Foundation.
Prof Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara and chairman of the KIAHF organising committee, received HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali along with the acting charge d’affaires of the Saudi embassy in Qatar, Ali bin Saad al-Qahtani, and the deputy ambassador of Kuwait to Qatar, Nasser Saqr al-Ghanim, Katara said in a statement on Saturday.
A number of ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions in the country also visited the festival.
Prof al-Sulaiti stressed the success of the event, especially in view of the prevailing health conditions, with the participation of 12 countries which he considered a major achievement.
He said the Title Show was held at Katara for the first time by applying the highest international standards in the field. It also adhered to the standards and procedures specified by the European Conference of Arab Horse Organisations.
He also stressed the full compliance with the Covid-19 precautionary and preventive measures throughout the event.
Prof al-Sulaiti appreciated the distinguished and effective participation of artists in the activities accompanying the event through their different works and exhibitions on related issues. Katara, he noted, was keen to stress the cultural and heritage aspects of the event by highlighting the status of horses throughout Arab history.
He also thanked all the sponsors for supporting the festival.
The Title Show, which carried a total prize money of QR13mn, saw the participation of top-quality Arabian horses - more than 250 of them from 12 countries: Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, the US, Denmark, Italy, Poland and Germany.
On the sidelines, AlBahie Auction House held the exclusive 'Al Aseel – Equine Art' auction for the first time at Katara International Arabian Horse Festival. The auction comprised major works by renowned international equine artists, brought together for the first time.
The concluding ceremony of the festival included the announcement of the winners in different categories of the Title Show. It also featured a presentation by the Amiri Guard cavalry, while a dazzling fireworks and drone show provided a fitting end to the event.
