The upcoming celebrations of the Qatar National Day (QND) this year will focus on the local environment by encouraging the collaboration of the different segments of the society to participate in maintaining and enhancing the Qatari environment and its natural legacy, which are strongly linked to the national identity.




Speaking at a meeting of the National Day celebrations organizing committee with the media at Al Wajba Castle Sday evening, HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanim al-Ali, Chairman of the National Day Celebrations Committee, stressed that the Day is an occasion for all the members of society to celebrate it and be proud of it, as the motto of this years' celebrations (Ancestral Meadows: is a Trust), which is a verse from a poem by the founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani, emphasizing the deep and well-established links of the Qatari people and their environment.



He explained that the people of Qatar have always been proud of their country and have also been able to overcome the involved challenges of the local environment while their environment never failed to supply them with great bounty of income from the days of pearling until the modern times of gas and oil. He stressed that Qataris considered their environment as the real asset to be prized and kept for a better future for them and their offspring.


Similarly, Abduallah al-Falasi, director of the public relations department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, considered this year's national day slogan as a new effort to further maintaining the local environment. He pointed out that the state is very much interested in enhancing the biodiversity in the country and there are a considerably high numbers of natural reserves in the country that cover all the various wild plants, animals and birds in addition to the marine life such as the project to protect the endangered hawksbill turtles, whale shark, and dugongs among others.
Besides, the one-million tree planting initiative which was launched in 2019, has hit more than 560,000 trees planted so far across the country and set to be completed soon. He said that all initiatives and creative ideas on this regard are welcomed from all the society, companies and the private and government entities with the aim of enhancing the local environment.
Ahmed al-Ajmi, Director of Events Department at the Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Centre, explained that the slogan of the national day was launched earlier than usual this year to give the willing individuals, groups and private and government organisations and companies to prepare, build and present their initiatives and ideas in this regard and they have been contacted on the issue almost six months ago, so that they can come up with their activities. Besides, the activities of this year include the local newspapers' special supplements and coverage of related events with a photo gallery and exhibition, and there are various scheduled culture and heritage events and activities that give special focus on the local environment and the land of the ancestors.
He added that there are currently various meetings going on with the participating entities including the Public Works Authority, the National Day Celebrations Organizing Committee, the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery and others to draw a whole picture for the activities to be held as part of this years' celebrations' which will be covered through the various media platforms including Doha 360 network.
Farhoud al-Hajiri, executive director of the Friends of the Environment Center that Pertain to the Ministry of Culture and Sport, pointed out that many environment related projects have been launched by the center such as encouraging household farming, recycling, fighting desertification, planting wild trees at the wild Qatari lawns, and fostering wild birds and animals at their natural local habitats among others, in addition to the different related agreements with some concerned research centers. He stressed the center is highly active to promote the effective implementation of the National Day motto encouraging individual, group, corporate and community initiatives, in addition to school and university students to present their innovative ideas and projects for maintaining and enhancing the different components of the local environment.
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