DOHA: The Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani opened the fourth Traditional Dhow Festival yesterday at Katara beach.
He was accompanied by the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s Personal Representative H H Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The opening ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage
H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Katara Director General, Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, the festival’s Director Ahmed Al Hitmi, several ambassadors and guests.
Dr Al Kuwari said the fourth edition of the festival is unique as it combines aspects of maritime culture GCC countries share.
On the importance of the festival for youth, he said it would impact Qatari and GCC youth because it builds a bridge between the past and the present and teaches them how their ancestors lived.
A highlight of last year’s festival was the Fath Al Kheir dhow which travelled around the GCC.
This year another dhow has been inaugurated which would travel to India, according to Dr Al Sulaiti.
The opening ceremony featured folk bands, including Bahrain’s ‘Shabab Al Hadd’ and Oman’s ‘Suwar for maritime arts’.
Visitors had the opportunity to board the festival’s first of the daily 90-minute traditional cruises that sailed from Katara beach into the Gulf.
Sixteen workshops at the beach saw craftsmen giving live demonstrations of their ancient maritime professions that were popular in the pre-oil and gas era such as smithing, sail-sewing and ship-building.
Traditional Arabian coffee was also on offer, adding the country’s authentic flavour to the mix.
The festival’s most notable musical number ‘Al Tabaa’ (The Edition) took spectators back to 1925 when pearl-diving boats sank in the Gulf following a cyclone and heavy rains. The operetta runs daily at a special stage at Katara beach, throughout the festival.
Besides folk shows, daily cruise and the operetta, the festival’s second day will witness the launch of a traditional sailing competition with participation of 40 contestants on eight boats, a free diving competition and school visits.
Starting today, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the rituals of pearl diving, by watching a full crew on a traditional diving vessel with tools and equipment used in pearl diving. Visitors and guests will be able to watch the trip from the beach.
The third day will feature ‘Al Dashah’, a traditional celebration held in the old days when sailors entered the sea, heading to diving vessels before launching them into pearl banks (Al Hayrat).
The festival ends on Saturday with ‘Al Qafal’ heritage festival, which embodies the return of divers home. The sailing competition has 40 participants on eight boats, rowing event with 10 boats with 11 participants each, pearl diving with 117 participants on nine boats, best dhow competition with nearly 100 participants from the GCC and free driving competition with more than 30 participants, including six Qataris.
The Peninsula
