Katara Traditional Dhow Festival concludes, marks ten years of Qatar’s maritime culture and heritage show

 

Doha -- Katara

 

The conclusion of the 10th edition of the Katara Traditional Dhow Festival on Saturday marked the completion of ten long years since the launch of what is now a significant event of Qatar and the region maritime culture, heritage, history and tradition.

The 2020 festival was held at the esplanade of The Cultural Village Foundation – Katara over five days with all precautionary health measures against the coronavirus pandemic according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Health.

All participating nations – Qatar, Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Republic of Iraq, Tanzania and India, and visitors adhered to the health and safety measures resulting in a very successful conduct of the festival.

The festival witnessed visits of several Their Excellencies, ambassadors and dignitaries. The turn-out was large and quite high over the weekend,

As in the past one decade, the festival has been characterised by a number of competitions and marine shows, besides a variety of cultural activities and events that reflect ancestral heritage and shed light on the ancient maritime history aimed at restoring culture and preserving folk heritage.

The Haddaq Al-Saif fishing competition, which began on the first day of the festival saw a lot of big fish catch being brought in by the participants. The weight of the largest catch was calculated on Friday.

Sultan Dokhi Al-Muraikhi (1kg and 900 grams), Nasser Ali Badr (1kg, 900gms), Khalifa Abdullah Bujsum (1kg, 900gms) emerged as the best and were rewarded with a prize of QR4,000 each.

Ahmad Khamis Al-Badr and Salih Ali Al-Badr (1kg, 600 grams) won QR3,000, while  Salih Khamis Al-Badr (1kg, 400gms) received the prize of QR2,000.

Saad Rashid Al-Mansouri (1kg, 300gms), Yousef Ibrahim Al-Obaidly (1kg, 100gms), Abdullah Muhammad Al-Matati (1kg, 50gms), and Saad Al-Badr (960gms) were awarded QR1,000 each.

Besides the competition, maritime heritage collections from various participating countries, special pavilions of traditional handicrafts, and workshops showcasing ship-building process and ancient craft stood out with their unique displays at this edition.

The festival and its activities also received a wide media attention. Television, newspapers and radio channels described the on-goings at the festival in detail given the growing interest of the locals, expats and foreign visitors in the maritime history and culture of Qatar and the region.

While the newspapers published describing articles and pictures of various activities at the festival, Qatar Television carried live coverage. Qatar Television had also painted their outdoor broadcast (OB Van) stationed by the Katara beach esplanade in imagery of Qatar of the past and present.

Having grown exponentially over the years, the dhow festival - where traditions are revived and renewed – occupies a valuable stature as a prominent destination for heritage and culture and attracts visitors of all nationalities.

This year’s edition of the festival was partnered by Qatar Insurance, the Official Insurance Sponsor, Qatar Airways, the Official Carrier, Qatar Petroleum, the Platinum Sponsor, and Al Meera.