More than a hundred dhows from all over the GCC region will dock at the Katara Beach for the Third Traditional Dhow Festival organised by Katara from November 19 to 23. The dhows coming from Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar will be displayed at an expo which will be open to the public.
Owners and crews of these traditional sea vessels will be present to greet visitors, and share their secrets of the maritime trade, revealing the centuries old maritime tradition Qatar and the entire Gulf region share. Under the patronage of the Emir His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the festival is held in cooperation with the Qatar Museums Authority as the leading maritime heritage festival in the GCC region and the world. It aims to revive ancestral heritage in traveling and navigation through sailing and preserving local heritage and Qatar’s maritime legacy.
Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti said: “We are extremely honoured to host this event for the third time in Qatar and proud to teach our younger generation how to travel using Dhows, and educating them about our Qatari history.”
The Fath El Kheir journey, one of the festival’s most prominent events, will start on November 22 and culminate on Qatar National Day on December 18. “We are confident that the Third Dhow Festival will be a great success, similar to the past two years. We are very pleased to see the number of brave men who have registered for the Fath El Kheir GCC-wide trip as well as the rest of the competitions. We are proud of our Qatari culture, and through this event we hope to contribute to Katara’s vision of educating, entertaining, and demonstrating the importance of traditional Arab cultures,” said Ahmed Al Hitmi, Dhow Festival Committee Manager.
Other features of the event include a sailing competition on November 20 and pearl diving and rowing competitions on November 21. Those who wish to participate in sailing and pearl diving may call 66561313 and for rowing 77100151.
Along the Katara beach, exhibitors will display dhows from Gulf countries while visitors will get the chance to experience daily cruises, attend dhow maintenance workshops and cultural sessions, and listen to live traditional music by performers from across the Gulf.
The opening ceremony for the festival will be held on November 19 at 3.30pm. It will be open to the public daily from 9am to 10pm except on Thursdays and Fridays when it will close at 11pm. On November 22, the event will open at 3pm. Public schools can visit the festival from November 20, from 9am till 12 noon. Winners of the various competitions will be announced at an award ceremony November 23 at 6pm.
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/260904-five-day-dhow-fest-begins-on-tuesday.html
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