The Dhow Festival returns to the shores of Qatar for a journey back in time
Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Emir of Qatar, Katara, the Cultural Village, today announced the Second Annual Dhow Festival which will open on Tuesday 13th November and run until Saturday 17th November at Katara’s Esplanade.
As the only Dhow Festival in the region, the Second Annual Dhow Festival will showcase over 100 dhows which consist of 13 different types of dhows from across the Gulf. This year the exhibition will display Dhows from Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Oman. Owners and crews of the Dhows will be present to meet and greet visitors, sharing secrets of the trade in an effort to preserve Qatari culture.
Dhow Festival Committee Manager, Ahmed Al Hitmi said: “Building on the success of last year’s Dhow Festival we are proud to, again, host this event which honours Arab Culture and turn it to an annual celebration. The Dhow Festival pays homage to our ancestors who worked effortlessly to build a future for our country. This event provides a platform for cultural exchange, promoting Qatari history, educating and promoting our legacy with the youth of Qatar.
Associated with this event is the Pearl Diving competition which was also a great success last year. The competition which begins on November 15th at 4.00pm will see 156 members of 12 teams embark on three day journey to collect as many pearls as possible using the traditional methods and tools of diving. To mark the end of the festival, an award ceremony announcing the winners of the various competitions will take place on November 17th at 6:00pm.
In addition to the well preserved dhows on display, Katara will host a variety of events including dhow cruises, fireworks, traditional performers, live dhow building, a light show, a rowing competition, Children’s workshops and museum displays from galleries across the Gulf.
The Second Annual Dhow Festival is made possible by Barwa Real Estate and supported by Qatar Airways and Seashore Group.
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