+ A
A -
Santhosh Chandran
Doha
The eighth edition of the annual Dhow Festival kicked off at Katara Cultural Village with much fanfare on Tuesday. Held under the patronage of the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, the festival will shed light on various facets of marine traditions.
Minister of Energy Affairs HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh al Sada, General Manager of Katara Khalid bin Ibrahim al Sulaiti and prominent personalities from different government entities and diplomatic community attended the opening ceremony.
More than 70 traditional dhows anchored at the Katara beach are expected to charm people during the festival.
This year the festival is focusing on traditional dhows that were used by people in the past. A replica of fishermen settlement and market showcasing the marine traditions of Qatar, Oman, Turkey, Kuwait, Greece, Iran, India, Italy and Zanzibar has been set up.
The four-day festival will feature a variety of cultural events, maritime contests and traditional shows, along with spectacular fireworks.
During the evenings on Thursday and Friday, visitors will be treated to traditional maritime dances such as Saliya, Kharkhour and Ghazal.
In the mornings, the festival will be open to the general public as well as school children.
A cultural caf` with interactive discussions on sea traditions involving experts will add colour to the festival.
Impressive fireworks themed on marine traditions will illuminate the Katara sky on Thursday and Friday from 8pm to 8.30pm.
Sea contests carrying traditional names such as Hadaq, Shoush, Tafreesh, Tajdeef, Bareekha, Al Shira and Sabaha will be the special attractions.
The festival will also feature demonstrations of pearl extraction from oyster as well as games and workshops for children. An art competition focusing on sea traditions will be held on the sidelines of the festival offering impressive prizes.
The festival will conclude on Friday.
