DOHA: The General Manager of Cultural Village Foundation 'Katara' Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti opened the 4th Katara International Exhibition for Kahraman on Monday in the presence of a number of Their Excellencies ambassadors accredited toQatar, alongside a contingent of those interested in kahraman.
The exhibition comes within Katara events that accompany the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 with the participation of exhibitors from 14 Arab and foreign countries, namely Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, China, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Dominican Republic.
Organised at building 12 of Katara, the exhibition will continue until Jan 18 and is considered an opportunity for visitors to have more glimpse about Kahraman, how it is converted from raw material into rosaries, women's accessories, or precious antiques for homes, as Qatar is one of the most important markets renowned for Kahraman.
In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), following the opening ceremony, Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti said the event is the most critical one in the region and the second one globally after the international Poland exhibition, pointing out that there is large-scale global participation with over 79 pavilions participating in the event. The exhibition showcases a cornucopia of rare raw materials for amber stones and provides collectors of rare materials with the most premium products manufactured from amber, such as rosaries and others.
Dr Al Sulaiti praised the foreign participation in this event, particularly the companies that are participating for the first time, indicating that although the exhibition primarily highlights the economic manifestation, it has a cultural dimension and combines a multitude of cultures, in addition to highlighting the aesthetics of fingerprint creativity, along with the craft professions associated with kahraman.
Speaking to QNA, Director of Katara Publishing House Amira Ahmed Al Mohannadi said the house participates in the aforementioned exhibition with a pavilion that exhibits a collection of critical releases that address Kahraman, along with the latest publications and books that shine a spotlight on the history of kahraman.
In addition, QNA toured the sections of the exhibition during which several exhibitors from Qatar and Arab states commended the role of Katara exhibition in reinforcing the existence of kahraman in the Qatari market, in addition to offering the best collectables such as rosaries and jewels made from this precious stone.
Abdulaziz Al Muhammadi, an amber shop owner, highlighted that he showcases a collection of valuable rosaries and other items, affirming that kahraman is widely desired in Qatar. He added that the most important thing that affects the price of kahraman is its history, as the more it becomes ancient, the more its price surges, indicating that German kahraman is number one followed by the Polish one.
Haider Ibrahim Al Dahnain, one of the exhibitors from Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, told QNA that this was his first participation in the event, praising Katara's efforts in introducing this precious stone the gold of men. He said that his pavilion offers a precious cornucopia rosary of Indonesian origin.
Saad Hashim Muhammad, one of the participating exhibitors from Iraq, told QNA that although he works in trade, he embarked on working in kahraman, adding that he fervently works in this field, because his country is widely renowned for practicing this craft, indicating that he is delighted to participate in Katara exhibition which offers him an opportunity to exhibit the Iraqi fingerprints in designing and forming kahraman.