15 November 2003
DOHA: Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is preparing for the celebration of Eid Al Fitr that will be held in the Corniche area from the first day of Eid until November 29.
Celebrations will include family fun and entertainment activities between 5pm and 11pm every day. The Festival is designed to celebrate the traditions and culture of the region in an atmosphere where both nationals and expatriates can participate, said a QTA release on Thursday. It will have the support of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage.
To ensure proper organisation, a committee headed by Ibrahim Fakhro, QTA Manager of Operations, has been appointed with representatives from various government agencies in Qatar. The committee recently held a meeting at Qatar Tourism Authority’s offices.
Commander Khalid Al Mass headed the delegation from the Ministry of Interior, while Abdullah Bu Kashisha represented the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture; Jassim Ibrahim Fakhro, the Ministry of Health; Hussain Ragab, the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage and Khalid Al Nama, Qatari TV and Radio Organisation.
QTA was represented by Raghida Haddad, General Manager Public Relations and Corporate Communications; Sahel Al Sulaiti, Head of Licensing and Security Department; Abdullah Al Amadi, Operations Supervisor and Khalid Al Hijji, head of Event Management Department.
The meeting agreed on an Action Plan for the festival and list of tasks assigned to each party to ensure full success of the event and ensure maximum cooperation.
The festival, which is organised by QTA, will start on first day of Eid holidays with an impressive military parade and the traditional celebratory shows and fireworks. It will also have aqua entertainment in which water fountains will dance with music and laser lights.
Visitors will have the chance to build sand palaces and enjoy Jazz and Samba music.
QTA will also build a Heritage Village, that will have all the traditional ingredients of life in the region. Customary food, dessert and traditional drinks will be served. There will be Henna painting while storytellers will make ancient legends come alive even as the power and grace of falconry will be explained and demonstrated. There will be clowns and jugglers to entertain the young in Arabic and English.
The Eid Festival will also see ‘Holiday on Ice’ shows, for which an ice skating rink will be built, and host ice dancers from all over the world, who will also unveil their best shows during Doha Summer Festival next year for the first time in the region.
QTA will create several activity stations, including:
1. Holiday on Ice: Two 20-minute shows a day, starting at 5pm. In between the shows, professional skaters will hold workshops for children. The ice rink will be in the open air, and will serve as a promotion for the next Summer Wonders.
2. Fun Park at the Children Playground near the Heritage Village, where many inflatables will be placed as a fun park for children to enjoy.
3. Educational Section in the Heritage Village, where bands will play traditional instruments and performers will give lessons to the children.
Falcon shows and lessons on how to feed and train them for hunting will be also held. Along side story-telling sessions. Civil Defence personnel will give First Aid lessons. Art stalls and exhibitions will be organised, where painters will give demonstrations and hold workshops.
4. Central Stage: From 10am to 12 noon there will be a special programme for children, while in the late afternoon there will be music performances by regional music bands. This central area is meant to be a place of ambience for people to chat and enjoy.
Alongside the activities there will be three to four well-decorated tents that will offer traditional oriental pastries, shawarmas, homemade bread, fresh juices, tea, coffee and other snacks. There will also be terraces for people to rest while enjoying their drinks. Various booths will house fast-food outlets such as Subway, Takeaway, Opera Café etc.
There will be a host of performers creating a living parade with amazing costumes and acts of fire-eaters, unicycles, jugglers, stilt-walkers, acrobats, clowns, face-painters etc. Large amounts of sand will be transformed into magnificent sculptured sandcastles, and people can watch the building process as it evolves.
DOHA: Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is preparing for the celebration of Eid Al Fitr that will be held in the Corniche area from the first day of Eid until November 29.
Celebrations will include family fun and entertainment activities between 5pm and 11pm every day. The Festival is designed to celebrate the traditions and culture of the region in an atmosphere where both nationals and expatriates can participate, said a QTA release on Thursday. It will have the support of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage.
To ensure proper organisation, a committee headed by Ibrahim Fakhro, QTA Manager of Operations, has been appointed with representatives from various government agencies in Qatar. The committee recently held a meeting at Qatar Tourism Authority’s offices.
Commander Khalid Al Mass headed the delegation from the Ministry of Interior, while Abdullah Bu Kashisha represented the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture; Jassim Ibrahim Fakhro, the Ministry of Health; Hussain Ragab, the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage and Khalid Al Nama, Qatari TV and Radio Organisation.
QTA was represented by Raghida Haddad, General Manager Public Relations and Corporate Communications; Sahel Al Sulaiti, Head of Licensing and Security Department; Abdullah Al Amadi, Operations Supervisor and Khalid Al Hijji, head of Event Management Department.
The meeting agreed on an Action Plan for the festival and list of tasks assigned to each party to ensure full success of the event and ensure maximum cooperation.
The festival, which is organised by QTA, will start on first day of Eid holidays with an impressive military parade and the traditional celebratory shows and fireworks. It will also have aqua entertainment in which water fountains will dance with music and laser lights.
Visitors will have the chance to build sand palaces and enjoy Jazz and Samba music.
QTA will also build a Heritage Village, that will have all the traditional ingredients of life in the region. Customary food, dessert and traditional drinks will be served. There will be Henna painting while storytellers will make ancient legends come alive even as the power and grace of falconry will be explained and demonstrated. There will be clowns and jugglers to entertain the young in Arabic and English.
The Eid Festival will also see ‘Holiday on Ice’ shows, for which an ice skating rink will be built, and host ice dancers from all over the world, who will also unveil their best shows during Doha Summer Festival next year for the first time in the region.
QTA will create several activity stations, including:
1. Holiday on Ice: Two 20-minute shows a day, starting at 5pm. In between the shows, professional skaters will hold workshops for children. The ice rink will be in the open air, and will serve as a promotion for the next Summer Wonders.
2. Fun Park at the Children Playground near the Heritage Village, where many inflatables will be placed as a fun park for children to enjoy.
3. Educational Section in the Heritage Village, where bands will play traditional instruments and performers will give lessons to the children.
Falcon shows and lessons on how to feed and train them for hunting will be also held. Along side story-telling sessions. Civil Defence personnel will give First Aid lessons. Art stalls and exhibitions will be organised, where painters will give demonstrations and hold workshops.
4. Central Stage: From 10am to 12 noon there will be a special programme for children, while in the late afternoon there will be music performances by regional music bands. This central area is meant to be a place of ambience for people to chat and enjoy.
Alongside the activities there will be three to four well-decorated tents that will offer traditional oriental pastries, shawarmas, homemade bread, fresh juices, tea, coffee and other snacks. There will also be terraces for people to rest while enjoying their drinks. Various booths will house fast-food outlets such as Subway, Takeaway, Opera Café etc.
There will be a host of performers creating a living parade with amazing costumes and acts of fire-eaters, unicycles, jugglers, stilt-walkers, acrobats, clowns, face-painters etc. Large amounts of sand will be transformed into magnificent sculptured sandcastles, and people can watch the building process as it evolves.
© The Peninsula 2003
