Rise in number of dhows at festival

There has been an increase in the number of dhows participating in the sixth Katara Traditional Dhow Festival – a vital event in Katara’s calendar to keep youth connected with history amid new technology, Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti told The Peninsula yesterday.
“The number of participating boats has increased from 110 the previous year to 118 this year. We are now talking beyond numbers because every year numbers are increasing,” said Al Sulaiti, stressing the importance of the festival not only to Qatar but the Gulf region.
“Rarely you will find institutions that look after this aspect of our cultural heritage so this is something that Katara takes care of because we consider it a significant part of our country’s history and the people’s lives in the Gulf especially in Qatar,” he told this daily.
Al Sulaiti was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the details of the five-day festival which opens tomorrow on Katara Beach.
He underlined the importance of keeping the new generation in touch with their rich maritime heritage and of reminding them of the history of their forefathers through the festival and the profusion of events to be held in line with it.
This edition of the festival is set to witness action through maritime tournaments such as rowing, diving, Al-Ghazl, Al-Hadaq, Al-Lufah, in addition to the two new contests boat launching and Al-Nahmah.
“The number of events and competitions has also increased. We are introducing a number of new features such as Al Nahmah, which traces back in the past when pearl divers used to take someone with a nice voice to entertain them onboard as a way to pass time as they embark on a long voyage to the sea,” explained Al Sulaiti.
A highlight of the festival will be the announcement of the third Fath Al Kheir journey at the end of the festival, said Al Sulaiti.
In its first two editions, the journey has taken the 33-year-old Fath Al Kheir dhow to Oman and India to revive the centuries-old maritime heritage Qatar shares with neighbouring countries.
There will also be morning field trips for international and Arab schools organised by Katara in bid to promote awareness about the maritime rich legacy of Qatar and the Gulf, in addition to sea trips from 3pm to 9pm taking passengers from the Pearl to Katara Beach.
There will also be newly-designed events in place to attract a large public turnout of all age categories and nationalities.
Spectators can watch the Al-Dasha (opening) tomorrow at 3:30pm on Katara Beach. Over 230 participants from the GCC and India and more than 118 dhows of all kinds have registered for the festival.
There will be stalls selling traditional handicrafts created by the region’s best artisans, some known as the Wadaj, Al-Tawash profession, Alyal, Al-yezaf, Laskar, Al-Zarafah, Al-Hadhrah, Al-Qalafah and falaq among others.
The traditional cafe will welcome audiences interested in meeting Qatari and Gulf researchers for a glimpse on the deeply-rooted maritime heritage and listening to narration of epic stories.
A number of cultural activities will be staged including traditional shows inspired by the maritime legacy of the region featuring performers from Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
As in previous editions, there will be fine art and photography competitions open to citizens and residents in and outside Qatar.