(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: The highly anticipated Katara Traditional Dhow Festival begins tomorrow (Tuesday) until December 18, coinciding with the Arab Cup 2021.
Nine countries will be participating in this year's 11 edition which include Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Greece, India, Zanzibar, and Turkey. The participating countries will have their respective stalls during the festival, along with the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Municipality.
The Dhow festival will also present over 85 crafts from Qatar, and 100 crafts from Oman, all of which are traditional drawn from the maritime heritage of the Gulf countries.
The festival is characterised by a number of competitions and marine shows, besides variety of cultural activities and events that shed light on the ancient maritime history aimed at restoring culture and preserving folk heritage.
The festival activities include exhibitions displaying maritime heritage collections from various participating countries, special pavilions of traditional handicrafts, and workshops showcasing ship-building process and ancient craft, in addition to marine competitions.
The 11th edition will also launch the“Nahma” competition, an Arab singing tradition which is one of the most prominent marine heritage cultures in Qatar and the Gulf region. Also, fine arts, painting and portrait competitions will be open to citizens and residents.
Moreover, there will also be story-telling competitions and traditional stage shows throughout the festival.
Meanwhile, the Haddaq Al-Saif fishing competition will also take place on all days of the fortnight-long festival.
This edition will also be distinguished by a variety of other competitions and marine shows and a series of workshops related to handicrafts that shed light on the marine heritage and reflect the reality of the environment of the people of the sea such as the manufacture of ships and boats (galaf) which occupies a prominent position among the traditional industries. The various industries in fishing, pearl diving and trade, folk craft such as palm fronds, wood,
blacksmithing, spinning (fishing nets), ropes and other ancient marine artefacts, in addition to the presence of the traditional marketplace.
The public can also enjoy live music, folk bands, and delicious traditional food of various cuisine, and artistic performances which will be presented by popular groups every Thursday to Saturday.
The festival which will be held at Katara Beach is open from 9am to 12 noon and from 3pm to 10pm. On weekends, however, the festival will remain open until 11pm.
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