National Day celebrations start at Darb Al Saai today
The Qatar National Day 2018 celebrations will kick off today at Darb Al Saai in “an atmosphere charged with emotions of patriotism, pride and national identity”, the organisers have said.
This year, the National Day celebrations are being held under the motto ‘As long as it is proven by our deeds ... Qatar remains free’. The motto blends a verse taken from one of the poems by the Founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani, with a phrase from the National Anthem.
The events at Darb Al Saai, the prime venue of the Qatar National Day celebrations, are set to begin immediately after the official opening ceremony. They will start at 4pm today and run until 11pm with the raising of the flag in the main square in the presence of representatives of the participating entities. The festivities continue until December 20. The festivities at Darb Al Saai achieve the National Day vision by strengthening loyalty, unity and pride in Qatar’s national identity. They are also meant to commemorate the anniversary of the establishment of Qatar by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani.
About 30 entities from both the government and non-government sectors are participating in the Darb Al Saai festivities and getting larger space this year, such as the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Police College and Kahramaa. Also, space for the Doha Pavilion tent will be increased, in addition to Mawater’s classic cars.
Among the important entities participating in the Darb Al Saai festivities are the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, MoI - which has eight departments taking part in the event, Police College, Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, whose pavilion will highlight safe shopping, activities of the agricultural sector, effectiveness of hygiene and activities of the environmental sector, etc.
The Organising Committee of the National Day celebrations has allocated many parking spaces for visitors this year, including those with special needs, for whom wheelchair services will be provided in co-operation with Ihsan -- the Centre for Empowerment and Elderly Care. Volunteers will also be provided to help them.
Nine gates have been allocated for entry into the Darb Al Saai site and signs are also provided to guide the public. Twelve signs have been distributed at various locations in Darb Al Saai to provide the necessary comfort to visitors.
The Organising Committee has also provided parking for school buses, taking into account the safety standards for entry and exit of students, and also prepared sufficient traffic routes for smooth entry and exit into and from the parking lots.
Among the activities is ‘Al Maqtar’, which is similar to the old desert lifestyle, where visitors can learn about the close proximity of their ancestors, as well as activities associated with birds, Qatari animals and ancient folk games.
The activity is further divided into chief’s house, house of daily life, house of wildlife and cultural competitions.
The Doha Pavilion, meanwhile, provides an opportunity for all institutions representing all sectors to participate and show their cultural activities to visitors. Darb Al Saai will also feature Qatar Rail activities, and a special event for families and children is being presented in this regard. Visitors will also enjoy parades.
Other highlights include Al Shaqab, which offers pony rides, a traditional show, children’s activities, games and various demonstrations.
Also, there is the Al Liwan Women’s Tent, which features special activities for women.
Meanwhile, the Souq Waqif
activity will provide an opportunity to the owners of the small projects to participate in this national exhibition.
In order to achieve social responsibility and paying attention to employees in Qatar, the Organising Committee has allocated gathering points for workers in a bid to organise their entry and exit into and from the site with all facilities and services. This will provide full comfort to employees at Darb Al Saai, the organisers have said in a statement.
The committee has also been keen to provide medical and ambulance services to the public in co-operation with a number of medical institutions to enhance the value of community participation in this national occasion. Also, in order to achieve the highest quality standards, the committee trained hundreds of organisers on how to deal with the public and facilitate the movement of visitors. It also constituted a trained team of public relations personnel to receive VIP visitors.
Further, the committee has arranged for two mosques with larger areas for men and women, and also allocated restrooms for the public. These are located in suitable areas for families. Among the most important activities at Darb Al Saai are the raising of the flag and the activities of the educational sector, which include Ardat hal Qatar (it aims to raise the skills of children in performing Ardat dance), Qatar Debates, Ad Al Qaseed, Journalists of the Future and Sanad Qanuni (an activity that aims to raise legal awareness among students).
Also, there is good participation from the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities, a non-government humanitarian and development organisation, with assisting children who are victims of crises and disasters as the priority. Al Rayan Channel has arranged for several programmes specially designed for this occasion. The daily coverage will focus on all National Day events, whether at Darb Al Saai or other celebration areas around the country.
Darb Al Saai means the ‘Route of the Messenger’, used by delegates whom the country’s Founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani, would entrust to deliver his instructions and directives. These men were known for their outstanding characteristic traits such as loyalty, obedience, courage and insight on account of which they were chosen to play such a sensitive role in those difficult times.
The courageous delegates could not have performed those missions unless they were welltrained as camel riders, horse riders, sharpshooters and falconers, and above all, had diplomatic skills.