Minister of Culture Inaugurates National Day Events in Darb Al Saai

Doha, November 25 (QNA) - HE Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Qatar National Day (QND) Celebrations Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Thani inaugurated Friday evening Darb Al Saai events to mark the National Day of the country 2022 that corresponds to December 18 every year. This year event is held under the slogan: "Our Unity Source of Our Strength" at the permanent headquarters of Darb Al Saai in the Umm Salal Mohammed area in the presence of HE Minister of Labor Dr. Ali bin Saeed bin Smaikh Al Marri. The events began by raising the Qatari flag which fluttered in the sky on the rhythm of chants and traditional sword dances of Qatar people (Ardha) in the midst of camel shows in the presence of large number of masses, where the events were opened Friday with a superb heritage painting that combined land and sea heritages in Qatar marking the launch of the celebration's events for the national day in a great harmony between the slogan of the National Day and the activities of the celebration, which will run until Dec. 18,2022. In a statement on this occasion, HE Minister of Culture said that the national day is a great occasion in the hearts of all Qatari people, because it represents supreme values that express the meanings of allegiance and honor to this country. His Excellency asserted that Darb Al Saai is a cultural space that combines multiple events derived from the authentic Qatari environment and culture and inspires the authentic Arabic values, pointing out that the diversity of the cultural and heritage events in Darb Al Saai reflects how crammed the Qatari history and heritage are, and underscores the interest of the Ministry of Culture and the organizing committee in offering distinguished and rich events. His Excellency expressed his pride for the work and facilitations accomplished for these events, including the permanent and new headquarters of Darb Al Saai which is a sustainable legacy for the people of the State of Qatar and the generations to come, as well as a unique cultural, artistic and heritage forum. For his part, HE Minister of Labor hailed the efforts of the organizing committee, emphasizing that the events offered by the committee for the celebrations of this year national day reflect the Qatari identity and highlight the cultural and heritage aspects of the Qatari people. In press statements, His Excellency said that the atmospheres of Darb Al Saai embody the slogan of the national day "Our Unity Source of Our Strength", adding that the opening events of Darb Al Saai which coincide with Qatar's hosting of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 offer the opportunity for the entire world to have a glimpse of the Qatari culture and history. In his closing remark, HE Minister of Labor extended his thanks to the organizing committee headed by HE Minister of Culture for the efforts made to organize these events which he deemed excellent and cope with the celebrations of the national day. In a related context, General Supervisor of National Day Celebrations Dr. Ghanem bin Mubarak Al-Ali pointed to the large public attendance in the opening ceremony of the events of the national day in Darb Al Saai, predicting substantial number of visitors from the masses to attend, especially the fans of world cup. He said that the organizing committee was determined to make live streaming of the match between the Qatari national football team and Senegal team via screens that were specifically distributed in Darb Al Saai, along with other screens that will stream many matches to ensure that the spectators and Darb Al Saai visitors can watch the matches from Darb Al Saai site. A number of cultural centers under the Ministry of Culture are participating in the activities of Darb Al Saai with diverse cultural and artistic events. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Director of the Qatar Poetry Center "Diwan Al-Arab" poet Shabib bin Arar Al Nuaimi said that the participation of the Qatar Poetry Center in the National Day activities at Darb Al Saai aims to spread the spirit of values and morals and consolidate national identity, through literature and through the distinguished poems presented by poets, noting that the center will hold a series of poetry evenings, in which poets: Radi Al Hajri, Abdulrahman Al Dulaimi and Mohammed Saleh Yassin will take part. He pointed out that the center will present 6 poetry evenings over many days until December 18 at Darb Al Saai, in addition to a symposium on poetry and the role of poets in society, with the participation of an elite of poets. Deputy Director of the Qatar Photography Center Ahmed Khaled Al Ansari, who is responsible for the center's activities at Darb Al Saai, noted that several activities will be available for the public over the course of the event, with the participation of 30 photographers. He added the most important of these events are a professional photography studio and a photo chat initiative, which consists of two events that will be held on the main stage. Al Ansari said the center will hold a photo exhibition at Darb Al Saai with 43 creative works, all of which highlight the aesthetics of Qatar and present its cultural heritage, in addition to a photography competition to enhance the interaction of fans at Darb Al Saai with events and to discover talents. The Director of the Visual Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture Hoda Al Yafei said that the center will organize the Art Gallery at Darb Al Saai to shed light on the various Qatari arts, noting that the Art Gallery will have a number of pavilions, the most prominent of which is ceramics to which an expo will be devoted with 12 artists taking part. Director of the Music Affairs Center Khaled Al Salem said that the center will present 42 events over 24 days during the Darb Al Saai activities, along with a number of musical events. (QNA)