Halal Qatar Festival a big draw

More visitors flocked to the southern area of the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara Saturday to enjoy the ongoing 11th Halal Qatar Festival.
From Sunday morning, the festival will start receiving groups of students from across different government and private schools in the country. The students will get the opportunity to take a close look at the desert Bedouin lifestyle and the practice of keeping herds in the olden times, according to a press statement from the organisers.
Besides, the students can also take part in various workshops being held on the sidelines of the festival, so they can have firsthand knowledge of related handicrafts and artistic works, which will enhance their appreciation for this way of life and its associated heritage and traditions.
The festival also has some dedicated spaces for children to try riding camels and horses, as well as interact with herds in close proximity, which can improve their appreciation for nature and enhance their love for nature and animals. Besides, there are dedicated kids' play areas with a number of games.
Meanwhile, the regular activities of the festival continued Saturday, including the daily auction of some quality breeds of goats and sheep as well as the beauty contest for best sheep and goats in different categories. Livestock owners and fans stressed that the festival enjoys a great reputation as an active and open platform for exchanging views and experiences on related issues. They consider it as an excellent opportunity to develop local production and enhance it with some excellent breeds, while the daily auction has been highly beneficial for many herd owners in terms of both selling their herds and buying distinguished breeds.
The festival is open to the public at Katara until February 24, from 9am until 12noon and again from 4pm until 10pm. It is a an excellent opportunity for the younger generations to get introduced to a the daily practices of the ancestral generations and how they used to value their environment and surroundings, the statement added.