The festival, which runs February 28, was inaugurated by Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, in the presence of Kuwait's ambassador Metyeb Saleh al-Mutotah, and a number of other dignitaries.
The festival president Khalid al-Shahwani accompanied the guests on a tour of the venue. Alongside the sheep and goat barns of various distinguished breeds, the festival features an Arabic Café, traditional lounges for both women and men, a children's corner with a play area and various activities, and a special section for Al-Kubaisi Reserve, which features ostriches, sand gazelles, and various birds and lizards.
There also some tents dedicated to the display of traditional handicrafts. In addition, to the various animal related activities and veterinary services, the festival includes a considerable number of kiosks, where visitors can buy different types of foods, including traditional Qatari dishes, artifacts, honey and other products. Children can enjoy camel and horse riding for free.
Dr al-Sulaiti said that this year's edition of the festival has more space with a greater number of kiosks and activities that have close relation to the main heritage theme of the festival.
"Halal Qatar is one of Katara's most distinguished events that attracts large numbers of visitors interested in sheep and goats from the neighbouring countries and locally. It is also a good tourist attraction for the expatriate families and visitors from across the world," pointed out Dr al-Sulaiti.
The Kuwaiti envoy was of the view that the festival reflects the originality of Arabic traditions and heritage. He stressed that the festival has a good educational and cultural value, especially for the young generations, introducing them to the history of the predecessors.
Al-Shahwani stated that this edition has more competitions and rounds. The competitions are mainly about the most beautiful sheep and goat in different categories of breeds. The top 10 participants will be awarded with a shield and a cash prize. The prizes are QR100,000 (first), QR50,000 (second), QR30,000 (third), QR15,000 (fourth), QR10,000 (fifth) and QR 5,000 (6th to 10th place.) The other main activity of the festival alongside the beauty contest is the daily auction. The festival is open for the public from 9am to noon and 3pm to 10pm.
Children enjoy camel rides at the festival venue.
