Stage set for 2022 Qatar Batabit Show this week at Katara

The 2022 Qatar Batabit Show – a premier event for the region’s biker community - will be held at Katara Thursday and Friday, the organisers have announced. According to the general manager of Qatar Batabit, Ibrahim al-Haydos, the show will be the "biggest event for bikers" with entries coming in from across the Middle East. “This is the third time we will host this massively popular event for bikers. Two years ago, we had the first event at The Pearl-Qatar and last year, it was staged inside Katara. This time we are hosting the event bang opposite The St Regis Doha,” he said Wednesday. The event will be open from 3pm to 10pm on both days. There will also be a biker parade from Stadium 974, one of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venues. The riders will start by 2.30pm and reach the competition area in Katara, he informed, stressing that the parade is a "dream show for any biker”.Al-Haydos informed that they have 105 entries so far for the show. "These entries are from Qatar, many are from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. There’s huge interest from the region’s biker community wanting to be part of our event."The two-day event for bikers features 20 categories, all of which offer prize money to the winners. "From small bikes to big ones, we will have all of them here. People who have seen the last two editions know what a fantastic gathering of bikers it is," the official noted. “Until now, everything is moving according to plan. From the number of participants, the setting up of the mechanical support kiosk and arrangements for fan entertainment, we are ready with our show."He thanked the event's sponsors, noting that they have provided "great support to us for long." "This is a public event backed by the Ministry of Sports and Youth. One of the purposes of this event is to spread road safety awareness among the youth. This is a good platform for us to educate young people on riding safety,” the general manager said. The first edition held two years ago was a huge success, he recalled, adding that last year's event was "even bigger than the first one". "We can clearly see a pattern evolving and we expect this week’s show to be even bigger than last year," al-Haydos said. “This year, we will have judges from the US as part of the show. We want to have experienced judges because there is serious competition among the participants. We want the best to judge the best.“My team has searched all over the world to find the most knowledgeable and reputable members of the motorbike community to judge the 2022 Qatar Batabit Show. Every event has different styles and you need to have experienced judges making their call on the bikes."Next year, the organisers will send invites to bikers around the world. "The biker industry is huge around the world with a massive fan following. We want to bring the same flavour to Qatar for an international event,” the official added.Al-Haydos highlighted Qatar Batabit's support for local bikers, saying: "We have workshops inside the competition arena here and any entry can get our help in setting up the bike as they like. Every season, we have many shows for classic bikes. We offer skills training for young fans who have off-road bikes or adventure rides.“Batabit Centre is for everyone. Qataris and expatriates are equally welcome. The biker family is growing and so is our event, which is open to the public."The organisers said people visiting the bike show would have no issues in finding a parking spot as a vast spot just next to the competition arena is open to the public.