A pinch of &deli taste at the 11th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival.

The wooden dhow boats are intertwined with Qatar's history and traditional sailing heritage. These ships have sailed the Arabian Sea for centuries, providing Qataris with a vital lifeline for trading fresh water, fruits, and merchandise. Qataris have also used the dhows for fishing and diving for pearls, which at the time played a significant role in Qatar's economy.

More than a decade ago, Qatar launched an event to honor that history and celebrate its boats’ importance in its residents’ lives. That was the birth of the Katara International Dhow Festival, a distinctive experience that aimed to attract heritage lovers and share with them the authentic maritime traditions inspired by Qatar’s ancestors.
Through the years, this event has grown and turned from a regional cultural festivity into a world-class cultural act open to people who love arts, sports, the sea, tradition, and taste.

In 2021, the 11th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival was held in Katara beach, lasted from almost the start of December until Qatar’s National Day (December, 18th) and featured vessels and displays from various countries, including Qatar and Kuwait, India, and Greece.
The Festival was presided by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim bin Faisal Al Thani and Cultural Village Foundation (Katara), General Manager, Prof Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, among other ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions at Katara beach esplanade.

So now, what made the Festival unique this year?

About 20 countries were participating, among them some major Cultural Organizations, like Qatar Museums, Museums from Kuwait, India, and Greece.

The Festival’s visitors could enjoy more than 40 events such as live painting, boat making, traditional handicrafts, live workshops for ship-building, and ancient crafting seminars by the sea.

Among the other activities was the cinematic presentation of the cruise ship “Fath Al Khair” and its trips, traditional Arab singing competition “Nahma,” “Haddaq Al-Saif” fishing competition, story-telling competition, traditional stage shows, live music, and folk bands performances.

85 crafts from Qatar were presented, and about 100 from the Sultanate of Oman, all of which are traditional crafts drawn from the maritime heritage of the Gulf countries.

This time, a new floating cafe gave the opportunity to the Festival’s visitors to experience the events and enjoy the dhows from both sides of the beach and the waterfront. Of course, that floating oasis also offered, apart from the magic view, a variety of drinks and light tastes.

Last but not least, food is an extremely important part of our culture and history so that it couldn’t be absent from this celebration. Food booths were spread around the event area and offered delicious traditional foods and delicacies from different countries. Needless to say, &deli was there too, at the Greek kiosk, offering sweets and snacks of impeccable quality to all those who wanted to taste a bit of Greece.

We at &deli would like to express our wholehearted thanks and appreciation for the opportunity to participate in this important event and we can’t wait to be part of it again next year.