Tribune News Network
Doha
Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), attended the final day of the D’reesha Performing Arts Festival, which welcomed thousands of visitors over seven days.
Over the course of the week, HE Sheikha Hind watched performances such as Rumi: The Musical and The Journey of Ibn Battuta, detailing the adventures of the famous Arab explorer Ibn Battuta, as well as toured the QF festival’s different zones.
This year, the zones included ‘D’reesha of Invention’, which integrated science and performing arts and was sponsored by ConocoPhillips Qatar and Al Khater House, which housed a variety of cultural performances, workshops and activities. Meanwhile, an area dedicated to art and music allowed visitors to try different instruments as well as paint, sculpt, and act and Torba Farmers Market offered a range of local produce from homegrown businesses.
The final day of the festival also featured an Arabic Poetry Night, where several Arab poets shared works focusing on important issues facing the region. The event welcomed Rawda Al-Hajj, regarded as one of the Arab world’s most famous poets; Kuwaiti poet Dalal Al-Baroud; Anas AlDoghem, a Syrian poet and writer; and Jassim bin Mohammed al-Sahih, a poet from Saudi Arabia.
The D’reesha Performing Arts Festival was held in collaboration with principal partners ConocoPhillips Qatar and the Social & Sport Contribution Fund. Strategic partners are the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Social Development and Family, Doha Film Institute, Torba Farmers Market, WOQOD, and Dukhan Bank.
Saad Rashid Al Muhannadi, Managing Director & CEO, WOQOD, said: “WOQOD sees D’reesha Performing Arts Festival as an opportunity to educate a global audience during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament about regional and Arabic traditions. We are pleased to assist QF in its role as a cultural authority in advancing Arabic culture.”
Ahmed Al-Meer, who visited the festival with his three children, said: “Although the festival coincides with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, where many activities are taking place across Doha, D’reesha Performing Arts Festival is considered the best for families. This is because it provides an educational and cultural experience, and it is also a lot of fun for children and parents. This is what encouraged us to visit multiple times.
“We’ve had a great time, and the children learned a lot about our customs and Islamic history. We want to thank Qatar Foundation for organizing such a unique event.”
Nine-year-old Reem Al-Enezi spent a full afternoon at Oxygen Park, where she participated in many activities. “I enjoyed everything – drawing, painting, and reading stories. I also wore Qatari clothes and took beautiful pictures. I love this place, and I want to come back.”
Studio 5/6 was one of the entities participating in the ‘D’reesha of Invention’ zone, and through workshops it introduced students to robotics programming, as well as different Arab scientists.
