qatari's blog

The Eid Holidays are here and Doha has lots going on. We went to the Water Circus next to the Diplomatic Club (West Bay area) - it was good fun for the kids. And this circus was much better than the one they had during the Summer Wonders Festival. Some of the acts we caught were the Trapeze Artists, Clowns, Hoola Hoop and Snake shows. The show starts at 8pm and finishes at 10pm.

Here are some more pictures from the Circus.

Have you attended any of the festivities around town? Register (it will only take a minute and it's free) and share your experiences (and photos).

Just in case you didn't know, Eid Prayer will be at 5:55 am in Doha. Best that you get to a masjid by 5:45 am.

(IslamOnline.net) – Cultural shows, focusing on national heritage, as well as `Eid forums and social festive gatherings are meant to give Qatar's `Eid Al-Fitr five-day holiday a special taste this year.

The richness and diversity of Qatar’s culture and traditions will be the prime attractions during the Doha `Eid Festival, Qatar Tourism Authority said, according to Gulf Times daily Wednesday, November 2.

He added that the Qatar Cultural Village, set up especially for the festival, will operate for five days at Dafna, next to the Diplomatic Club, from 4pm to 11pm, stressing that a traditional fort has been purpose-built for the occasion.

The Cultural Village will present a cross-section of national life, both past and present. A traditional wedding ceremony will be enacted daily and a Qatari family will host guests in a traditional home, preparing and serving local delicacies, according to Gulf Times.

"The Qatar Cultural Show will be presented four times daily at different shopping malls as well as outdoor venues. Both productions are to highlight aspects of Qatari culture, from architecture to cuisine and theatre to traditional games."

Eid Mubarak everyone!

Today is the last day of Ramadaan - hope you made the best of the month. Tomorrow the festivities start...four days of Eid holidays in Qatar. All sorts of activities have been planned around Doha. Enjoy...and take some pictures to post on Qatar Living!

P.S. For some Eid day fun from the States, check out "Foolosh At Fair Park".

ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence in Doha, Qatar, is to host a major youth soccer tournament as a part of "Spread Your Wings", the November sporting event which officially marks the opening of ASPIRE's Sports Dome, the world's largest indoor sports dome.

Participating in the tournament are the youth teams of five of Europe's football elite - Ajax Amsterdam, Arsenal FC, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Barcelona, Celtic FC - who will compete along with the ASPIRE football squad in a three-day tournament.

This will be the region's first youth tournament to feature such high profile squads, and many football fans are queuing up to see some of the stars of tomorrow compete in Qatar. Many of the young players due to play in the event have been tipped as future first team players and all of the featured squads have competed in youth football at the highest levels in Europe.

All matches will be open to the public and take place on ASPIRE's outdoor football pitches. Entry to the games will be free of charge. The final will run on Saturday, November 19, when people will also have the opportunity to tour the fantastic new ASPIRE dome.

Brian Adams will kick off Reach Out to Asia at the November 16 charity gala dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha. The Canadian rocker will be joined by such luminaries as cycling champion Eddy Merckx, actor Jet Li and CNN presenter Richard Quest.

The master of ceremonies, CNN presenter Richard Quest, will welcome celebrity guests from around the world, including actor Jet Li, cycling legend Eddy Merckx, French judo champion David Douillet, British Iranian comic Omid Djalili, former Miss World Ashwarta Rai and Indian actor Shahrukh Khan.. These special guests will be joined by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar; Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, Wife of the Emir and Chair of Qatar Foundation; His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Heir Apparent; and Her Highness Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin halifa Al Thani, Chair of the Reach Out to Asia campaign.

According to an article on Al Bawaba, one real estate project is being completed per day which is easing the demand. According to a real estate development manager

a lot of people are moving into new apartments and villas, leaving the older residential units vacant, and this may gradually lead to a fall in the rents

Al Bawaba

I've just added a section called the "Qatar Handbook". It's just a start and currently contains some basic information about Qatar (including history, politics, economy and so on). The idea is for the handbook to expand to include all the reviews and information that you contribute to the site! This means that if you blog a review of a resturant it will get added to the handbook.

Other features coming soon to Qatar Living:
- A discussion forum
- WYSIWYG blog editor

So what are you waiting for? Send out that e-mail and invite all your friends to join Qatar Living!.