The Cultural Village Foundation – Katara has announced that the 14th Qatar Halal Festival will take place in the Southern Area of Katara from February 11 to 16.

The event, which will run from 9am to 10pm every day, is expected to attract livestock breeders from Qatar and across the region. Strong public turnout — from heritage enthusiasts and families — is also anticipated.​

This year’s programme will centre on a series of sheep and goat ‘mazayen’ (beauty) competitions. Across six days, multiple rounds will be held for sheep mazayen, including special categories such like Al Awar, Al Dhaja, Al Batrana, and Al Hawali.

Dedicated goat mazayen rounds will be staged on several afternoons towards the end of the festival. Beyond the judging, the festival will serve as a showcase for Gulf breeding traditions, highlighting prized sheep and goat lines, the expertise behind their care, and husbandry practices that have shaped desert communities, all presented in an atmosphere that reflects elements of wilderness life.

Over the years, the Halal Festival has become one of Katara’s key heritage fixtures, reinforcing Bedouin customs and passing them to younger generations through live competitions, community participation, and traditional displays.​

Last year’s festival underlined the event’s growing importance as both a cultural and economic platform. It brought together breeders from Qatar and other GCC nations to showcase and trade some of the finest breeds of sheep and goats, helping preserve purebred lineages and promote Qatari heritage.

Alongside livestock contests, last year’s edition also featured a traditional marketplace with veterinary pharmacies, date and honey shops, sweets, traditional foods and handicrafts, as well as children’s art workshops and a Bedouin tent exhibit that introduced visitors to traditional desert lifestyles.

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