By Peter Townson
THE skies over Doha lit up last night as fireworks, light shows and other attractions took shape against the wonderful backdrop of the Corniche and the West Bay skyline.
Although closed to cars, the Corniche bustled with people vying with each other to be part of Qatar’s National Day celebrations.
And the evening was a true reflection of the melting point of culture present in the country as men, women and children from every corner of the world and all walks of life joined together to celebrate the day.
Sultan Mohamed, a 30-year-old Qatari, said he was “incredibly proud” to see the efforts the organisers had made to create such a wonderful impression of the country.
“It is very important that both locals and expatriates get involved in the tradition of Qatar, and I am pleased to see so many people here taking part in the celebrations,” he said.
Jordanian national Fadi, who was born in Qatar, was highly impressed and said the celebrations had lived up to the expectation.
“We have been witnessing preparations being made for some time now, so I decided to come here tonight with some friends to see what was going on,” he said, adding “we have definitely not been disappointed, and the Corniche looks amazing tonight.”
This seemed to be the general consensus among the visitors, who were impressed with the lighting and other decorations used to adorn the strip of road and the surrounding buildings.
However, there was no doubting that the highlight of the day and the event everyone was looking forward to in earnest was the fireworks at the end of the evening.
Although a delay in starting the fireworks and the chill in the air dampened some peoples’ spirits, as soon as the display got underway, screams and cheers could be heard all along the Corniche.
The younger members of the crowd were the most vocal in their delight.
This was understandable, as the sheer scale of the show was incredible, and the colours - with their slightly festive theme - over the Doha night sky certainly provided a memorable sight, and one that could be seen from all over the city.
“I came to see the fireworks,” a spectator told Gulf Times, adding “but everything else here is very nice as well – although it would have been good to have some refreshments on sale.”
He said he was impressed with the large number of people attending the main event on the National Day.
Mansour and Munir also visited the Corniche primarily for the fireworks, but said they had enjoyed their day – especially earlier on with the military parade – and had been impressed with the atmosphere.
“Everyone here is enjoying themselves, and it is nice to be around so many people celebrating,” said Mansour.
The fireworks were worth the wait, and the gasps and cheers from the crowd were a clear indication of the impact of the display.
The image of the Corniche with its highly developed West Bay skyline being showered in gold seemed to be an appropriate way to end the celebrations for the rapidly developing country.
And the excitement that gripped Doha was made all the more visible by the enthusiastic flag-bearing drivers who filled the city’s roads.
“Even if England were to win the World Cup again after forty-odd years, there would not be as many cars on the streets of London, Birmingham and Manchester as there are in Doha tonight,” remarked one onlooker.
This was exactly the kind of fervour on display the whole day, in what can only be described as a hugely patriotic atmosphere on the Corniche, both among the locals as well as those who have adopted Qatar as their home. |