Qatar National Day ( ar, اليوم الوطني لقطر, Al-Yawm al-Waṭani li-Qaṭar) is a national commemoration of

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

's unification in 1878. It is celebrated annually on 18 December. The holiday was established by a 21 June 2007 decree of the then Crown Prince and Heir Apparent Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ( ar, تميم بن حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 3 June 1980, Doha, Qatar) is the Emir of Qatar who succeeded his father, Sheikh Hamad, after Hamad abdicated in his favour. Tamim is the fourth son ...

. It is also known as Founder's Day.

Observance

The holiday is annually celebrated on 18 December. It is a national holiday and most of the public are given the day off from school and work. Prior to the Emiri decree in June 2007, Qatar National Day was annually celebrated on 3 September, the day of Qatar's independence.

Activities

Several activities are organized during the week of observance. These include: *Fireworks show: Includes music, lights and fireworks. *Katara National Day celebrations: Festivities and over 20 heritage-themed events are held at

Katara Cultural Village Katara Mosque Katara Cultural Village, also called Katara, is a cultural and commercial complex in Doha, Qatar, located on the eastern coast between West Bay and the Pearl. It was soft-opened in October 2010 during the Doha Tribeca Film Fest ...

. * National Day parade: Members of the general public parade through the

Doha Corniche The Doha Corniche ( ar, كورنيش الدوحة) is a waterfront Esplanade, promenade extending for along Doha Bay in Qatar's capital city, Doha. Annual celebrations of national holidays such as Qatar National Day and National Sports Day#Qatar, ...

. Officials from the

Armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, ISF, Ministry of Interior, and Amiri Guard also participate in the parade. *Classic car show: Antique cars formerly owned by government officials are showcased. The 2022 FIFA World Cup Final took place on 18 December 2022.

Purpose and significance

On 18 December 1878,

Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, جاسم بن محمد آل ثاني; c. 1825 – 17 July 1913), also known as "The Founder", was the founder of the State of Qatar. He had a total of 56 children, 19 sons and 37 daughters. Early life ...

succeeded his father,

Mohammed bin Thani Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani ( ar, محمد بن ثاني; c. 1788 – 18 December 1878), also known as Mohammed bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir ( ar, محمد بن ثاني بن محمد آل ثامر), was the first Hakim (ruler) of the whol ...

as ruler of the Qatari Peninsula. He is deemed to have unified all the local tribes by combating external forces, such as the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. He also earned a considerable degree of autonomy for the tribes of the peninsula. The holiday has been instrumental in developing a sense of national identity among locals and expats. It has also helped improve knowledge and appreciation of Qatar's heritage.

Online criticism of Qatari youth

Considerable internet controversy was generated in the country in 2009 after an expatriate professor who attended a parade posted her reaction on the online forum. In a thread entitled 'Shame on Qatar on Qatar National Day', she criticized the antics of Qatari youth, who routinely engage in activities such as driving on two wheels and wearing shocking masks during celebrations. This triggered a national dialogue over the rights of the population to criticize the country. The debate gradually increased in popularity and drew hundreds of participants from all sections of the community.

2016 cancellation

Following the December 2016 end of the

Battle of Aleppo A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

in the Syrian Civil War, the government on 18 December announced it would cancel all festivities in solidarity with the people of the city of

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

Gallery

Image:QND Fireworks.jpg, Fireworks celebration during Qatar National Day (2010) File:ExpatriatesQatarNationalDay1.jpg, Expatriates from the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

, participating in the night parade of the Qatar National Day File:QND 2017 Celebration.jpg, Qatar National Day 2017 Musical Fireworks Celebration at Corniche, Doha, State of Qatar File:DhowsQatarNationalDay.jpg, Dhow parade during Qatar National Day (2012) File:Qatar National Day 2017 Musical Fireworks, Doha.jpg, Qatar National Day 2017 Musical Fireworks

References

External links

Official websiteQatar National DayQatar National Day
{{Qatar topics 2007 establishments in Qatar Recurring events established in 2007 National days December observances Public holidays in Qatar Winter events in Qatar