Doha: The CHI Al Shaqab Show Jumping Gala saw world-class action at the Qatari capital and among best performers of the meet are over 300 volunteers of the Al Shaqab Volunteer Programme who assisted the organisers in the smooth operation over the past few days.
The Program, which began five years ago, currently has a database of 4000 volunteers.
Its members have become a vital part of the event’s enormous success – with some even travelling from across the world to support the competition.
Volunteers fill in their time and location preferences two to three months ahead of the event, to ensure that it is well planned and organised.
Prior to this year’s competition, a number of volunteers helped distribute approximately 2000 flyers at Katara, to attract spectators for the event, while others flew in to Qatar from the US, the UK, Canada, Finland and other GCC countries especially to help out.
The volunteers attended a detailed orientation session three days before the event, where they met the Al Shaqab employees responsible for each task area and received extensive training for their upcoming responsibilities.
The functional areas for volunteers included ticketing, guest transportation, VIP guest ushering, spectator services, and accreditation for riders and volunteers. In-field volunteers delivered score sheets from judges to the media centre for real-time tabulation, and others input judges’ dictations into computers.
“We come here at 6.30am to organise the workforce area,” said MsFatin Al-Sada, Head of Human Resources at Al Shaqab, which manages the initiative.
“The volunteers work under the Volunteer Program Administrator, Vivian, who is my right hand in this programme. Each area employee then takes their volunteers and organises the day according to what needs to be done.”
Volunteers at CHI Al Shaqab gained valuable work experience at a world-class equestrian facility in a family-friendly environment.
“My work programme is just like a home for the volunteers, safe and friendly,” Al-Sada added.
The volunteers got to meet personalities from TV, newspapers and magazines, and received certificates and gifts from Al Shaqab in appreciation of their efforts.
Fatin Al Sada dedicated the success of her volunteer program to Fahad al Qahtani, Executive Director of Al Shaqab, Omar Al Mannai, Event Director of CHI Al Shaqab, and his team and Eman Al Abdulla, Head of Communications and Media at Al Shaqab.The Peninsula
