Dumbo-shaped kite from the Kite Couple Ron and Baew Spaulding.
Doha: The clear blue skies of Doha will be dotted from today with vivid kites in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes, and designs, including different unique animal characters like Dumbo baby elephant, kite-shaped Charlie Chaplin, dugong, penguin, stingray, and even a UFO to name some.
Hassan Al Mousawi, CEO of Safe Flight Solutions, the organiser of the Qatar Kite Festival told The Peninsula that over 40 professional kite flyers are travelling from all over the world to Doha for the first edition of the festival. More than 16 teams will be here for the duration of the event, coming from Germany, Thailand, Turkiye, France, Italy, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom, and United States.
The three-day festival will be held at Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park Hills, adjacent to the “7” sculpture by Richard Serra, and is open from 3pm to 9pm on March 16 to 17, and from 11am to 9pm on March 18.
“By making Qatar Kite Festival a yearly tradition, we hope to contribute to our country’s long-term goal to build a strong and prosperous society that promotes community bonding, education, and cultural growth by allowing people to get together in one of the most beautiful public spaces in Doha,” Al Mousawi said.
Aside from the dazzling kites, kite-building workshops in front of the Al Riwaq gallery and on the alleyway in MIA Park Hills will also take place. Mehme Naci Akoz, Turkiye Kite Team Captain is among the kite professionals who will be teaching at the said workshop.
Several kite professionals coming to Qatar also expressed excitement for today’s event. Andreas Fischbacher from Germany said he’ll be bringing kite-shaped clownfish and pussycat to name some, biggest of which is 50m long. He said the festival is to “entertain the public and to make a lasting impression.”
The Kite Couple – Ron and Baew Spaulding and Siamese Cats from Thailand said they are thrilled to be participating in the festival. The Kite Couple are known to be flying kites all over the world for more than 20 years, while the Siamese Cats is a sport sand show kite team.
Together with a large range of options for entertainment for both kids and adults such as an outdoor play area and inflatables, there are also food and drink carts and kiosks during the duration of the three-day festival.
