Aircraft taking part in a air show rehearsal to celebrate Qatar National Day over the Corniche skyline yesterday. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
The families of the health sector workers and participating bodies only will be allowed to attend the Qatar National Day parade on December 18 through special invitations in compliance with the exceptional precautionary measures.
“Citizens and residents can watch the National Day parade and the festive moments on television channels. This is due to complying with COVID-19 preventive measures to ensure health and safety of all members of society,” said Brigadier Dr. Ali Khujaim Al Adbi, Director of Establishments and Authorities Security Department and Head of the Security Committee for National Day Celebrations.
Speaking in a press conference yesterday to announce the security plan for the National Day parade and activities at Doha Corniche, he stressed that entry would be for invitees only on a one permit per person basis. The attendees must show the Ehteraz application in green status when entering and adhere to other precautionary and health measures.
Brigadier Dr. Ali Khujaim Al Adbi, Director of Establishments and Authorities Security Department and Head of the Security Committee for National Day Celebrations speaking yesterday during the press conference.
Brigadier Al Adbi pointed out that the waterfront from the Corniche will be completely closed, and the public will not be allowed to enter. Entry is only permitted for those authorized through invitations to attend, as each invitee is given a card for car parks and seats in the galleries. He pointed out that the Organising Committee has allocated seats for the invitees in two southern and northern platforms to the main podium’s right and left.
The total number of seats will be 2,569 for the invitees only.
The invitation card includes a barcode that directs attendees to a designated parking area. The Qatar Red Crescent teams will be present at the entrances to ensure the compliance of the attendees with health requirements, he added.
He said that the parking spaces are also allocated for the guests in three locations, with over 2,000 in three places, such as western Bidda parking lots, the southern Bidda parking lots, and the northern Bidda parking lots.
The guidelines include avoiding smoking in the stands, chanting, or using live choirs and singing. Attendees should adhere to the designated paths to the parking spaces specified in the invitation cards, Brigadier Al Adbi said. He added that there would be civil defense teams and medical units on the Corniche to deal with any emergencies.
The head of the security committee noted that the committee is concerned with securing the parade, which starts from the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers covering the entire Corniche until the Sheraton Hotel intersection and then towards Al Fardan Tower and then to Al Barzan Tower, from there to the Theater intersection, the Wadi Al-Sail Fire Station intersection, after which it heads to the Al-Mannai underpass.
To the Souq Waqif signal, the Amiri Diwan intersection in the direction of (Fanar), then Qatar National Bank signals and back to the General Secretariat.
Brigadier Al Adbi stressed that the metro stations would be closed until 2 pm after the activities. He added that fireworks would be on the Doha Corniche at 8:30 pm.
