(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Raynald C Rivera / The Peninsula
Fath Al Kheir sets sail today towards Kuwait and Oman with 16 sailors aboard, the Cultural Village Foundation — Katara, which is organising the historic voyage, announced yesterday. One of the biggest traditional dhows in Qatar, the 45-metre dhow first sailed in 2013 as a highlight of Katara's annual Traditional Dhow Festival. With 40 crew on board, it embarked on a 27-day journey around GCC. It was followed by a 48-day voyage to Oman and India two years ago with 26 crew members aboard.
A traditional ‘Dashaat' ceremony will be held at 4pm today to mark the start of the journey. Fath Al Kheir is scheduled to return to Qatar on December 18 in time for the National Day celebrations.
Led by the Captain Mohamed Youssef Al Sada, the crew was selected from more than 35 aspirants who underwent medical and physical tests to assess their capacity to withstand the challenges ahead of the month-long journey. Fath Al Kheir was built for the then Emir in 1983 by Amireya workshop to promote tourism trips of the Ministry of Information and Tourism. It is now part of the collection of Qatar Museums Authority. Its journey has become a biennial event Katara organizes as a main highlight of its annual Traditional Dhow Festival.
Launched last Tuesday, this year's festival runs for five days and features 85 traditional dhows on display, some of which are for sale.
Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Turkey, India, Greece, and Zanzibar are taking part in the festival with various pavilions and food and handicraft stalls showcasing their unique maritime heritage. Ensembles from Oman, Qatar and Iraq dressed in their traditional attires chant maritime songs as they play native musical instruments to entertain festival visitors enhancing the traditional ambience of the festival.
There are also traditional fishing and pearl diving competitions being held aimed at reviving this centuries-old maritime tradition which sustained Qatar's ancestors' livelihood during the pre-oil era.
A number of Qatari and expatriate artists are also seen at the venue painting objects and scenes related to the sea.
Meanwhile, the photography contest held within the festival has seen huge participation from amateur and professional photographers who captured beautiful moments at the festival to enter the competition.
Dhow cruises from Katara Beach to the Pearl and back are also available for visitors at the festival.
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