Latest news with #QatarNationalDay
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Best time to visit Qatar: Weather, festivals and travel tips
If you're thinking about visiting Qatar, whether for a desert escape, a luxurious layover, or to explore its rising cultural scene—timing is everything. Qatar isn't just sand and skyscrapers anymore (although it does those very well). This Gulf gem has become a serious travel destination, complete with five-star everything, world-class museums, and a growing list of events that are giving Dubai some competition. But before you pack your bags, it's good to know when to go, what to expect, and how to make the most of your trip. Because, spoiler alert: this isn't a place you want to visit in July unless you have a very serious relationship with air conditioning. Here's the lowdown on the best time to visit Qatar, the weather you will face, the festivals worth catching, and some handy travel tips to keep your trip smooth and stylish. Weather in Qatar: Choose your season wisely Qatar is hot. Like, melt-your-flip-flops-on-the-sidewalk hot. The country has a desert climate, so you'll either get 'perfect beach day' or 'oven with WiFi.' Best months to visit Qatar: November to March This is Qatar's sweet spot. Temps hang out between 65°F to 80°F (18°C to 27°C). That means: Comfortable days for outdoor sightseeing Perfect evenings for rooftop dining and desert adventures No risk of turning into a puddle on a walk from the mall to your Uber Summer months: June to September Let's call it what it is: scorching. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like US$31 trillion in wealth extracted from Indonesia during Dutch colonial rule: President Prabowo CNA Read More Undo Daytime temps can hit 110°F+ (43°C) and the humidity can be brutal. Most outdoor activities shut down, and even locals avoid being out too long. If you do come during this time, expect to spend your trip indoors: malls, museums, and spas are your best friends. April–May & October months are warmer, but not unbearable. You can still enjoy outdoor sights in the early morning or evening, and rates for hotels may be lower than in peak season. Festivals and events in Qatar Qatar has stepped up its cultural game in recent years. Whether you're into food, art, or fashion, there's something going on—especially during the cooler months. Qatar National Day (December 18) It's the biggest celebration of the year. Expect parades, fireworks, concerts, and a strong showing of national pride. Doha becomes one big party. Qatar International Art Festival (October) A huge draw for artists and creatives from around the world, this event brings together painting, sculpture, digital art, and live installations. Qatar International Food Festival (March) If you love food (and who doesn't?), this one's for you. Sample dishes from around the globe, meet celebrity chefs, and try traditional Qatari cuisine like machboos and luqaimat. Camel racing season (November to February) Yes, it's a thing—and it's wild. Robot jockeys, high-speed camels, and cheering crowds in the desert. A true local experience. Sporting events Post–World Cup, Qatar is still big on sports. Look out for international tennis, Formula 1, and equestrian events throughout the year. Travel tips for visiting Qatar Whether it's your first trip or your fifth, these tips can help you travel smarter: Dress code Loose, modest clothing is appreciated, especially in public spaces. Swimwear is fine at hotel pools and private beaches. Book early for peak season November to March is busy. If you're planning to visit during this time—especially around holidays or major events—book your hotel and flights well in advance. Plan for Friday mornings Friday is the holy day in Qatar, and many businesses, museums, and shops open late or stay closed until afternoon. Use it as a chill-out or beach morning. Use local taxi services Public transport is improving, but rideshares are still the most convenient way to get around Doha. They're safe, affordable, and AC-equipped . Don't skip the museums Even if you're not a 'museum person,' don't miss the Museum of Islamic Art or the National Museum of Qatar. They're architectural wonders with seriously cool exhibits—and a perfect escape from the sun. When should you book that ticket? If you want the full Qatar experience—exploring Souq Waqif, riding camels in the dunes, kayaking through mangroves, or sipping karak tea on a winter night—aim for November to March. The weather is perfect, the events are in full swing, and the energy is high. But even if you visit in the off-season, Qatar has plenty to offer indoors, from luxury shopping to world-class spas to Michelin-starred meals. No matter when you go, just come curious and leave room in your suitcase—because Qatar blends tradition and modern glam in ways that just might surprise you.
Qatar Tribune
08-07-2025
- General
- Qatar Tribune
MoEHE approves 2025–2028 academic calendar for schools
QNA Doha The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has approved the new academic calendar for schools in Qatar for the academic years 2025–2026, 2026–2027, and 2027–2028. The calendar takes into account various educational, cultural, and national considerations, in line with the ministry's vision to develop a flexible and inclusive educational system. In a statement, the ministry explained that the calendar was adopted following a comprehensive review of influencing factors, including recommendations from the Shura Council regarding alignment between public and private school holidays. As a result, the mid-year break has been fixed in the last third of December to unify the academic rhythm across the country and provide families with better planning and organization opportunities. The calendar also includes a revision of the first semester final exams, which will now be held before Qatar National Day. This change responds to proposals from the Ministry of Culture and aims to enable students to actively participate in national events that promote identity and belonging. To support students' religious and psychological well-being, the ministry ensured that mid-second-semester exams will not coincide with the holy month of Ramadan. This allows students to focus on worship and engage in related social and cultural activities during the sacred month. In recognition of the religious and social significance of Ramadan, the new academic calendar includes two additional days off for students and school staff during the holy month in the academic years 2025–2026 and 2027–2028, in addition to the official holiday. The calendar also introduces a 'Test Day, Rest Day' system, applied exclusively to second-semester exams for high school certificate students. This system provides students with ample time to review and regain focus between exams, supporting their mental and emotional readiness to perform at their best during this critical academic stage. Additionally, a long weekend break has been scheduled after the mid-second-semester exams each year to promote student well-being and educational balance. The calendar was designed to ensure a fair distribution between the two semesters while covering all curriculum content within the approved number of school days, ensuring a highly efficient educational process. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education emphasised that this calendar reflects its ongoing efforts to develop educational policies that serve the interests of students, teachers, and parents. It also enhances the effectiveness of Qatar's educational system, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030, which prioritises human capital development as a cornerstone for building a knowledge-based society.
Qatar Tribune
08-07-2025
- General
- Qatar Tribune
MoEHE approves new academic calendar for 2025–2028
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has approved the new academic calendar for schools in the State of Qatar for the academic years 2025–2026, 2026–2027, and 2027–2028. The calendar takes into account various educational, cultural, and national considerations, in line with the Ministry's vision to develop a flexible and inclusive educational system. The ministry explained that the calendar was adopted following a comprehensive review of influencing factors, including recommendations from the Shura Council regarding alignment between public and private school holidays. As a result, the mid-year break has been fixed in the last third of December to unify the academic rhythm across the country and provide families with better planning and organisation opportunities. The calendar also includes a revision of the first semester final exams, which will now be held before Qatar National Day. (QNA) page 2
ILoveQatar.net
19-05-2025
- Politics
- ILoveQatar.net
H.H. the Amir approves official holidays to be followed in Qatar
According to a report by The Peninsula, H.H. the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has approved the Cabinet's decision regarding the official holidays that will be observed in the country for ministries, government agencies, public bodies, and institutions. As per the report, the decision was published in the Official Gazette and is specified as follows: Eid Al Fitr: From the 28th day of the month of Ramadan until the end of the 4th day of the month of Shawwal. Eid Al Adha: From the 9th day until the end of the 13th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Qatar National Day: 18th of December. The report also states that if one working day falls between two official holidays, it will also be counted as a holiday. Furthermore, weekends that fall between these celebrations will also be included in the official holiday. Note: For those who don't know, Ramadan and Shawwal are months in the Islamic Calendar. The month of Ramadan typically lasts for 29/30 days. The month of Shawwal starts on the first day of Eid Al Fitr, at the end of Ramadan. Dhu al-Hijjah is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. The 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah is Eid Al Adha.
Broadcast Pro
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Gauging the pulse of a nation with ArtBeat
To commemorate Qatar's 53rd National Day, Media City Qatar partnered with ID8 Media & Google Cloud to launch the Qatar ArtBeat initiative. The project harnessed the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create an artwork shaped by the sentiments of Qatari citizens and residents. BroadcastPRO ME explains the tech behind the activation. While AI-generated art is not a new phenomenon in the digital landscape, the scale and technology powering Qatar ArtBeat made the initiative incredibly impressive. Reaching over 5.4m people, it earned a Guinness World Record for 'Most People Contributing to an AI-Generated Image'. 'From a marketing perspective, Qatar ArtBeat shifted the narrative from formal, top-down storytelling to participatory, people-driven and accessible narratives. This inclusive approach demonstrated the power of co-creation in building emotional connections,' says Nadim El Khoury, Director of Marketing & Public Relations, Media City Qatar. Spearheaded by creative media agency ID8 Media for Media City Qatar (MCQ), this first-of-its-kind activation set a benchmark for the integration of art, technology and community engagement. It demonstrated the potential of AI to unify people and amplify their voices in a way previously untouched. Qatar ArtBeat leveraged advanced Google Cloud AI capabilities to collect participants' sentiments and transform them into an evocative visual. The first step in activating the Qatar ArtBeat initiative was to foster meaningful dialogue around National Day. MCQ invited citizens and residents to share their memories and feelings on its social media channels between December 9 and 17. Participants were urged to answer questions such as 'What does Qatar mean to you?' and 'What is your favourite childhood memory of Qatar National Day?' The initiative also incorporated sentiments from broader public conversations about Qatar National Day 2024. Notably, both English-and Arabic-language texts were included in the initiative, ensuring that every voice was represented. As responses started coming in, ID8's AI platform initiated the process of extracting insights and analysing sentiments, explains Ali Husseini, Partner with ID8. At the heart of the project is its proprietary Sentiment Analysis Tool (SAT), which utilised Google Cloud technologies such as Vertex AI, Gemini and BigQuery. Omar Abdelqader (l), CEO of ID8 Media CEO and ID8 partner Ali Husseini. 'We used this tool to analyse the participants' text responses and monitored public social media conversations about Qatar National Day using APIs (application programming interfaces) such as Hootsuite and Instagram. The latter was used to integrate SAT with social media platforms, while facilitated the continuous capture of real-time streams of tweets and posts. Asynchronous messaging service Pub/Sub was used for streaming analytics and data integration too.' The next step in the process was data structuring and storage. 'This was essential for smooth downstream analysis and visualisation. Cloud functions were used to parse the tweets and posts into predefined structures and extract relevant information such as the text of the tweet, and metadata including timestamp, username, hashtags and mentions. This processed and structured data was then stored in Firestore, a real-time NoSQL database chosen for its efficiency in data retrieval.' Once the raw data was organised, SAT kicked into action. AI and ML (machine learning) were activated to transform the structured data into meaningful insights. This included the use of Vertex AI-powered natural language processing (NLP) models to assess the sentiment of each post. Posts were segregated and tagged based on three categories: positive, negative and neutral (informational or unbiased posts). Next, AI models summarised similar posts and hashtags to create contextually relevant narratives. 'These narratives highlighted trends, recurring themes and emotional undertones, serving as the foundation for the visual artwork,' Omar Abdelqader, CEO of ID8, says. Similar stories were grouped together and converted into text prompts to describe the desired visual concept. Vertex AI's image generation module, Gemini, then translated these prompts into high-quality images. Google Cloud's Cloud Run was employed to create mosaics representing overarching themes with the images. Simultaneously, SAT also deployed Big Query and Big Query ML to generate engagement metrics, sentiment trends and demographic insights. This data was not only used to analyse trends but also to improve SAT, adds Abdelqader. 'In fact, it was used to train new AI models for enhanced sentiment analysis and narrative generation.' In addition to its advanced AI capabilities, ID8's Sentiment Analysis Tool offered users an intuitive and friendly user interface (UI), ensuring seamless navigation and easy accessibility. The project dashboard featured a comprehensive view of the processed data, along with separate sections for managing tweets, reviewing generated stories and images, and analysing sentiments. It also provided real-time insights into participant engagement, sentiment trends, keywords and thematic highlights. 'These analytics offered a deeper understanding of community dynamics during the initiative. Since the analysis was real-time, it ensured that operations were smooth and continuous,' says Husseini. For a project of this magnitude, advanced security was a top priority, he explains. To tackle this, SAT includes advanced security features such as credential management and data encryption. Sensitive user data, like API keys, are securely stored using a secret manager. Further, all stored data, including structured tweets, stories, images and mosaics, are encrypted using Cloud Key Management Services (KMS). Its cloud logging capabilities enabled tracking of all system events, including API interactions and errors, for debugging. 'By automating the entire workflow, SAT provided a seamless and efficient way to convert raw social media data into actionable insights and visually engaging content,' Husseini explains. In addition to the technology, the magnitude of Qatar ArtBeat is another aspect that sets the initiative apart. The final image – the amalgamation of 23,738 user contributions and 70,904 social media engagements – was unveiled on December 18, Qatar's National Day. It was projected across prominent locations around the country including the Corniche, Lusail City and Katara Cultural Village. The artwork was also showcased on MCQ's social platforms. 'Through Qatar ArtBeat, MCQ has showcased Qatar's ability to cultivate digital spaces focused on inclusivity, accessibility and empowerment. This activation transformed individual reflections into observations of community trends, shared values and unity,' explains MCQ's El Khoury. Qatar ArtBeat broke barriers in community engagement and united the nation around a creative and groundbreaking initiative, he says proudly. Setting a benchmark in the integration of art, technology and community engagement, it showcased how culture and technology can be symbiotic. 'We were honoured to contribute to Qatar ArtBeat, a celebration of creativity and innovation,' says Husseini. 'Our mission has always been to bridge the gap between art and technology, and being part of this vibrant platform aligns perfectly with our values. By leveraging our expertise, including sentiment analysis tool, we aim to amplify the voices of artists and foster meaningful connections within the creative community. Qatar ArtBeat is a testament to the power of collaboration, and we are proud to play a role in its success.'
