Orange, purple & leopard print: Qatar's Corniche car parade quite a show

All photos by Reem Saad

Hundreds of automotive enthusiasts lined up on the Corniche yesterday to showcase and capture some of Qatar’s most exotic, colorful and expensive vehicles – from matte-tinted Ferraris and Maseratis to vintage Land Cruisers and Jeeps.

The “show” is an annual Ramadan tradition during which drivers, mostly young Qatari men, gather daily at the Corniche an hour before sunset to partake in a parade of sorts, passing dozens of residents who come to enjoy the show.

Police officers directed traffic nearby.

This year, the procession took place at both the Corniche and Katara Cultural Village’s Shakespeare St. after several participants called for a change in venue last Ramadan.

Car convoys

At the Corniche yesterday, motorists could be seen pausing mid-drive to flash a thumbs up or a peace sign to nearby photographers. A few eager children were also doing the same while poking their heads out of car windows and sunroofs.

Car convoys on the Corniche are popular during the month of Ramadan, on National Day and after certain sporting events.

Motorbikes in various patterns as well as shades of neon pink, yellow and green also partook in the parade.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGeQ3oewN5k/?taken-by=qtrcars

As during previous years, the parade went on for almost an hour. Drivers took three to four laps around the Corniche before heading off to break their fasts.

Fans who missed the show can get a glimpse of it by following @qtrcars on Instagram or browsing through this hashtag in Arabic.

Those interested in catching the show should head to the Corniche between 4:30pm and 5:30pm and park in the emergency lanes lining the road.

Though the show has previously been criticized for safety reasons, as a waste of time and for being overly pretentious, it continues to be a rather unique local tradition.

“Many of us get bored before iftar and come here to kill time, I don’t see the harm in that. It’s just another way to have fun here,” one of the motorists told Doha News.

Thoughts?