All photos by Navin Sam

Celebrations for National Day officially commenced in Qatar yesterday with the raising of the nation’s flag at the Darb Al Saai grounds in Al Sadd.

Though the holiday isn’t until Dec. 18, Qatar has begun pre-festivities with performances, games, food, farm animals, shooting practice for beginners and other features at Darb Al Saai.

For the next 10 days, there will also be two-minute firework shows on in the evenings there, and five-minute shows on the Corniche each night from 7:30 to 7:35pm.

According to photographer Navin Sam, who visited the Al Sadd grounds last night:

“The place is worth a visit with various stalls selling traditional food, souvenirs and other items. There were camels, horses, kids with falcons and there is even a pen with animals from the Qatari desert (deer, oryx, ostrich). It’s pretty impressive and showcases the culture of Qatar pretty well.”

He added that there is plenty of parking for everyone.

According to the official QND website, Darb Al Saai is open from 8am to noon, and from 4pm to 10pm through Dec. 20.

The site also lists several other activities that will take place before QND. Stay tuned for our official guide later this week.

Thoughts?