Though it’s going to be a bit chilly this weekend, the next few days are packed with things to check out around town, including the annual motor show, an intense car drifting competition, the start of an international golf tournament and a youth sports festival. Here are our picks:
Red Bull Car Park Drift
The Red Bull Car Park Drift Championship returns after a thrilling event last November.
Watch as amateur drivers compete in the tournament’s first local round to become the best drifter in Qatar on Friday, Jan 29, from 7:30 to 10:00pm at the Corniche’s Dallah Parking Lot.
Competitors will be tested on their car-handling skills, especially at high speeds, over a winding, narrow track consisting of a course with columns, sudden twists and sharp curves. The winner will be crowned the “King of Drift,” and then face off against national drifting victors from Middle East and Africa in Oman later this year.
The event is free and open to the public. More information can be found on its Facebook page here.
Qatar Motor Show
Hundreds of gleaming concept cars, new releases and bikes will be on display at the annual Qatar Motor Show held from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in West Bay.
The event, which brings together exhibitors and automotive enthusiasts, will showcase several high-end cars in addition to some quirky new additions from 4 to 10pm on Thursday and Sunday, from 1 to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 1 to 8pm on Monday.
Interested visitors are requested to register for free online here. For more information, visit the event’s website here.
Qatar Masters
The annual Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will tee off tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30pm.
The tournament brings together some of the best names in golf, who are competing for some US$2.5 million in prize money across the four-day long event at the Doha Golf Club.
Tickets to the tournament cost between QR150 to 200 for a day pass or QR450 for a season pass, though children under the age of 14 years old can attend for free. Interested residents can purchase them from one of numerous online and physical locations listed here.
In addition to the tournament, American alternative hip hop group Arrested Development and British soul and R&B legends Soul II Soul are scheduled to perform at an 18-and-above concert on Jan. 29, as part of the event’s entertainment offerings. For more information, visit the tournament’s website here.
Run the World Festival
The Youth Company’s annual sports festival aimed at introducing young people in Qatar to a healthier lifestyle is back this year, with a whole host of events scheduled from Jan. 28 to 30.
The weekend-long festival will include a zumba show, street and cultural dance performances, sumo suit fighting, graffiti showcases, food booths, scavenger hunts, and science shows, and is free and open to the public.
It will be held from 2pm onwards at the Aspire Zone behind the Torch Hotel. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here or call 3000 9991.
Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Concert
Legendary Pakistani musician, TV personality and award-winning performer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will perform the first time in Qatar this weekend at a concert in Asian Town on Jan. 29.
Ali Khan, who specializes in Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music, is also known for his ties to Bollywood. Tickets to the event range from QR50 to QR1,000 per person are available online on Q-Tickets and Virgin Megastores.
Gates open at 6pm on the day of the show, with an opening act taking the stage at 7pm, preceding the concert at 8pm.
CPR awareness
Learn how to save a life with Hamad Hospital’s first public CPR demonstration drive. The event will take place from 3 to 6pm on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Doha Corniche, the Wakra Corniche and Katara Cultural Village.
Join us 29/30 Jan around #Doha and learn how to be a life saver #CPRSavesLives pic.twitter.com/26McgXe0pp
— مؤسسة حمد الطبية (@HMC_Qatar) January 26, 2016
Demonstrations on how to perform CPR techniques for adults, children and infants will also be held on Jan. 29 and 30 at City Center Mall, Landmark Mall, The Gate Mall and Gulf Mall between 3 and 9pm.
Teams from Hamad International Training Center (HITC), in addition to about 250 healthcare volunteers representing Qatar Red Crescent Society, Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Medical Services Department at the Ministry of Interior, Medical Services Corps of the Qatar Army and the Medical Unit at Qatar Petroleum, will be conducting the demonstrations.
Bonus:
- Stephen Watkins Exhibition: British expat Stephen Watkins will display some of his best work at a new exhibition opening tonight from 6pm to 8pm at the Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel. The showcase includes some 20 pieces highlighting the Doha skyline and several of the country’s most iconic buildings, and will be up until March 16. The grand opening will be attended by the UK ambassador. For inquiries, please call 4448 1234.
- QatART Bazaar: Qatar’s largest handmade and handicraft bazaar is back this weekend, with vendors showcasing everything from paper mache piggy banks to paintings of multicolored animals, customized bags and homemade sauces from 3 to 8pm at the Katara Art Studios. Local group Craft Wonders will also host a drop-in clay workshop for QR 35 per child. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.
What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?
