Qatar National Day – the Qatari Celebration

Qataris (and other supporters from Arab countries) have an interesting way of celebrating the Qatar National Day, held on 18th December every year.

Every year around the time of National Day, Qataris will dress up their four-wheel-drives with white and maroon themes of Qatar flags, photos of the Emir and royal family, the Qatar emblem, slogans and even love hearts.

Decorated car in white and maroon coloursDecorated car with Emir and son on the backFdeet TrabCh ya Q6r (Happy National Day Qatar)
Decorated car with surfsDecorated car with Emir and Qatari MilitaryA simple Qatar 18 December
Decorated car with Emir and large Qatari flagChildren sticking out the sunroof with large flagDecorated car with large Qatari flag
Decorated car with white and maroon coloured stickersLarge Qatar FlagLarge Qatar Flag

Starting the night before National Day and ending the night after, Qataris will parade their cars along the Doha corniche, making as much noise as possible, including loud music, honking, and high revving of their engines sometimes causing explosive bangs. When with friends, all wearing traditional dress of thawbs and gutra or keffiyeh, the friends would sit or stand on the top of their four-wheel-drives, while usually supporting a large Qatari flag, sometimes women and children are there, and sometimes even teenagers are the drivers.

Many men standing on their cars holding Qatar flagsUAE flag standing on carUAE and Qatar flag together
Large Qatar FlagChildren sticking out the sunroof with large flagMen sitting on car roof
Man supporting Qatari colours standing on bonnetTeenagers sitting on car roofMan Sitting on car roof with Qatar flag
Man dancing on car roofLarge photo of the Emir attached to carMen standing on the roof of the car

Spectators in tradition dress and all supporting Qatari flags and colours use load horns, shaving cream or silly string, sometimes spraying at the cars.

After you get past the cringe worthy and dangerous nature of what you are seeing, it is quite an enjoyable experience, and something that we will never forgot.