HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani receiving the  team members of Fath Al Khair 2 at Katara beach yesterday after their historic voyage to India that lasted 44 days. Also present were HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir’s Personal Representative, ministers and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the state. The arrival of Fath Al Khair 2 coincides with the inauguration of the fifth Katara Traditional Dhow Festival.

By Ramesh Mathew
Staff Reporter


Qatar’s acclaimed dhow Fath Al Khair 2 returned to a tumultuous  reception yesterday at Katara beach after a historic voyage to India that lasted 44 days.
HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani were among the dignitaries who received the dhow, carrying more than 40 local sailors who successfully completed the journey, braving extremely hostile weather conditions of the Arabian Sea. The Father Emir shook hands with the team members.
The arrival of the Fath Al Khair 2  coincided with the start of the fifth Traditional Dhow Festival, a popular annual event of the region’s cultural map.
HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada and HE the Minister of Culture, Art and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari were also present to receive the dhow and its 44-member team steered by veteran sailor Hassan Issa al-Kaabi.
Speaking to Gulf Times, al-Kaabi said his team had an extremely difficult time while returning from Mumbai owing to the rough weather  in the Arabian Sea.
“The sea was extremely rough and volatile and water levels were rising considerably after we completed more than 100 nautical miles from Mumbai,” he said while adding that the dhow had to return to Mumbai  for carrying out some urgent repairs after a leak was detected.
“The repairs were carried out on a war-footing before resuming our journey,” said al-Kaabi.
In Oman, the team spent two days before it reached Qatar yesterday afternoon. In all it took 20 days for the team to reach Qatar on the return journey.
Several family members, friends and well-wishers also
turned up to receive the sailors.
The team stayed for about a week in Mumbai where its members received a grand welcome. Indian ambassador Sanjiv Arora was among many diplomats who visited the team members on their arrival  in Doha yesterday.
On his arrival,the Father Emir was received by Katara general manager Dr Khaled bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti. Al-Kaabi briefed  the Father Emir about the hardships they encountered before completing the journey. He also thanked the authorities for their patronage to the journey.
Dr al-Sulaiti said the presence of HH the Father Emir at the festival’s opening indicated how keen Sheikh Hamad is to turn the festival into a highly successful event.
“Without his care and support, it would not have been possible for the festival to excel not only in Qatar but also in the entire Gulf region and beyond. The festival is drawing enormous support with each passing edition,” he added.