By Ayman Adly /Staff Reporter


The activities of Darb Al Saai were inaugurated yesterday afternoon at Al Sadd in Doha with a good turnout of visitors.
Darb Al Saai, a distinctive feature of Qatar National Day festivities, is now open for the public until December 20, from 8am to noon and 4pm to 11pm daily.
All major government entities are taking part with special programmes oriented to introduce to the public their functions and areas of interest. All local radio, TV, and newspapers have their stalls, with some hosting special competitions and giving away prizes. A number of private companies and non-profit organisations are taking part as well.   
The site of Darb Al Saai, located opposite Al Sadd Police Station, has a miniature Souq Waqif, where visitors could purchase traditional items, including clothes and artefacts. There are also many eateries, offering fast foods and desserts as well as traditional Qatari dishes.
There is a traffic village aimed at raising public awareness about safe driving, with special focus on children. The Civil Defence pavilion enlightens visitors on safety practices.  
Visitors can find different areas of interest at Darb Al Saai, whether they have a passion for music, scenery, arts, modern technology, history, wild life, traditions, heritage and food.
A number of traditional Arabic and nomadic tents made of goat hair and sheep wool have been set up. Tea and coffee prepared on wood fire will be offered to visitors who can sit on the mats inside the tents. Camels and goats are seen outside.
Some pavilions offer visitors a glimpse of the technological development in the last few decades. Children, in particular, can enjoy a variety of activities starting with the safe play area with many games, colouring and drawing activities, taking part in scientific experiments, pony riding, and several quizzes and competitions offered by different organisers.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce offers various interactive activities for the public in addition to lectures and brochures to inform them about the proper practices during shopping and how to differentiate between original items and counterfeited ones.
There is a horse riding show with a number of stables stationed at the site. The festivities have also a scheduled culture programme full of events and literary forums open for the public.
Darb Al Saai originally signifies the route taken by the messengers trusted by the founder of Qatar, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani, to deliver sensitive and top secret correspondences at key stages of the history of the nation, where they did their duty honestly and courageously, riding camels. Page 12