By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter

A clear blue sky burst into a riot of the Qatari colours of maroon and white as an impressive parade moved through Doha Corniche this morning marking the National Day.

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and  HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani along with several other dignitaries graced the occasion and celebrated the event as patriotic fervour reached the pinnacle all over the country.

Para gliders, draped in the Qatari colours as well as holding huge Qatari flags, descended over the Corniche and brightened the skies as the National Day ceremonial parade  displayed the heritage and military might of the of the country.

Different formations were made on the sky with fireworks from the parachuters which thrilled the entire gathering on the ground. The entire parade area was a sea of humanity as tens of thousands of people had gathered at the venue right from early morning and the parade started at 8 am.

The parade started with the rendition of the national anthem and an 18- gun salute to mark the National Day, followed by a recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an.

Contingents from the Army, Navy and Air Force, Emiri Guards, Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), Civil Defence, Heritage Police, coast and border security, traffic and personnel of police college and national service and students of Qatar Leadership Academy were part of the parade.

A group of children dressed in Emiri Guard uniform took part in the parade and classic cars and dhows were also on display.

After the parade, HH the Emir and HH the Father Emir walked through the parade route  and greeted the crowd who had thronged the Corniche stretch. They could be seen shaking hands with people, hugging the children and waving to the entire crowd while many tried for a photo opportunity with them.