Shabina S. Khatri

dohanews:

Driving down Al Luqta Street toward Slope Roundabout about a half hour ago, this Chevy/GMC Suburban was very much on fire!

Police urged cars off the road, and told us it was probably caused by an engine fault. Civil defence firefighters were on the scene in minutes.

It’s likely cleaned up by now, but if you got stuck in some unpleasant traffic, now you know why. 

Credit: Photos by Omar Chatriwala

dohanews:

As an artist in Saudi Arabia, Manal AlDowayan has never had the privilege of government endowments or a robust art industry to support her. 

“Our art scene is not funded by the government in the sense of, you don’t have museums, and galleries are all privately owned,” AlDowayan says. “Nobody is asking anybody to do this, but it’s just happening naturally.”

As a woman in the kingdom, she has witnessed cycles of discrimination and conservatism seeking to keep her gender out of the public sphere; some men in the kingdom now even find mentioning a wife’s or mother’s name publicly to be a source of shame.

But she’s also witnessed a public discourse on the role women should hold in society, with King Abdullah and other vocal members of society (herself included) championing the female cause. 

That push and pull in society, as well as her own experiences growing up in the kingdom, have been a great source of inspiration for AlDowayan’s works. And it’s in that space that she seeks to rewrite the Saudi female narrative.

Although she says her artwork has never been censored in the kingdom, and she’s won the support of the local press, it’s still an uphill battle to change perceptions of who and what women should be in a modern Saudi society. 

“There’s a push from different sides. Of course, there’s a stronger push against a lot of change. And change is very scary for a lot of people. But change will happen,” she says.

A solo exhibition of her works is on at Katara Galleries (Building 19) for another week, highlighting works she’s developed over the last decade.  

Credit: Photos by Omar Chatriwala, artwork by Manal AlDowayan

dohanews:

The third Doha Taste and Fun Festival opened to the public at the Doha Exhibition Center yesterday evening, offering trimmed-down portions of food from restaurants and hotels across Qatar for prices between 5-15 QAR. 

The family-friendly food festival runs through February 11, opening at 12pm today and Saturday, and starting an hour later at 1pm on Friday.

Festivities draw to a close nightly at 10:30pm, and include cooking demonstrations at the Japanese Embassy booth, a play area for kids, and a stage that will feature musical performances. 

Cuisines on offer range from Indian, Greek, Mexican, American and Turkish. Most major hotels in Doha are participating, featuring bite-size portions from their high-end restaurants. And there’s even a few restaurants making the trek from the Industrial Area.

Have you been, or are you going? What do you think of this third round? 

Credit: Photos by Omar Chatriwala

dohanews:

The State Mosque of Qatar, now officially called Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque, opened for Friday prayer for the first time today, ahead of National Day celebrations on Sunday.

Security was tight, with police directing traffic & parking, metal detectors in front of the entrances, and numerous plainclothes officers mingled among the congregants. 

After prayer, a large crowd thronged the center of the mosque as the prominent sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi made his exit. The Emir of Qatar was reported to be in attendance, but I didn’t catch a glimpse of him. 

Guards at the mosque told me that it would be closed for the rest of the day, as well as on Saturday, but would be open to the public - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - as of Sunday (National Day).

And yes, there is a dedicated space for women to pray.

Credit: All photos by Omar Chatriwala