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Run The World is a female running team, the first in Qatar, led by a group of ambitious women, including co-founder Jowhara Al-Qahtani. Balancing her roles as both a doctor and avid marathon runner, Jowhara describes how the sport has positively impacted her life.
“Running has brought me joy and happiness, and has empowered me to be the person I am now. So I wanted to share this with the other ladies of Qatar,” says Jowhara. “Running taught me so many things, so many life skills. Discipline, determination, and how to enjoy my life”.
Jowhara’s passion has taken her far beyond the running routes of Doha, having completed the virtual New York marathon last year. It is the community around her that is Jowhara’s biggest motivator to keep going and pushing her boundaries. “Knowing I have a community running along with me means there is no way to stop or give up”.
Jowhara has witnessed first-hand how the running community in Qatar has grown as a result of new infrastructure, such as running tracks in parks. “We see all these amazing parks and running tracks. This created more opportunities for us, the ladies, to go out and take advantage. That comes from the leadership of our Excellencies in Qatar”.
“It is never too late to start running,” says Jowhara. “Get your gear and start your journey”.
Qatar Cyclists is one of Qatar’s largest cycling clubs. The co-founder Dr. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, CEO of Aspetar Hospital, had convinced his brother and two friends to try cycling while he was studying in Canada. A later year, he returned to find a group of 75 riders. What started in 2013 amongst a group of friends has grown into a national club with more than 2,000 registered riders.
“I was able to gather around me a group of well-educated, very motivated people who really cared about the community and wanted to create a change,” Dr. Al Kuwari says. “We formed a great team that really was able to spread the message and convince a lot of people to change their lives and adopt cycling”.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Qatar Cyclists has organised many local and international events. “There’s a lot of events that we are really proud of. One of them is the historic ‘Women on Wheels’. It was the first time in the history of Qatar that 700 women rode together in one place,” Dr. Al Kuwari fondly recalls.
Charity rides are a central part of the Qatar Cyclists’ calendar. Through fundraising rides crossing the terrains of Europe, a group of Qatar Cyclists were able to build a school in Palestine. “I can’t describe the feeling that we felt, the sense of pride and satisfaction that that gave us”.
Another special memory for Dr. Al Kuwari was cycling for education in Rwanda, giving talks at schools along the travel route. “We had engineers, doctors, a minister, and an ambassador on that trip. Each of us shared our life experiences with those young kids. To see the excitement and the joy that those kids felt, there is nothing to describe it. We were so proud of that trip. I would say that it was one of the best trips of my life.”
As a spine surgeon and CEO, Dr. Al Kuwari is used to long days and 8-hour surgeries. He finds strength from his dedication to cycling. “If my level of endurance was not as high as it is now from the cycling, my performance would not be as good and I would not be able to serve my patients the way I would like”.
He is also keen to promote the wider health benefits that cycling offers to patients and his local community. “It can treat many diseases. It can improve your cardiovascular system. It can treat obesity. It also has a direct impact on people’s mood and their happiness”.
For anyone interested in pursuing the sport, Dr. Al Kuwari advises gathering a group to motivate each other. “When it becomes a community event and you see your friends, you enjoy your time with them; you will keep on doing it”.
Alghais Diving was founded in 2015 with a mission to make Doha’s underwater world accessible to all. Behind the name stands a team of dedicated people whose passion lies in diving, continuously expanding and evolving the club to become the hub of adventure it is today. Mahmoud Elmallah, the general manager and a resident of Qatar for fourteen years, recounts his journey as part of the club.
Mahmoud describes diving in Qatar as a special and unique experience. His favourite location is the Inland Sea, along the south-east of the country. “Here, the dunes meet the sea, and it creates such an unusual environment where you can find a natural reef with hard corals and beautiful marine life. Diving through the dunes to get there is a fun experience itself and if we’re lucky, we get to see turtles and sea snakes. It’s a beautiful place”.
“My second favourite spot to dive would be Terry’s Tug, a shipwreck in the north of Qatar which you can enter, with a depth of 32 meters. And third is the 50-metre tanker; a really deep dive”. Alghais Diving also built their own site in cooperation with Mannai Company, “the GMC reef”, which Mahmoud describes as one of their biggest achievements.
Mahmoud recounts one of his most memorable diving moments. “The plan was to dive on Pericles Wreck, with a depth of 26 meters. That day we decided to go a bit deeper than usual, and all of a sudden a large shadow passes over us. We never expected to see a whale shark that day!”
The diving community has continued to grow since the start of Alghais Diving. “In recent years, a lot of instructors have graduated, something wonderful for the sport. Once you become a diving instructor, you want to start teaching it to people you know, and that becomes the easiest way to spread the word and develop the community”.
To keep their community connected, Alghais Diving also holds a monthly public event, ‘Blue Monday’, where anyone can head down to the centre to learn skills and share stories.
For Mahmoud, his love for diving comes from a place of indescribable passion. “It’s somewhat like an addiction. Every time you dive you see something new. If you are teaching the sport, it brings you so much joy. Witnessing people transform their fear into excitement from beginning to the end of the course. It brings so much fulfilment, you can’t explain it”.
Started by three friends with a shared love of flowers, H.E.N.K.S Gardens opened in early 2017. Their flower shop soon grew into a staple for many in Qatar in search of eye-catching bouquets.
Creating floral centrepieces, bouquets, and headpieces, H.E.N.K.S Gardens caters to the creative. As part of their mission to consistently develop their expertise and expand their services, H.E.N.K.S Gardens has begun offering floral design workshops. Their latest training took place in the Vine Garden of the Qur’anic Botanic Garden, where students enjoyed an immersive workshop surrounded by nature.
One of the founders, Khadeja Albuhaliqa, is a certified floral arrangement trainer who leads the training workshops. “What inspired me to start these workshops is to share knowledge; I have this passion to distribute knowledge,” she says.
“We have for sure created a community within Doha, not only through our workshops but also with our entire customer base”.
Khadeja’s favourite H.E.N.K.S Gardens memory comes from the very beginning. “Our first customer was actually a day before officially opening. A guy came to our shop and told us: ‘I’m so glad that three Qatari ladies are working by themselves, and I want to be the first one to support’. That made our day”.
Since then, H.E.N.K.S Gardens has achieved great feats such as being the first Qatari flower shop to participate in the International Floriculture Trade Fair, in the Netherlands in 2018. Despite these accolades, their main ambition has remained the same as the day they first opened the shop; “keep on expanding with our beloved H.E.N.K.S family”.
Growing up, Jowhara Mohamed Ali remembers waiting impatiently every week for art class. “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t mesmerised by art,” she said. Her weekly experiments with pen, paper and paint were the start of her life-long love of art. “I knew then; this is going to be my world”.
Juggling her career in marketing and her busy life as a mother, Jowhara was able to transform her love of art into a second career and became a certified art trainer. She launched her art workshops almost two years ago, following encouragement from her friends and demand from her Instagram followers. Offering a wide variety of workshops covering watercolours, card making, portraits, urban sketching, art journals and clay, there is something new for everyone.
“Everyone’s favorite is the clay workshops, where we create an assortment of jewelry dishes, pots, and cups from clay and paint them,” Jowhara said. “I try to keep surprising my students with new themes and workshops every month”.
“My goal is to stand out with uniqueness and introduce art lovers to new forms and styles that are not known or popular in Qatar”.
Her favourite part of her workshops is seeing people return to keep developing their skills. “Knowing how much they’ve learned and enjoyed it is so empowering and keeps me going on. Every workshop is exciting to me because I know for the next day or two I will meet not just students, but new friends and do what we love”.
Jowhara is making the most of the winter weather by hosting Artist Picnics in some of Doha’s beautiful public parks. These gatherings bring together art lovers to create freestyle art while discussing their shared passion. She hopes these gatherings will spread an appreciation and love of art even further throughout the Doha community.
Feda Allouh specialises in the traditional embroidery ‘tatreez’, a unique type of cross stitch originating from Palestine, distinguished by its rich colour and texture. “My mother was the reason I grew up interested in embroidery”, Feda recalls, “she was skilled in design and sewing, and she instilled a love for art and design within me from childhood”.
Within Qatar’s Katara Cultural Village, Feda provides workshops called Ghorzeh, a ladies-only class based on traditional Palestinian embroidery. By sharing her skills, she is not only educating but also preserving a unique part of her heritage and culture.
At these workshops, Feda teaches her practiced and precise skills to others, embracing her mastery of the art. She ensures that those who take her classes don’t just learn the techniques, but the deep and rich history that lies behind the garments, all of which carry designs distinctive to many of Palestine’s cities.
Many who participate in Feda’s tatreez classes come to grow knowledge of an artistic tradition. “What I find beautiful about Ghorzeh workshops is that the trainees are of different nationalities, which introduces Palestinian culture to a wider community”. Feda hopes to teach people how to master tatreez whilst preserving it for generations to come. “Preserving heritage is a great responsibility. My goal in the future is to continue to grow Ghorzeh and provide art workshops to both genders.”
Feda carries a strong pride and passion for tatreez, signifying an important aspect of her individuality and residing close to her heart. “My favourite form of art is Palestinian embroidering, it symbolises my identity and reminds me of my beautiful home, Palestine”.
Qatar Museums’ Atharna programme brings its members closer to Qatar’s heritage. From tours of the country’s most popular archaeology sites to hands-on workshops, these immersive experiences transport members to the past.
The heritage sites that members can explore include Al Zubarah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Gardens of Ruwaida, a hidden archaeological gem in the north of Qatar, and Murwab, a town from the time of the Abbasid Caliphs.
“Programmes such as Atharna enable us to put the local community in touch with their past, reminding them of the lifestyle of their Qatari ancestors. We also introduce the heritage of Qatar to Culture Pass members who are expats, so they can learn more about the country they live in”, said Faisal Abdulla Al-Naimi, director of archaeology at Qatar Museums.
One of Faisal’s favourite parts of the programme is leading the experimental hands-on workshop on how to make prehistoric stone tools. This goes through how everyday tools were once created, and is followed by the prehistoric stone tool tour at the National Museum of Qatar.
From early medieval settlements to 19th century forts, villages, towers and mosques, members are given an inside look on what life for Qataris looked like in the past. The well-preserved sites are part of Qatar Museums’ commitment to safeguard the country’s history so that residents can continue to retain their connection to years gone by, even as the surrounding landscape transforms.
The Atharna programme helps raise awareness about the importance of archaeology to the public. With discoveries of new archaeological remains and excavations still taking place regularly, there is much of Qatar still left to be discovered.
With the goal of putting local people in touch with their past, the archaeology department at Qatar Museums promises to continue developing new and exciting tours and workshops to bring members closer to the art, culture and heritage of their ancestors.
Jowaher Al-Mutawa, the founder and CEO of Ektshef Deerti, is the first female scuba diving instructor in Qatar and female free diving instructor in the Middle East. She was inspired to found her company to provide a comfortable space for women to enjoy outdoor activities and adventure sports.
Some of Ektshef Deerti’s women-only adventures include diving, safaris, desert camping, climbing, and hiking. “Each adventure is unique. I determine their success based on the customers’ satisfaction and feedback, and am delighted when they encourage their friends to try our adventures too”.
“So many memories and friendships are made during our trips. When women tell us that they have changed their priorities and want to live a more active and healthy lifestyle, or even be a better person overall, that truly feels like my biggest achievement.”
Jowaher remembers that pulling together and training her team was one of the hardest challenges when she launched Ektshef Deerti. “They have to go through strict training to be prepared for all safety measures and have endurance during the trips. I’ve been able to gather a team with a variety of great strengths and abilities, who have bonded like family”.
Ektshef Deerti’s female-led team has goals to continue promoting the value of adventure sports, and raising the company’s international brand as Qatar’s first women-only adventure company. For Jowaher and her Ektshef Deerti team, the adventure has only just begun.
Sky Masters has brought a completely new experience to Qatar’s desert.
Having a mutual passion for flying, Mohammed AlYafei and Ali Al-Saadi founded Sky Masters with the hope to share this love with others.
A form of “ultralight aviation”, a paramotor enables the pilot to take off the ground while wearing a motor on their back. Meanwhile the paratrike is a three-wheeled car with a motor, allowing an instructor to give an accompanying rider. Lastly, paragliding is a form lightweight, free flying with a parachute.
Sky Masters offer training courses for those interested in developing this passion to explore the skies on their own. With their accredited master instructors, amateur flyers can earn their international paragliding licenses.
Although desert activities remain a popular pastime for both locals and tourists in Qatar, these new attractions are a great addition to the Inland Sea.
