Qatari National Day Parade

The National Day Parade in Qatar (Arabic: موكب اليوم الوطني) is held annually on the occasion of Qatar National Day on 18 December. The holiday was established on 21 June 2007 by decree of the then Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.[1] The primary participants in the parade come from the Qatar Armed Forces, the Internal Security Force, the Ministry of Interior, and Amiri Guard. So far, there have been 12 editions of the parade. The parade goes through the Doha Corniche as well as between the Qatar National Theater and the Emiri Diwan.

Army servicemen during the 2013 parade.

Dignitaries in attendance

Parades by year

Mounted cavalry in Doha during the 2013 parade.
  • 2016 The parade was cancelled in accordance with a government order that it would cancel all festivities in solidarity with the people of the Syrian city of Aleppo following the end of the Battle of Aleppo in the Syrian Civil War.[2]
  • 2017 The 10th anniversary of the parade's inception was marked with the a break in precedent by it being held in the afternoon instead of the morning.[3] The soldiers on parade adopted the Chinese marching style which was the result of the training by members of the Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion of the People's Liberation Army of China.[4][5] Previously, the parade had followed British Army Chinese made guided ballistic missile launchers were also showcased.[6]
  • 2018 The parade was the largest in Qatari history. The participation of military units in the parade was threefold. 90% of the weaponry seen at the parade was new according to the Commander of the Military Parade Center. This caused it to be extended form the usual 17 minute parade to around 45 minutes.[7] The parade was held with the attendance of Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. The Mehter Troop of the Turkish Armed Forces also participated.[8] A band from the Italian Carabinieri was also present.[9]
  • 2019 The parachute jumping ceremony was cancelled due to the inclement weather. It was the first parade since the opening of Doha Metro, which contributed to travel to the venue.[10]
  • 2020 It was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with only the families of the health sector workers being allowed to attend.[11]

See also

References

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