Doha/9 December-2011/ HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of Qatar, graciously patronised the opening ceremony of the 2011 Arab Games, held at Khalifa International Stadium this evening.
The ceremony was attended by HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince, HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir’s personal representative, and HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, special adviser to the Amir.
The ceremony was also attended by HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, along with a number of sheikhs and ministers.
A number of Arab heads of state also attended, along with HE Dr Nabil El-Araby, Secretary General of the Arab League, HE Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and other highnesses, excellencies and dignitaries who were guests of the country, as well as heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the state.
The ceremony began with the entrance of the Amir of Qatar, who was greeted by a thunderous round of applause from the audience, estimated at around forty thousand people from the various communities of the brotherly Arab countries whose delegations were taking part in the Arab Games.
Before the Amir of Qatar entered the field at Khalifa International Stadium, a short video film was shown presenting aspects of the renaissance Qatar has been witnessing across various fields.
Before the official ceremony proceedings, a number of artistic and folkloric performances were staged, opening with an audio-visual segment, followed by Jassim bin Hamad School performing the traditional Ardha dance and Zakarit School performing a folk dance, then Egyptian singer Ehab Tawfik performed a selection of his songs, followed by part of the well-known operetta “The Arab Dream”.
The opening ceremony was attended by around 40,000 spectators, and the stadium’s field was covered with a light-projection surface spanning 12,600 square metres, with 86 projectors generating the visual content that formed the main backdrop for the whole production, effectively serving as the stage for the performers.
The performance crew comprised 3,240 volunteers, including 700 performers and volunteers, in addition to a 40-piece orchestra, alongside a procession of 2,500 athletes taking part in the Doha 2011 Arab Games.
The ceremony came at a time when Arabs were rewriting their history, underlining the importance of this period and the struggle of Arab peoples for their dignity.
The opening ceremony’s proceedings aimed to draw lessons from the past and present, and to encourage building the future drawing on Arab culture, history and identity distinguished by pride and dignity, with Arab peoples sending messages of peace, freedom and optimism to the entire world.
These proceedings drew their inspiration and staging from the spirit of stories and accounts of Islamic heritage and what preceded it. The meanings of the Quran were embodied in the story presented, telling us that God created people as equals and endowed them with equal human worth.
After the entrance of HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of Qatar and patron of the ceremony, a countdown began ahead of the ceremony’s start, with the audience counting down from 10 to 1 to mark the beginning of the grand festival, which opened with audio-visual light effects being used for the first time at a sporting Games.
The light effects then formed the phrase “Bismillah” (In the name of God) on the stadium field, before the same phrase moved to the stands, breaking up into hundreds of similar smaller phrases, later transforming into the phrase “As-salamu alaykum” (Peace be upon you) covering the stadium field and the stands packed with the crowds who had gathered to witness the opening of the Arab Games.
The phrase “Bismillah” on the stadium field was designed by the eminent Iraqi calligrapher Sabah Arbilli, who has mastered both traditional and contemporary calligraphy and has won numerous international awards.
A unit from the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) then entered carrying the Qatari flag, before raising it on the flagpole at Khalifa International Stadium, while Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi performed the national anthem of the State of Qatar with the participation of “Siwar”, the children’s choir of Al Jazeera Channel.
Blessed verses from the Holy Quran were then recited.
Following that, the procession of athletes representing the twenty-one participating countries began to enter. As each delegation entered, an introductory film about the country and its leading athletes was shown. Each delegation was led alternately by a horseman or a falconer, followed by a bearer carrying a placard with the country’s name and flag, with the participating delegation following behind amid applause and cheers from the audience for all the delegations.
After the delegations lined up on the field at Khalifa International Stadium, singer Assala Nasri performed the song “Dream of the Championship” in celebration of the athletes of the twelfth Arab Games, Doha 2011, with lyrics focused on inspiring enthusiasm among the participants to achieve the titles their countries and their wider Arab homeland deserved, while upholding sportsmanship and noble values at the same time.
HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, chairman of the organising committee for the Doha 2011 Arab Games, delivered a speech welcoming all those present, saying: “In Doha of goodness, love and loyalty, Doha of goodness that embraces its brothers with every feeling of brotherhood and affection, announcing a new edition of the Arab Games”.
He said everyone was keen for these Games to live up to their ambition, not only in form but also in substance, “which we hope to elevate to the level we aspire to in competitions that reflect a new reality… praying to God Almighty that these Games will be filled with many achievements. Through this edition we hope to entrench the values of love, brotherhood and peace across the Arab world, and for sport to be a means of bringing together the sons of one homeland – whatever the results of the competitions on the fields of play, we are winners through this Arab gathering”.
The chairman of the Doha 2011 organising committee noted that what added to the committee’s joy was the Games coinciding with Qatar’s celebration of its National Day, which falls on 18 December, affirming that this would be further reason to ensure that all the stadiums and venues became a place of celebration together with all the Arab brothers, in joy at this occasion so dear to the hearts of everyone in Qatar.
At the close of his speech, he extended his deep thanks to all the staff and volunteers for their efforts in organising this great Arab event, and thanked everyone who had contributed to the preparations for the Games, as well as the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, and the crowds who had engaged with the opening ceremony, wishing everyone a pleasant stay in their second home, Qatar.
Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd Al Saud, chairman of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, delivered a speech saluting Arab youth, saying: “Our youth in this eternal nation are today and were yesterday; they are the true treasure that surpasses all the treasures of the earth, and they are the hopes God has honoured us with sponsoring and caring for.”
He noted the sincere direction from Arab leaderships to prepare and harness all resources for the sake of future hope, pointing to the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, to make every effort to care for the youth of our Arab and Islamic nation.
In his capacity as chairman of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees overseeing sport across the Arab world, he pledged to continue the diligent work, spare no effort, and remove every obstacle to spreading the true, authentic practice of sport, so that our Arab youth could develop their potential and remain able to contribute to and build development efforts in their societies, for further prosperity, progress and growth.
He expressed hope that Arab youth would return from Doha of goodness, from the twelfth Arab Games, spreading a spirit of love and brotherhood and carrying the finest memories they would take from this sporting celebration.
His Highness saluted the efforts made by the Games’ Supreme Organising Committee and all its staff, and expressed his thanks to Qatar for the hospitality, warmth and welcome offered by “this good country”, extending particular thanks to the Amir and Crown Prince of Qatar, conveying to them the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince, and praying to God for the success and excellence of these Arab Games on the precious soil of Qatar.
The flag of the Union of Arab Olympic Committees was then raised, after which Qatari athlete Hana Khalifa Al Badr recited the athletes’ oath, pledging serious participation to achieve what the participating Arab countries aspired to while upholding the finest sportsmanship. Qatari official Saud Al Qahtani then recited the officials’ oath.
At that moment came the time for the official opening, as HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of Qatar and patron of the ceremony, declared the Games open, saying: “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. On behalf of the people of Qatar I welcome the Arabs to the Doha of the Arabs, and I declare open the twelfth Arab Games”.
The opening ceremony was expressive, employing modern technology, and included segments recounting the history of the Arab people and the challenges and hardships they faced in earlier eras.
The ceremony presented the story of two tribes representing the Arabs, between whom there were disputes and conflicts, who faced an external threat from a “mythical creature”, then showed how the Arabs united and confronted this threat, until peace and love prevailed.
The torch was lit in a highly innovative way, as a young Qatari girl carried the torch and lit the base of a spiral tower, with the light rising around the tower until it settled in an incense burner at its top, in a spectacular scene.
The opening ceremony was produced by David Atkins Enterprises, one of the world’s most renowned companies in designing and organising major events, which had previously staged the opening ceremony of the 15th Asian Games, also in Doha, in 2006, the 26th Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in 2000, and the Winter Olympic Games held the previous year in Vancouver.
