Venue
Katara Beach, Katara Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar
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Katara Traditional Dhow Festival, Doha guide
Wooden dhows racing off Katara beach.
In short
Families and anyone curious about Qatar's seafaring past can visit the 16th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival from 3 to 12 December 2026, with free entry in the South Area of the beach. Crews race under oar and sail, while craftsmen build boats, forge iron and twist rope. Staying on lets you add Qatar National Day on 18 December.
For ten days in December, wooden dhows crowd the beach at Katara Cultural Village in Doha and their crews race under oar and sail. The Katara Traditional Dhow Festival is Qatar's yearly nod to its life on the water before oil. The 16th edition runs from 3 to 12 December 2026. Entry is free.
Katara organises it in the South Area of the beach, under the patronage of the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Away from the races, craftsmen build dhows, forge iron and twist rope by hand while heritage music troupes play every day.
Time it right and you can stay on for Qatar National Day on 18 December, less than a week after the festival closes.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Saturday, 12 December 2026
Where: Doha, Qatar
Venue: South Area
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Folk Festival
Nearest airport: Doha (DOH) · 2 flight routes
Currency: Qatari riyal (QAR, QR)
Time zone: Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3
Language: Arabic
Map
Close to the venue
- Katara Cultural Village Attraction · 260 m
- Katara Beach Attraction · 290 m
- The Pearl-Qatar Attraction · 2.8 km
- City Center Doha Attraction · 3.6 km
- Raffles Doha Hotel · 2.7 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
2026 dates and expected opening hours
Katara has announced the 3 to 12 December dates, but not yet the daily hours. In 2025 the site opened from 15:00 to 22:00, and something similar is likely this time.
Dhow races, craftsmen and evening music
- On the water
- dhow races, sailing contests and oar-pulling events off Katara Beach.
- Craftsmen work at the trades that kept pearling and trading boats at sea, from dhow building and blacksmithing to spinning and rope making.
- Folk performances
- heritage music troupes play daily. Bahrain and Oman sent groups in 2025, alongside Qatar's own.
- Exhibitions on maritime history, plus talks on sea heritage.
- For families
- a fishing contest, boat competitions for children and art workshops.
Pearling, trade and life on the coast
Qatar's coastal towns lived from the sea. Each summer dhows took pearl divers out to the oyster banks, and the rest of the year they carried goods around the Gulf and across the Indian Ocean. Most young Qataris have grown up far from that world, and the festival keeps it in sight.
The 2025 edition, the 15th, was the biggest yet, and its southern grounds were enlarged. Participants came from the Gulf states and from India, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Tanzania and Sudan, all places tied to the Gulf by old trade routes.
Getting to Katara by metro or taxi
Katara Cultural Village sits on Doha's eastern shore between West Bay and The Pearl. The simplest way in is the Doha Metro Red Line to Katara station; taxis and ride-hailing cars drop off close to the beach. From Hamad International Airport it is about 30 minutes by road. Once there, everything is walkable, including the amphitheatre, the galleries and restaurants, and the village's two mosques.
Arriving late afternoon and a jacket for the evening
- Arrive in the late afternoon. You see the boats in daylight and can stay on for the evening music.
- It gets cool by the sea after dark in December. Bring a light jacket.
- Plenty of local families come, so cover shoulders and knees.
- Ask before photographing performers or craftsmen up close.
- For more time on the water, browse our Qatar boat trips; and if you are staying on, read up on Qatar National Day and its parade on the Corniche.
Free entry and the best time of day to visit
Entry is free, so the main decision is timing. Late afternoon is ideal for seeing the dhows in daylight, and you can stay on for the music in the evening. Katara had not fixed daily hours for 2026 at the time of writing; the 2025 edition opened 15:00 to 22:00, and the 2026 hours will probably look much the same.
Bring a light jacket, as December evenings by the water can be cool, and dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, since many local families attend. Ask before taking close-up photos of performers or craftsmen.
The dhow's role in Qatar's pearling past
Before oil, the towns along Qatar's coast depended on the sea. Each summer dhows took pearl divers out to the oyster banks, and they traded goods around the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Katara runs the festival under the patronage of the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and it keeps that memory alive.
Craftsmen demonstrate rope making, spinning, blacksmithing and dhow building, while crews race rowing and sailing boats offshore. The 2025 edition, the 15th, was the biggest yet, with teams from the Gulf states joined by others from India, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan and Tanzania.
Getting there
Flying in
Hamad International Airport is roughly 30 minutes from Katara by road. Compare Dhaka to Doha, Chattogram to Doha and Bangkok to Doha flights.
By metro
Katara has its own stop on the Red Line, the easiest way in without a car.
By taxi
Taxis and ride-hailing cars can drop you close to the sand.
Where to stay during the festival
West Bay and the area around Katara are the closest bases, and a Red Line hotel makes the evening return easy.
Doha
Mandarin Oriental, Doha5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$307.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Doha
Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$69.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
10 Rooms available
Book Now
Doha
Alwadi Hotel Doha - MGallery5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$125.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
6 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
December is Doha's pleasant season. Average highs are about 25°C and lows about 17°C, with roughly 12 mm of rain in the month (1991-2020 normals at the old Doha airport, NOAA data).
Evenings by the water can feel cool once the sun goes down.
Worth packing
- A light jacket for the evening by the sea
- Clothes covering shoulders and knees
- Sunglasses and sunscreen for the afternoon races
- Comfortable shoes for the sand
Flights to Doha for Katara Traditional Dhow Festival, Doha
The busiest routes into Doha (DOH).
FromTo DAC DOH DhakaDoha FromTo CGP DOH ChattogramDoha Available airlines2 airlines- Biman Bangladesh Airlines
- US-Bangla Airlines
Car hire in Doha
Airport transfer to Katara Traditional Dhow Festival, Doha
Met at arrivals at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and driven door to door to South Area.
- Hamad International Airport (DOH) → South Area
- 20 km · 25 min
Restaurants and food in Qatar
Places to eat in Qatar before or after the celebrations.
Argan
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel, Al Jasra Street, Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:MoroccanNorth African
- Dine-in
Bayt Sharq
Al Doha Gardens, Al Sharq Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Private room
Jiwan
4th Floor, National Museum of Qatar, Museum Park Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
IDAM by Alain Ducasse
5th Floor, Museum of Islamic Art, Corniche Promenade, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:Contemporary FrenchMediterranean
- Dine-in
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Booking
Past editions have been open to the public at Katara Beach without advance booking. Katara publishes the programme shortly before each edition, so check there in case anything changes, and note that some workshops have limited places.
General
Late afternoon is a good choice. The sun is lower, races and shows are under way, and you can stay into the evening when the heritage music and lights come on. Weekends are much busier than weekdays.
A dhow is a traditional wooden sailing boat used across the Gulf, the Arabian Sea and East Africa. In Qatar dhows were used for pearl diving, fishing and trade before oil. Types you may see include the boom, sambuk and jalboot.
The programme usually includes rowing and sailing races, pearl diving and fishing contests, and the traditional pearl diving songs. Teams come from Qatar and other Gulf countries. Check Katara's schedule for the day's events.
Photography is generally welcome. Ask before photographing craftsmen or performers up close, and avoid photographing local women without permission. Drones need a permit in Qatar.
Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, as Katara is a cultural venue. Wear shoes suited to sand. Swimwear is for the beach area, not the festival grounds.
The festival usually has stalls selling Qatari snacks such as luqaimat and karak tea. Katara's restaurants are a short walk away for a full meal. Cash in riyals is handy for small stalls, though cards are widely accepted.
Before oil, Qatar's economy depended on pearling and sea trade, and dhows were the boats that made it possible. Pearl diving seasons kept crews at sea for months. The festival keeps those skills and songs alive for younger Qataris.
Families & accessibility
Yes, it's one of Doha's easiest family outings. Children can watch craftsmen, see boats up close and join hands-on activities. It's free, outdoors and on sand, so let them run.
Katara's paved areas are accessible, but the festival is on the beach where sand makes wheelchair access hard. There may be boardwalks in parts. Ask Katara in advance.
Timing & weather
Two to three hours is enough to see the boats, a race and the craft demonstrations. Add more time for a meal at Katara or a walk along the beach. Coming back on a second day gives a chance to see different races.