AL SHAQAB WELCOMES MEGA CRUISE MEIN SCHIFF 5 PASSENGERS

Doha:Passengers from the mega cruise ship,Mein Schiff 5 were given a guided tour of Al Shaqab yesterday during their stopover in Doha. Upon their arrival, the visitors were briefed on the establishment of Al Shaqab and its development over the last 25 years. This was followed by a tour of the main indoor and outdoor arenas, where the world’s top riders compete in events such as CHI AL SHAQAB and Longines Global Champions Tour,endurance horsesexercise areas and the stables housing pure bred Arabian horses. One of the highlights of the tour is a horse show where some of the best Arabian horses bred by Al Shaqab were displayed. In addition, the visitors were also able to get up close and personal to the pure bred Arabians to have their selfies taken.
Khalifa Al- Attiya, Executive Director of Al Shaqab said: “Al Shaqab is pleased to welcome tourists to our world class equestrian facility. Working closely with tour operators, we have specially tailored the tour program for the cruise groups in view of the limited time that they have in Doha. This is the 4th cruise group that Al Shaqab had hosted during the current cruise season and we are expecting more groups this month as well as in the coming months.”
He added, “The guided tour program is also available for other tourist groups and local visitors. We have a team that will guide groups of visitors and customize the tour based on their interests such as Breeding & Show or Equine Education with visit to the stables as the highlight of their experience at Al Shaqab. Pony rides can also be organized for school groups to help generate interest in equestrian sports among children”
Ms Myriam Sluypers, a member of the cruise group who is visiting Al Shaqab for the first time said: “It’s amazing. I have never seen such a huge and well-organized facility for horses. Even in Europe, we do not have the same as you have here. I have not seen anything better than this”
Members of the public interested in visiting Al Shaqab can book their tour through the Al Shaqab website www.alshaqab.com. Tours are available from Saturday to Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 3 p.m.
AL SHAQAB – A World Class Facility
Since its establishment in 1992, AL SHAQAB’s vision was to build on Qatar’s Arabian horse heritage and be a leading global centre for equine professionals while providing an engaging experience for the community. Global leadership has not only meant preserving, improving and promoting the Arabian horse breed, but also engaging the community in this unique, traditional and cultural sport.
In 2004, AL SHAQAB became a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development to continue its mission to promote the breeding and showing of Arabian horses, and to provide educational and competitive opportunities in the equestrian arts.
Today, AL SHAQAB’s impressive facilities, which are distinctively designed in the shape of a horseshoe, cover 980, 000 square metres. With a state-of-the-art Main Arena comprising both an indoor and outdoor venue capable of holding over 5000 spectators, AL SHAQAB is part of Qatar’s growing reputation on the world stage that showcases its ability to host major international sports event at the highest level.