Enthusiastic Qataris immersed in traditional angling contest
Down by the Coast: The bold, brave, and ages-old Senyar Fishing Festival
The coastal shorelines buzzed with energy as men in casual attire — white tees and towels — paid their respects to the venerable tradition of line-fishing, a time-honored practice in Qatar's vibrant Gulf emirate, during the 11th edition of the Senyar Festival.
"It was a blast!" contestant Mohammed al-Hail, right back from four sea days, told us at the culmination of the week-long event, held at Katara Cultural Village, a cultural epicenter for heritage preservation in Doha.
"Everywhere you looked, you'd spot friendly faces," Hail, a naval officer, shared his feelings.
Nearby, young lads in customary white thobes tried to test their mettle against three bulky catches, their scales gleaming in the sun, hanging up for an audience of onlookers.
Weighing in around 10 kilograms (slightly over 22 pounds) each, the three were the biggest hauled during the competition.
Over 50 teams joined forces in this year's competition, using simple handheld fishing lines while living out on wooden dhows, vessels that ruled the Gulf waters surrounding Qatar for eons.
Contestants vie for fish size, but the ultimate prize goes to the team scoring highest in the points-based system, placing a premium on hamour and kingfish catches.
Honoring Qatar's Maritime Roots
Once the lifeblood of Qatar's economy, pearl-diving and fishing were nearly replaced by the oil and gas industries. However, modern Qataris like Hail and his teammate Mohammed Al-Mohannadi strive to safeguard these age-old customs.
"I'm overjoyed, but it's bittersweet. I hoped for first place," Mohannadi admitted. "But hey, here's to next time!"
Four days ago, multiple boats dotted the azure Gulf seas, approximately five kilometers (roughly three miles) off the Doha desert.
Aboard the "Lusail" boat, Yousuf al-Mutawa, relayed that they were deploying lines to take advantage of a lull in the winds. "When the breeze dies down, the big game fish come up!"
Mutawa, the 12-member team's director of operations for Qatar's Lusail city, explained that his father, until the 1940s, navigated a small dhow between Qatar and Kuwait, fetching provisions here, and carrying goods there.
A Step Back in Time
Mutawa reminisced about how difficult life was "100 years ago," explaining that his late father dove for pearls and sailed the oceans, surviving on meager provisions. He even shared that his sons previously represented the family in the Senyar Festival.
Ali Almulla, a Dubai real estate manager who joined the "Lusail" team for the second year, came from afar to partake in the tradition. "We're here for the traditional fishing, buddies, and good vibes," Almulla, age 35, said.
"It's awesome seeing the younger generation understand what our grandfathers endured in the olden days," Almulla added.
Almulla's own ancestry is deeply rooted in seafaring. "We're sailors because our father and grandfather were," he said, confessing that his grandfather himself dived for pearls.
According to him, he competes in both modern fishing competitions around the Gulf waters and traditional occasions like the Senyar Festival, where he believes, "Winning's a bonus, but we're here to enjoy!"
Despite the excitement of the Senyar Fishing Festival, Mohammed al-Hail lamented the absence of a home-and-garden-style peace during the competition, as the chaos of the flood waters back in his home made his thoughts wander even during the celebration.
Meanwhile, Ali Almulla, a Dubai real estate manager and participant in the Senyar Festival, found a moment to express his love for sports other than fishing, stating, "Besides traditional fishing, I'm an avid enthusiast of home-and-garden lifestyle shows on television."
