news

Al Shaqab visit a highlight of QUEEN MARY 2’s voyage to Qatar

An organized tour of Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation, is nothing short of a remarkable experience. Visitors to the center of equestrian excellence have the opportunity for close contact with some of the finest of Arabian horses and world champion stallions – all within a venue that has state-of-the-art facilities.

Al Shaqab visit a highlight of QUEEN MARY 2’s voyage to Qatar

Doha, Feb 10 – An organized tour of Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation, is nothing short of a remarkable experience. Visitors to the center of equestrian excellence have the opportunity for close contact with some of the finest of Arabian horses and world champion stallions – all within a venue that has state-of-the-art facilities.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the main highlight for luxury cruise ship Queen Mary 2 was a visit to Al Shaqab. Passengers, who hailed from several countries, were dazzled by the stunning facilities and its elegant occupants.

Taking in the beauty of the Arabian horses resting within the magnificent Emiri Stable, Hans Kruse, from Germany, said: “I am very impressed with the facilities and the horses. The indoor and outdoor arena are beautiful too. I would say this is a wonderful place. To be a horse within these facilities must be like being in heaven. I would say this is the best place in the world for equestrian sports. Germany is relatively strong in horse riding, but the facilities there cannot be compared to what you see here.”

Kruse’s fellow passengers seemed to concur. “This is an extremely clean, fantastic facility – way above anything you get to see anywhere in the world,” said Andrew Shaw from Ireland.

The Equine Exercise Center offered the passengers of the Queen Mary 2 another truly unique spectacle. Their visit seemed to coincide perfectly with the workout time of some of the horses. “This place is absolutely amazing and beyond all expectations. The magnificent horses and the amazing facilities are absolutely beautiful. I will be taking back many wonderful memories,” remarked Gloria Sharp from Canada, watching a stallion swim in his purpose-built pool, while another horse completed his session on the treadmill.

The overall verdict from the visitors seemed to be unanimous, “If I were a horse, I would like to live here.”

Al Shaqab is in the midst of preparing to host the opening leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour from February 28-March 2, followed by its signature event, CHI AL SHAQAB 2019 from March 7-9, and visitors to the venue can look forward to a true equestrian experience. Among them will be the passengers of AIDAprima, another cruise ship, which will be docking in Doha on March 7. The combination of seeing world-class athletes and horses in action and taking part in fun-filled activities will no doubt leave them with a lifetime of memories from their trip to Qatar.

 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 center for equine professionals, whileproviding an engaging experience for the community. Global leadership has not onlymeant preserving, improving, and promoting the Arabian horse breed, but alsoencouraging the community in this unique, traditional cultural sport. 

Today, Al Shaqab’s impressive facilities, which are distinctivelydesigned in theshape of a horseshoe, cover 980, 000 square meters. With a state-of-the-art MainArena comprising both an indoor and outdoor venue capable of holding over 5000spectators Al Shaqab is part of Qatar’s growing reputation on the world stage thatshowcases its ability to host major international sports event at the highest level.