Brigadier Dr Ali Khajim al-Athbi: on NDP security plan

The Security Committee for the National Day Celebrations held a press conference on Thursday at the headquarters of the Facilities and Entities Security Department to which various media were invited. To announce the organisational measures and the security plan for the National Day Parade (NDP) on the Doha Corniche and the activities of the celebration on Saturday morning December 18 ,2021.

Brigadier Dr Ali Khajim al-Athbi, Director of the Facilities and Entities Security Department and Head of the Security Committee, indicated that places for the public have been identified in the northern platforms that will accommodate (6,557) people. The Southern platforms will accommodate 2,706 people. The total number of the invited audience to the event will be (9,586) people. He said that attendance will be by barcode invitations, as in the last celebration to determine the path of the invited person and the way to follow. He called on the invited people to adhere to the specified paths so that they would not be subjected to delays. He stressed that the Corniche will be open to invited people until 7.30am. Then the roads will be closed and no entry will be allowed. The public is advised to come early and well in advance.

Brig al-Athbi added that there will be fireworks on the Doha Corniche, and its date will coincide with the end of the final match, after knowing the winning team at the end of the FIFA Arab Cup.

The head of the Security Committee noted that the national march is limited this year to the parades of the military infantry and will not be accompanied by any parade of military vehicles. He said that the security cordon will be from Hamad Street to Burj Barzan Street. The closure will be until the signals of the Central Bank with the signals of Hamad Street. The public will be present only in the platforms that have been designated and there will be no public on the waterfront.

He pointed out that the committee has designated the gates for the arrival of passengers and others for inspection. There will be screening gates to verify the identity of invitations' holders. He added that entrances for media professionals, for the public and for senior visitors have been designated. The parking lots have been set for the public in Al-Bida Park at the Qatar Bowling Center, at the old Ministry of Interior building, south of the podium, and between the media area and north of the podium, and in front of the new Interior Ministry building.

As for the parking lots near the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, they are designated for people who hold invitations but do not hold car entry passes. There will be Karwa buses to transport the public from these stops to Marmar intersection and then to the sorting gates.

Brigadier al-Athbi stressed that the barcode will determine the direction of the invited person’s path which he will follow to reach the event Venue. He also presented the entrances and exits of the main platform, the northern Bida, the southern Bida, and the western Bida parking lots.

He concluded that the accompanying events committee will secure two events, the first in Aspire Park, considering this event as a miniature Darb al Saai. As for the second, it will be hosted at Souq Waqif in al-Wakra. Both events will be held from 14 to 18 December, they will be open to the general public without invitation. He said that the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior will be in charge of missing children during the celebrations and has a headquarters to carry out this task. He called on everyone to adhere to security and safety procedures and to cooperate with the police so that everyone can enjoy the celebrations.