Qatar

The 11th Katara Festival for Arabic Novel was held with Saudi Arabia as guest of honour; the late Saudi diplomat, novelist, and poet Ghazi Al Gosaibi has been named as personality of the year

Nine new evening centers for adult education will be inaugurated starting this academic year 2025-2026, as part of Qatar's strategy to promote lifelong learning opportunities and provide flexible educational options for all segments of society

Abdullah Al-Zaraa, winner of 2025 Doha Marathon, set a national record in Berlin; with a time of 2 hours, 30 minutes, 34 seconds he will qualify for famed marathons in Chicago, Tokyo, Boston, London and New York

The Qatari Cohesion Octagon Parachuting Team, affiliated with the Qatar Air Sports Committee of the Joint Special Forces, won first place and the gold medal at the 24th World Championship in the Netherlands with 181 points

800 new university students were welcomed for the start of the new academic year; now part of Qatar Foundation’s unique ecosystem of education, they have been encouraged to embrace the spirit of giving back, serving their communities

36.000 myna birds have been so far hunted under the National Project to Combat Myna Birds in Qatar, which has proven an effective measure to curb the spread of this invasive species that threatens the ecological balance

The Qatar Skydive team of the Joint Special Forces claimed three medals at the Skydive World Cup Series held in Klatovy, Czech Republic, with 44 international teams participating

Art Basel announced it will debut in Qatar with a new format and artist Wael Shawky as Director; the inaugural edition of the fair will run on 5–7 February 2026, with Preview Days on 3 and 4

Efforts have been stepped up to boost local food production in vital food categories: under its National Food Security Strategy 2030, Qatar aims for 55% self-reliance in vegetables, 30% in red meat, 80% in fish, 100% in dairy and fresh poultry production

Adjusted working hours for the public healthcare sector -PHCC hospitals- during the Eid Al Adha holiday have been made public: emergency services, inpatient departments, Paediatric care and first aid, the Ambulance Service, will function around the clock

Free admission to Qatar Museums venues and exhibitions today 18 May and educational activities will celebrate International Museum Day; museum should evolve to remain an essential connection amid ongoing changes, actively shaping resilient communities

A project to design and build a network of advanced research laboratories for veterinary and agricultural research was announced by Public Works Authority Ashghal; they will be located in Old Airport area, Al Sheehaniya, Qatar Science and Technology Park

Qatari Diar has signed an agreement with Dar Global to develop Trump International Golf Club, a luxury 18-hole golf course, and Trump-branded luxury villas, part of the Simaisma coastal project located 40 kilometres north of Doha; Eric Trump was present