FuelFest lands in Qatar

Welcome to Al-Monitor Doha.

This week asks you to listen differently, to feel speed rather than merely watch it, to understand how sound can map a coastline, and how heritage lives in the hands that hold falcons. FuelFest arrives for the first time, bringing Hollywood faces and half a thousand cars to Katara, while Mathaf opens your ears to underwater recordings from port cities across continents. A Lebanese voice merges with a full orchestra at U Venue, fencers from 53 countries demonstrate precision at Aspire Dome and falconers hunt across 900 square kilometers (347 square miles) using methods their ancestors perfected centuries ago.

The week doesn’t follow a single thread. It sprawls. It brings craft into collision with celebrity, tradition with technology, silence with orchestral power.

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Thanks for reading,

Reve

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Doha's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: FuelFest Qatar

 FuelFest 2025 at Phoenix. (Photo courtesy of FuelFest)

There’s a specific energy that comes from gathering around things built for speed. FuelFest Qatar arrives at Katara South Parking on Jan. 23, marking the first time the country hosts the world-famous automotive festival and kicking off the 2026 World Tour. It brings an experience that doesn’t fit neatly into categories. Call it a car show, a music festival or a cultural moment dedicated to automotive obsession — you’d be right every time. What makes it compelling is its refusal to choose just one lane.

Around 500 vehicles will fill the space, from supercars to custom builds representing years of vision and labor. Professional drifting demonstrations turn precision into spectacle, while racing simulators let visitors test their skills on a virtual Lusail Circuit. But the cars are only part of the draw. Tyrese Gibson, Cody Walker and Jason Statham anchor the celebrity presence, with meet-and-greet sessions that bring Hollywood closer than the usual red carpet distance.

Then there’s the music. Busta Rhymes and Ludacris headline an evening concert that shifts the festival from daylight appreciation to nighttime celebration, with DJ sets keeping momentum rolling long after sunset.

FuelFest also carries intention beyond entertainment. The event supports Reach Out Worldwide, honoring Paul Walker’s legacy of humanitarian work and community service. This added layer gives weight to what might otherwise be pure spectacle. Families will find dedicated zones for children, complete with gaming areas, inflatables and face painting, while adults can explore food vendors, merchandise stalls and brand experiences scattered throughout the venue.

FuelFest doesn’t ask you to be a car enthusiast to show up. It simply asks you to appreciate what happens when craftsmanship, celebrity, speed and sound converge in one place for one night.

Date: Jan. 23

Location: Katara South Parking

More details here. 

2. Word on the street: ‘Waters’ Witness’ at Mathaf

Artwork from the “Waters’ Witness” exhibition by Tarek Atoui at Mathaf. (Photo courtesy of Miro Kuzmanovic/ Qatar Museums)

There’s something disorienting about listening to a city through water. Tarek Atoui’s “Waters’ Witness,” now at Mathaf through May 18, asks you to experience sound not as background but as architecture. This isn’t a typical exhibition where you walk, look and move on. It’s a sound-based installation that turns maritime communities into acoustic portraits, drawing on recordings from port cities such as Athens, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Istanbul, Porto, Singapore and Sydney, captured through underwater microphones and coastal infrastructure.

The installation incorporates sculptural elements crafted from marble, metal, ceramics and stone, transforming these recordings into spatial experiences. Sound becomes physical. You don’t just hear the water; you feel how it shapes urban life, social history and ecological reality in harbors across the globe. Particularly significant is the fact that this marks the first time “Waters’ Witness” has been presented in the Arab region, and Mathaf’s iteration introducing a new chapter focused specifically on Qatar’s coastline and communities.

Presented as part of Mathaf’s 15th anniversary celebrations, “Waters’ Witness” signals the museum’s evolving engagement with contemporary sound practices. It’s the kind of exhibition that demands a different kind of attention — one where listening becomes as important as looking. The work invites visitors to consider how water connects distant places, carries memory and holds the stories of those who live and work along its edges.

Date: until May 18

Location: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

More details here.

3. Doha diary

Lebanese singer and musicologist Abeer Nehme poses during a studio photoshoot session in Beirut on Nov. 24, 2023. (JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images)

• Abeer Nehme alongside Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra

Abeer Nehme performs live with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra on Jan. 23 at U Venue, presenting a blend of celebrated classics and her latest work. The evening highlights her vocal range and emotional depth, supported by a full orchestral arrangement. It’s the kind of concert that feels intimate despite the scale, where voice and instruments create something larger than either could alone.

Date: Jan. 23

Location: U Venue

More information here.

• Doha Fencing Grand Prix 2026

The Doha Fencing Grand Prix 2026 brings together around 433 athletes — 254 men and 179 women — from 53 countries at Aspire Dome. Marking its 21st edition, the event ranks among the largest federation-organized Grand Prix competitions in the sport. Hosted in Doha since 2005, it has helped establish Qatar as a leading fencing hub in the Middle East. Over three-days, the épée championship showcases precision, strategy and athletic excellence at the highest level.

Date: Jan. 23-25

Location: Aspire Dome

More information here.

• Tarsheed Carnival 2026

The Tarsheed Carnival promotes a culture of responsible electricity and water use through educational workshops, theatrical performances, recreational games, sports activities and a sustainability bazaar. The annual event makes environmental awareness accessible and engaging for families. It’s the kind of carnival where learning feels less like an obligation and more like discovery.

Date: Jan. 25-30

Location: Kahramaa Awareness Park

More information here.

• Al Galayel Traditional Hunting Championship

The 15th Al Galayel Championship takes place at Al Eraiq Reserve, featuring 16 teams of Qatari falconers with six to nine members each. Held over 900 square kilometers in southern Qatar, the competition sees contestants hunt using traditional skills passed down through generations, relying on camels, horses and falcons without modern technology. It’s one of the few competitions worldwide that preserves authentic falconry heritage in its purest form.

Date: Jan. 22 - Feb. 12

Location: Al Eraiq Reserve

More information here.