Press conference for the launch of Qatar Classic Cars Contest & Exhibition 2024

Doha - Qatar - November 18, 2024
The Qatari Gulf Classic Cars Association announced the launch of a new exceptional edition of the Qatar Classic Cars Contest & Exhibition 2024 under the generous patronage of H.E. Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums, from November 27 to December 2. This was during a press conference held at the Fairmont Hotel, attended by a number of leaders of the Qatari Gulf Classic Cars Association, headed by Eng. Abdul Latif Al Yafei, a Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary of the Association, and many leaders of institutions, bodies, and companies supporting the exhibition.

During the conference, the association announced its strategic partnership with United Development Company, the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, with the main sponsorship of Qatar Tourism and Alfardan Classic Cars, and the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund "Aldaem" and its selection of Katara Hospitality as a hospitality partner and Dar Al Sharq Group as a media partner.

On this occasion, Eng. Abdul Latif bin Ali Al Yafei - Board Member and Secretary General of the Qatari Gulf Classic Cars Association - stressed the importance of cooperation between the association and the entities, bodies, and institutions supporting the exhibition to make the most important event on the association's agenda a success. He said, "We are pleased to announce the imminent launch of the Qatar Classic Cars Competition and Exhibition 2024 under the generous patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums. The competition is held under the supervision of the International Federation of Classic Cars (FIVA)."

Broad participation from the Gulf countries
Al Yafei spoke about the significant development witnessed by this year's edition of the Qatar Classic Luxury Cars Competition and Exhibition, saying, "The fifth edition of the exhibition will witness many surprises, as the exhibition area has increased to become double the size of the previous edition, and it will include wide participation from owners of classic luxury cars in Qatar and the Arabian Gulf region. The competition was also announced on social media to allow car owners to prepare their cars to participate in this special edition."

Al Yafei added, "For the first time, cash and in-kind prizes will be awarded to the winners in all competition categories this year to add more competition among classic car owners."

Strategic Partner
On the other hand, United Development Company praised the great development witnessed by the Qatar Classic Luxury Cars Competition and Exhibition, commenting: "We are pleased to be part of this annual event that has become a legacy that extends over the past years. We are proud of our strategic partnership with the Gulf Qatar Classic Cars Association in organizing and hosting this competition and exhibition, and we look forward to a distinctive edition this year with the increase in area and wide participation from the Gulf countries."

The company added: “The entire Medina Centrale space was chosen to host the exhibition due to its distinguished location and wide spaces to display the participating cars in a distinctive manner that adds more brilliance and success to the event.”

The company also invited the public to visit the exhibition and view the rare and valuable cars, stressing that this exhibition represents a distinctive tourist destination and a valuable opportunity to enhance the role of the private sector in promoting tourism in the country across various sectors.

Qatar Museum Honorary Sponsor
In his speech on the sidelines of the conference, Mr. Abdullah bin Ali Al Khater, Head of Partnerships and Sponsorships at Qatar Museums, confirmed that we are pleased to support the Qatar Classic Cars Competition and Exhibition 2024, organized by the Gulf Qatar Classic Cars Association under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani - Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums for the fourth consecutive year. This competition has become a prominent annual event that attracts all car enthusiasts to highlight the history of classic cars in Qatar and promote the culture of owning them as a community heritage.
Qatar Museums’ participation confirms our interest in the combination of cars, arts, and design. We look forward to continuing cooperation with you in developing the Qatar Car Museum into a center that celebrates cars and supports innovation, design, sustainability, and traffic safety.
We thank the Qatari Gulf Classic Cars Association, represented by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, and Mr. Omar Al Fardan, for their great efforts, and we thank the United Development Company and all partners for their continuous support.

Qatar Tourism
In his speech, Mr. Abdulhadi Al Marri, Senior Partnerships Manager at Qatar Tourism, said, “I am honored to be with you today, at this press conference to announce the fifth edition of the Qatar Luxury Classic Cars Competition and Exhibition 2024.
We at Qatar Tourism are pleased to be the main sponsor of this exhibition, an essential milestone in Qatar’s annual calendar and has a distinguished position among the events hosted by the country.
The Qatar Luxury Classic Cars Exhibition has become a destination for classic car enthusiasts from Qatar and abroad. Visitors from neighboring countries visit it to learn about the history of classic cars in Qatar, which is part of the country’s cultural heritage.
Hence, the importance of our sponsorship of this exhibition is evident, as it aligns with our vision of attracting more visitors to the State of Qatar, whether participants or fans of this type of car that receives great attention.

Holding such events contributes to achieving our strategic goals, the most important of which is making Qatar one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the region.

Qatar Tourism, through its promotional and marketing arm Visit Qatar, seeks to provide a rich and diverse calendar of events that suit all tastes and ages.

This season, Qatar is hosting several major events and activities simultaneously, which enhances the tourism experience.

We look forward to a distinguished version of the Qatar Luxury Classic Car Show, and we wish the organizers and participants success.

Support Fund
As stated by Mr. Hassan bin Yousef Al-Obaidli - Director of Programs Department at the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund "Support Fund" at the beginning, we at the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund would like to thank the Gulf Qatari Classic Cars Association for the invitation to attend this press conference to reveal the details of the Qatar Luxury Classic Cars Competition and Exhibition.

Our support for this event for the third time confirms the leading role played by the Fund and the companies contributing to the Qatar Stock Exchange in supporting cultural events and initiatives that contribute to achieving community development by Qatar National Vision 2030.

By supporting this event, we aim at the Fund to support current owners of classic cars and encourage them to preserve them. We also raise awareness among the new generation and those who inherit these cars of the importance of preserving this heritage.

The presence of rare classic cars, owned by many people in Qatar and considered artistic and engineering masterpieces with great moral and material value, attracts amateurs and visitors to see them and learn about their history closely.

Finally, we invite everyone to attend the exhibition accompanying the competition and get to know the participating cars and their history closely. We wish all participants and the organizing committee the best of luck and success.

Alfardan Automotive
For his part, Dr. Maan Al Hamwi, CEO of Alfardan Automotive, a subsidiary of Alfardan Group, stated that the group was chosen to sponsor this important event, saying, “We are proud today to sponsor the Qatar Luxury Cars Competition and Exhibition, which is being held this year in a new form that will launch the Qatari Gulf Classic Cars Association towards new horizons of excellence.”

He added, “We at Alfardan Automotive believe in the importance of this sponsorship and its role in enhancing the image of this event, and we will continue to support it in the future to achieve further development and excellence.”

Katara Hospitality
For his part, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Thani, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer at Katara Hospitality, stated: First, I would like to express our deepest thanks and gratitude to the Qatari Gulf Classic Cars Association for inviting us to participate in this distinguished event.
Many of you may wonder about Katara Hospitality’s role in this exhibition. Katara Hospitality is one of the leading hospitality companies in the State of Qatar, and we recently celebrated more than 50 years of our establishment. We are proud to be one of the companies that have contributed significantly to shaping the hospitality map in Qatar by developing and establishing hotel assets exceeding 40 properties.
Our presence at this exhibition is crucial in promoting the State of Qatar and building stronger relationships within our local and regional community. With the Association’s continuous growth year after year, we are pleased to be part of this event for the first time and look forward to making it an annual event and achieving greater success in the future.
Events of this kind are a great source of attraction for visitors from the GCC and beyond. As a hospitality supporter of this event, we are pleased to announce the display of two classic cars from the Association at the Raffles and Fairmont hotels.
On behalf of Katara Hospitality and all our staff, we would like to thank all the organizers for their valuable efforts in organizing this wonderful exhibition. We wish all participants in this unique event success and good luck.

Thank you again for the hospitality, and we wish everyone success in this exhibition.

Classic Car Competition
The exhibition will include a competition on the sidelines of its activities, through which the best car will be chosen from among the participating cars. A specialized committee will be formed to select the winning cars, and will choose the winning cars, which the members must unanimously approve of the arbitration committee. For the first time, the winners will be awarded cash and in-kind prizes.
This competition includes five categories of classic cars; three winners will be selected from each category, including:
First category: 1947 and before
Second category: 1948 - 1958
Third category: 1959 - 1969
Fourth category: 1970 - 1980
Fifth category: 1981 - 1994

In addition to the excellence awards as follows:
1. Best Exceptional Luxury Car Award
2. Most Representative and Present Car Award
3. Best Car to Maintain Authenticity Award
4. Best Car to Maintain Local Heritage Award
5. Best Car in the Show Award

This competition will significantly stimulate the spirit of competition and motivate the participants in the exhibition to display their best cars and show their interest in them. Therefore, the competition will enhance the exhibition's attractiveness for car enthusiasts and the public to visit it and see the cars on display, especially the winning car.