Qatari luxury house Hairaat is celebrating the success of its exclusive partnership as the Diamond Sponsor of the annual Katara International Arabian Horse Festival 2023. In its third year, the event, which took place from February 1 to 11 at Katara Beach, was attended by thousands of guests who were able to experience Hairaat’s various sublime collections and collaborations.

Now completing its second year as a headline sponsor, Hairaat’s partnership with KIAHF was born out of their mutual passion for showcasing the hidden beauty and culture of the GCC. Hairaat’s founder and designer, Nada Al Sulaiti, was invited by one of her clients to the debut KIAHF, where she was greatly inspired by the significance of horses in Qatari culture and heritage.

Instead of buying a table for potential special guests, she chose to become the event’s Diamond Sponsor, a natural step that marked the harmonious synergy and values of both brands. Already established as one of Doha’s most sought-after luxury jewellery brands, Hairaat creates bespoke pieces that radiate Qatar’s rich culture to the world through blended jewels with an international appeal.

In its role as Diamond Sponsor, Hairaat commanded the dawn of a new era at this year’s KIAHF. Embracing the notion of how beauty can be transcendent, much like the journey of the revered Arabian horse breed, Hairaat took this opportunity to merge and become a complete Lifestyle brand. This pivot into a new direction was further celebrated with several collaborative designs and pieces specially created for KIAHF 2023.

THE “MAHRA” COLLECTION

Hairaat’s partnership with KIAHF was centered around embracing and representing Qatari identity, culture, and heritage on the world stage. Hairaat’s Mahra collection took this one step further. Mahra meaning a female horse under the age of one, in Arabic, is a collection of intricate and feminine pieces with an equine-inspired colour palette that represents both the majestic creatures and the soft, regal beauty of jewellery for women.

With exclusive and unique pieces, the focus of this collection was transformative qualities. Hence, you will find items embellished with precious stones, diamonds, and pearls and all with the ability to transform. Each piece can be worn in a multitude of ways, such as a bracelet or a necklace, the wearer decides.

COLLABORATION WITH JWAHR

Continuing the path of transformation and lifestyle, Hairaat collaborated with luxury bag designer JWAHR who produced a special exotic wood collection exclusively for this event. Using a rare type of wood such as Amboyna Burl which is the same wood Rolls Royce uses for the interior of its cars, this exotic bag collection took the idea of transformative growth to new heights.

There was one special piece that can also be worn as a brooch, earring, or shoulder strap which continues the transformative quality that Hairaat is renowned for throughout their collections.

MENTORING YOUNG TALENTS

Perhaps one of the most fitting collaborations to be unveiled by Hairaat at KIAHF 2023 was the Horse by SH capsule collection. Evolving from accessories, the awe-inspiring fine jewellery line was created by 15-year-old Qatari teen Shaikha Shuaa. Taken under the wing of Nada herself, the young creator who is the granddaughter of a purebred Arabian horse breeder, highlighted two stunning pieces at the event; the first was a sophisticated depiction of a horse hugging her, and the second illustrated two-horse heads making a heart. The collection showcased her family’s lineage and love of breeding horses, a generational interest and passion that has now been passed down to the young people of Qatar.

SPECIAL COMMISSIONS BY HAIRAAT

Hairaat had the honour of designing and producing the medals, pashminas, and ceremonial bishts for both shows at KIAHF 2023, the Peninsula Show, and the Title Show. Special care and attention were added to each of these pieces. More specifically, the bishts had identical embellishment, however, each one was adorned in a separate thread colour of Gold, Silver, and Bronze, representing the three podium prizes and winners.

A FIRST FOR GCC

Hairaat continued celebrating the announcement that Qatar will host the World Championship for Purebred Arabian Horses in December 2023 – a result of an agreement signed by Katara with the National Center for Agricultural Exhibitions and Competitions in France. Katara will host the 2023 and 2025 editions of the championship to be held for the first time outside France in 40 years.

The State of Qatar has been known as a global center for Arabian horses and equestrian sports. Being a pioneer in caring for and protecting purebred Arabian horses has strengthened its position in this field.

KIAHF represents one of the most important sporting events in the field of equestrians and furthers its rich heritage by promoting the status of purebred and unique Arabian horses at various local, regional, and international levels.

Horse owners and breeders, individuals and associations that own equestrian training centers and those concerned with Arabian horse institutions benefit greatly from the opportunity to participate in the largest gathering of purebred Arabian horses at KIAHF, which provides them with the platform to expand their business by meeting major stakeholders in the equestrian industry.

Horse owners and breeders participate in the event with confidence because  KIAHF applies the highest standards of integrity and fairness. The championships are subject to arbitration systems according to specified standards and clear rules globally recognised by the ECAHO (European Conference of Arab Horse Organisations) and an international jury of judges.

KIAHF was also marked by a variety of accompanying events including live art shows and paintings that highlighted purebred Arabian horses. This included a photo competition, organized for a group of professional and amateur photographers, to discover the best pictures of horses in action at KIAHF 2023.