The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), in the presence of the General Manager of the Katara Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti and the Executive Director of External Affairs of PDO, Engineer Abdulamir Al-Ajmi.
Speaking at the conference, the General Manager of Katara, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, said, “It is my pleasure to be here today as we sign this memorandum of understanding between Katara and PDO to achieve the mutual goal; which is establishing a planetarium and the first observatory of its kind in the State of Qatar. This MoU is a significant step in the mutual cooperation, exchange of experiences, workshops and training between the two parties in the astronomy field.”
“The new Katara project; i.e. the planetarium and the observatory, reflects Katara’s interest in astronomy and recognition of the significance of this branch of science which has been mastered by our ancestors. It is part of Katara’s role in raising astronomical awareness and spreading knowledge about the wonders of the space and universe. Three years before, Katara chose this branch of science as a theme for its events and activities as a part of its grand annual festival held during Ramadan”, Katara’s Chief added.
The Executive Director of External Affairs of PDO, Engineer Abdulamir Al Ajmi exuded his utmost appreciation and gratitude to Katara for their keenness to enhance this fruitful relationship by establishing this valuable educational and entertainment tool; dome. He explained the benefits of establishing astronomical dome, as it would be a touristic attraction that will grab the attention of visitors to stop and examine this project which aims to raise understanding about the wonders of our universe. This agreement will thrive to train 2-4 employees from Katara on relevant aspects regarding the astronomical dome at the Sultanate of Oman.
