Hamad Al Mannai and Fatema Al Malki
Doha, Qatar: As the Class of 2026 from Qatar Foundation schools prepare to begin a new chapter in their lives, alumni of Qatar Academy Doha (QAD) are reflecting on how their school experiences shaped their personalities, broadened their perspectives, and guided them toward successful careers.
Graduates from Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education are being celebrated this week at their annual Commencement ceremony. Among those who once stood in their place is lawyer Hamad Al Mannai, a QAD alumnus who recalls a defining moment during his school years.
Al Mannai remembers sitting in the principal’s office beside his father during a discussion about his academic struggles and the need to take responsibility for his future. He says that moment became a turning point in his life.
“In that moment, I realised my future depended on me,” he says. “I had to put in the effort to become who I wanted to be.”
He believes his years at QAD had a greater influence on his personality and outlook than any other experience. Growing up in a diverse environment exposed him to different cultures, nationalities, and ways of thinking.
“Studying in English opened new doors for me,” he says. “It taught me different ways of understanding knowledge, cultures, and people. It sharpened my curiosity and made me realise the world was much bigger than what we saw around us.”
Among his strongest memories are the school’s Qatar National Day celebrations and the traditional Qatari Ardah performances students prepared for each year. One of his proudest moments came when he was entrusted with organising the Ardah himself.
“It wasn’t just a school activity,” he says. “It was a feeling of belonging, responsibility, and pride.”
Although Al Mannai has achieved success in the legal profession, he says his understanding of success has changed over time. While he once linked it to degrees, jobs, and financial achievement, he now views success differently.
“To me, success means not stopping,” he says. “It means continuing despite setbacks and challenges.” His advice to the Class of 2026 is to avoid comparing themselves to others and to trust their individual journeys. “Every person has their own way of succeeding, and every individual has a unique story worth living,” he says.
For Fatema Al Malki, another QAD alumna and Manager of Qatar Reads at Qatar National Library, watching this year’s graduates brings back memories of her own school experience and how it shaped her worldview.
“I see in these graduates many of the same qualities that connected us all – curiosity, ambition, discipline, and a desire to give back,” she says. “The school didn’t just teach academics; it instilled values that stayed with us throughout our lives.”
More than a decade after graduating, Al Malki says her work with Qatar Reads is inspired by the same environment she experienced at QAD.
“I try to create spaces where people feel inspired, challenged, and supported at the same time,” she says.
Some of her most vivid memories involve lessons that extended beyond the classroom. Science classes moved outdoors for experiments, history lessons became walks through heritage sites, and physical education centred around events such as the Terry Fox Run, where students learned teamwork and shared purpose.
