On Saturday 11 December 2010, Qatalum held its last Family Fun Day event for 2010, themed ‘Qatalum Carnival Day’, at the beach of the Doha Intercontinental Hotel. The event was one of several family events Qatalum holds for its employees every year, with activities organised to appeal to a wide range of ages.
The event was attended by Qatalum staff and their families, and offered a wide range of activities and entertainment options for those of all ages and interests, including classic carnival stalls, exciting photo opportunities, airbrush tattoos, face painting, henna painting, and an arts and crafts workshop, as well as a selection of party games for those under 7.
There was also a range of inflatable options for all ages, from the Giant Slide, Combo Maze, Penalty Shootout, and Ball Pond for kids, up to the Gladiator Jousting, Bouncy Boxing, Bungee Run, Bungee Basketball, Human Foosball and Water Slides for kids and adults alike, while for those looking for a more relaxed day there was karaoke, family cinema and a painting wall. Coupled with garden games like Snakes & Ladders, chess, Twister and DAMA, and more active pursuits, such as tug-of-war, archery and wall climbing, there was enough to keep people of all ages and interests entertained for the entire day.
Hamad Hospital provided a blood donation unit to give guests the opportunity of donating blood for those in need.
Speaking at the event, Jan Oyri, Qatalum's Business Support Group Manager, said, "People are the most important part of any successful company or organisation. It doesn't matter how important your mission is, or how beneficial your goals may be to society; without hard-working, motivated, dedicated people to ensure that that mission remains central, and that those goals are achieved, nothing truly important will ever be achieved. And that is why we are here today: to celebrate the people that have helped to make this year so successful."
"Together, the entire Qatalum team has worked through difficult times to openly and cooperatively to uphold the Qatalum Way, focusing on the Qatalum values of respect, trustworthiness, pro-activity, and enthusiasm. Despite the challenges we have faced, we are well on our way to achieving Qatalum's mission of creating a future of opportunities through environmental integrity and by setting the standard in operational excellence," Oyri continued.
"And it has not always been an easy journey," he added. "Learning to live, work and communicate with people from 34 different nationalities presents its own set of challenges, in addition to those presented by the job. But everyone, at all levels, has worked tirelessly to ensure that the language and cultural barriers are overcome as painlessly as possible, in order to ensure that Qatalum will run smoothly. And in the process, we have all learnt much about the value of cooperation and team work, and also that no matter where we come from, we are not so very different."
"Today, we are celebrating not only what Qatalum has achieved over the past year, but also the diversity of our staff, and the level of multicultural harmony and understanding we have achieved in our work together. This is reflected not only in the people who are present here, but also in the wide variety of international cuisine and activities. As people all over the world have discovered, through food and fun we can learn even more about each other, and make new and better friends!" Oyri concluded.
As part of the celebration of multiculturalism and diversity, there was an international buffet offering hot and cold dishes representing different nationalities within Qatalum, including Arabic mezzeh, Indian curries, a South African "braai" (barbeque), and a variety of other international dishes, as well as desserts and refreshments, ensuring that there was something for everyone, and new dishes for people to try out.
