Over forty thousand spectators will pack the flagship venue of the Games to be taken on a journey into the story-telling traditions of Arabic culture.
The tale of One Thousand and One Nights, one of the Arab world's most loved literary works, will come to life in a show watched by an expected global television audience of 3 billion.
Khalifa's awe-inspiring interior has played host to fantastic athletic competition over the past two weeks, witnessing two athletics gold for the host nation - not including the marathon gold - four silver and one bronze, making the Qataris who flocked to cheer on their heroes immensely proud of their country's sporting prowess and of the magnificence of Doha 2006 as a whole.
Those who return for the Closing Ceremony will be astounded at the change inside Khalifa, as more than 2,370 tons of steel transform the stadium from a centre for athletic performance to an outdoor theatre. Volunteer performers in costumes from around the world - including 1,000 metres of gold fabric - will entertain the crowd during the two hour ceremony.
Surprises are planned alongside a spectacular fireworks display using 3,200 pyrotechnical effects, and a tribute to Qatar in a segment dedicated to HH The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
"Basically the whole story is from Arabic literature and storytelling of this region. There is also a thank you message in one of our scenes produced in Doha, the land of the oryx. It is a message to HH The Emir thanking him for his guidance in making the Asian Games and Qatar very successful"Â, said Sharif Omar Hashisho, Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC) Director of Ceremonies and Cultural events
"Our aim was to show the richness of the culture and humanity to the world. That was the guiding light for our Opening and Closing Ceremonies."Â
David Atkins, artistic director and producer of Opening and Closing Ceremonies, said: "It's a time to celebrate the athletes that have thrilled us in the past days and to thank the State of Qatar.
"It is much simpler than the Opening Ceremony and very, very different. It is much more about entertainment.
One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights, is one of the best-loved stories in both Arabic countries and the world as a whole.
The medieval literary epic tells the story of Scheherazade, a Sassanid (or fourth Iranian dynasty) Queen, who must relate a series of tales to her malevolent husband, King Shahryar, to delay her execution. The stories are told over a period of 1,001 nights, and every night the Queen ends the story with a suspenseful situation, forcing the King to keep her alive for another day.
Created over many centuries, by many people and in many styles, the stories have become famous in their own right, examples being Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.
The richness of Middle Eastern culture will be communicated to the Western TV audience and those watching the Closing Ceremony at Khalifa Stadium.
Mr Hashisho said of the choice of One Thousand and One Nights: "The stories have a wonderful imagination inter-twined with Arabic and Islamic traditions. Furthermore it is a masterpiece really valued by Western scholars who translated its volumes.
"It is a book worthy of the shelves of every home and is read in Eastern and Western culture."Â
The Closing Ceremony begins at Khalifa Stadium at 20:00 on Friday 15 December.
If it is as spectacular as the Opening Ceremony on 1 December, the audience is in for a treat.
15th Asian Games, Doha 2006
Posted December 17th, 2006 by COBA
