Over the past decade, under the visionary leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar has witnessed extraordinary growth in arts, heritage, and the creative industries, a statement from Qatar Museums (QM) has said.
This vibrant cultural landscape not only fosters economic growth but also enhances social cohesion, nurtures human development, and promotes environmental sustainability.
By embracing and investing in cultural expression, Qatar has created a thriving hub that ignites creativity, celebrates diversity, and fosters a sense of belonging, aligning with the economic, social, human, and environmental development goals of the national vision.
From supporting local artists to showcasing captivating public art installations, Qatar's cultural scene serves as a catalyst for dialogue, innovation, and sustainable development, propelling the nation towards its aspirations of an advanced and sustainable society by 2030.
Timeline of cultural milestones:
2013: Al Zubarah, the fortified ruins of the 18th century pearl fishing town, became Qatar's first Unesco World Heritage Site.
2013: The Ajyal Film Festival, designed to nurture minds across generations and support the development of thoughtful future leaders, was launched in November 2013 to showcase family-friendly films from around the world.
2013: The 38th session of the World Heritage Committee was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, Doha, and was organised by Unesco and QM with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2013: The Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World — a bilingual, peer-reviewed online resource providing free in-depth information on modern and contemporary artists from the Arab world — was launched.
2014: Qumra launched in March 2014 as a platform to showcase up-and-coming filmmakers, serving as an incubator for emerging filmmakers worldwide, guiding and supporting their journey to make internationally accessible films.
2014: Richard Serra installed his second artwork in Qatar called East-West/West-East.
Set in a natural corridor formed by gypsum plateaus, the work consists of four steel plates which rise to 14.7m and 16.7m above the ground.
2014: To coincide with the official opening of the Hamad International Airport, QM unveiled major public art installations by local and international artists as part of its Public Art Programme. These include Qatari artists Faraj Daham, Ali Hassan, Mohamed al-Misnad, Mubarak al-Malik and Yousif Ahmed. The public art on permanent display at the airport also includes international artists’ works, such as Swiss artist Urs Fischer’s Lamp Bear and bronze oryx sculptures by Dutch artist Tom Claassen.
2014: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art hosted CIMAM’s Annual Conference, the most important international forum for communication, co-operation and information exchange between museums, professionals, visual arts workers and artists within modern and contemporary art practice.
2015: Fire Station: Artist in Residence opened, becoming the heart of Qatar’s flourishing local art scene.
2016: Looking at the World Around You. Contemporary Works from Qatar Museums opened at Santander Art Gallery. This was the first major exhibition outside Qatar featuring a selection of modern and contemporary art from QM’ collection, one of the most important collections of Arab art in the world.
2017: QM hosted the first international exhibition of contemporary art from Qatar in Berlin, Germany as part of the Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture.
2018: Launched in 2018, Fashion Trust Arabia marked a significant milestone in the Arab fashion industry. This non-profit organisation plays a pivotal role in nurturing and discovering talented designers in the Mena region, contributing to the growth and innovation of the Arab fashion industry on a global scale by providing financial support, guidance, and mentorship to emerging designers. Fashion Trust Arabia also functions as a platform of opportunity through which talented Qatari designers can grow and connect with global fashion leaders to enhance and develop their businesses.
2019: QM opened the National Museum of Qatar, which tells the story of the country’s heritage and culture through commissioned films and artworks, storytelling, artefacts, and music, combining wide-ranging scholarship with the voices of the people of Qatar.
2019: Qatar Creates, the national movement that celebrates local, regional, and international creativity and culture throughout the year, was launched. Its major exhibition openings and events programme each spring and fall provide a platform for Qatari creatives to engage in a cross-cultural conversation with the global art scene.
Qatar Creates continues to expand and offer audiences an unprecedented array of activities promoting the diversity of creativity in Qatar.
2021: Doha was selected as "City of Design" and became a member of the Unesco Creative Cities Network 2021: QM inaugurated M7, Qatar’s dynamic hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in fashion and design.
2021: QM launched the Tasweer Photo Festival, Qatar’s first biennial photography festival.
2022: 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum — a museum of sports history, offering an unforgettable interactive journey through the history and legacy of sports and the Olympic Games — opened to the public.
2022: The Museum of Islamic Art reopened its doors, offering visitors a renewed and captivating experience of its exquisite collection and engaging exhibitions.
2022: Liwan Design Studios and Labs opened its space to creatives, empowering design professionals in Qatar to advance their work and foster artistic growth, contributing to the vibrant creative scene in the country.
2023: Qatar hosted the Intercom conference, welcoming delegates from around the world, including museum directors, curators, educators, researchers, and communications professionals, to share their expertise and explore new developments in the museums’ field.
