Chairperson of Qatar Museums: Our Plan Focuses on Consolidating Arab and Islamic Identity through Ambitious Cultural Projects

Doha: September 21 - HE Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Qatar Museums Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani said that there is a plan to build a number of new museums in the country over the next ten years, with a focus on consolidating the Qatari, Arab and Islamic identity and building a sustainable cultural future through ambitious cultural projects. In an interview with Al Jazeera 360, Her Excellency explained that Qatar Museums has a plan for the next ten years to build a new group of museums to promote the cultural and artistic scene in the country, such as the Lusail museum and the auto museum, in addition to converting the Qatar Mills, which was built in the late nineties, into a new museum. The existence of 8 museums in Qatar is not a large number compared to its geographical size, she noted. She pointed out that since she was assigned to manage the museums file, the vision was for the construction of museums to be based on human development and for a number of Qataris to supervise the management of the projects. Therefore, a 25-year plan was drawn up to be in line with Qatar Vision 2030 and is based on several values, namely the Qatari, Arab and Islamic identity. HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani explained that the interest in placing artworks in public places stems from the fact that Qatar does not view it as a material investment, but rather as a scientific and cultural investment and human development. Her Excellency pointed out that the Years of Culture initiative was created after the State of Qatar won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, with the aim of introducing the world to the State of Qatar and introducing Qataris and residents to the cultures coming to it, stressing that the initiative achieved great success after organizing cultural years between Qatar and countries organizing the World Cup such as Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, adding that the cultural years do not only include the exchange of culture and arts, but also several other fields. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums stressed the need to be proud of the Qatari, Gulf and Arab identity, culture, customs and traditions, and that is why the World Cup Qatar was an opportunity to highlight the foundations of the Arab and Islamic identity. Her Excellency stressed Qatar's interest and support for the Palestinian cause, noting Qatar's role in registering the Palestinian village of Battir on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, and noting that she is pleased to see new museum projects and cultural and archaeological centers in the region in order to build a legacy for future generations. Source: Qatar News Agency