National Museum of Qatar
Overview
The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) opened in 2019 in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. NMoQ is one of the three cultural museums in Qatar, along with the renowned Museum of Islamic Art, and Qatar Museums Gallery Al Riwaq. With the goal of being a cultural instigator for the coming generations, the NMoQ works to highlight the long history of Qatar as a fast growing and dynamic country within the Middle East.
Located at the south end of Doha’s Corniche it will be the first monument visible for travelers arriving from the airport. For visitors, the museum tells the story of Qatar and its people from earliest times to today, bringing to life the peninsula’s natural history, giving voice to Qatar’s rich heritage and culture, and expressing a vibrant community’s aspirations for the future. The National Museum of Qatar is set out chronologically, beginning with the period before the peninsula was inhabited by humans, and continued up to the present day. From the entrance, this chronological route passes through a succession of impressive multi-shaped spaces until it reaches the restored Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani. It houses nearly two thousand exhibitions, cafes, a restaurant, and shops. The NMoQ is chaired by Princess Sheikha Al Mayassa and was designed by the award-winning French architect and Pritzker prize winner, Jean Nouve.
In order to deliver on such a big social ambition for Qatar Museums, the NMoQ has three strategic priorities: (1) taking museums beyond four walls; (2) nurturing emerging talent, and (3) creating a platform for the voice of Qatar. By taking museums beyond the four walls, the NMoQ is taking the cultural experience of a museum into the world at large so that more people can take part. By nurturing emerging talent and creating a platform for Qatar, the NMoQ is creating the conditions for creativity and cultivating new talent, inspiring the next generation of cultural producers as well as making sure to create its own distinctive place within global debates on culture and creativity, while highlighting its own stars.
As it works to deliver on these goals, it is the hope of the NMoQ to be able expand everyone’s creative horizons and be home to social and cultural integration and growth.