“ We don’t want to be the same. We want to respect and understand each other…we want to build our own identity, our own fabric” ~Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani deals with formal and informal education. She is the President of Qatar Museums, Doha Film Institute, Reach Out to Asia and Qatar Leadership Centre. Being privileged to serve her country in multiple fields, including culture, leadership, education, and philanthropy, she has allowed her to facilitate conversations across borders and terrains.
Sheikha Al Mayassa was in her early 20s when her father, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar and the man who founded Al Jazeera, gave her the task of founding a museum of Islamic art. And she tapped into massive natural gas resources to make it the richest country in the world per capita until last year. The building designed by IM Pei opened in 2008, with about 800 works; a spectacular, if the conventional, public institution that aimed both to bring Doha to the global spotlight and to fulfil her mandate to protect her assets.
Sheikha Mayassa graduated from Duke University in North Carolina in 2005, where she served as Vice President of the Duke International Association, Vice President of the university’s HIWAR Group for Promoting Policy Dialogue, and Model Delegate. United Nations 2001-2002. She then completed postgraduate studies at Columbia University. As a civil servant, her goal is to invest in the local Qatari community and celebrate the country’s diversity by using the visual arts as a medium. Her current interests are human development, cultural regionalism, environmental stewardship and sustainability, and economic growth using culture as a catalyst for education, dialogue and exchange.
As president of Qatar’s museums since 2006, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani spends a lot of money on art, with an annual acquisitions budget once thought to be $1 billion. She has concentrated her purchasing power on Western modern and contemporary art, including works by Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol.
Her Excellency, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has played a pioneering role in culture, education and awareness, leading and supporting a number of local and international organizations. As Chair of the Qatar Museums Board, Sheikha Mayassa leads the vision for future museums, cultural institutions and heritage sites in Qatar, with the aim of transforming the country into a vibrant cultural hub in the Middle East and the Middle East. Recognized by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world, Sheikha Mayassa is also the director of the Doha Film Institute, Qatar’s first international organization dedicated to funding, education and film production. In addition to her work for cultural initiatives, Sheikha Mayassa is President of Reach Out to Asia or ROTA, a non-governmental philanthropic foundation dedicated to assisting victims of natural disasters and improving the quality of primary education. and secondary in Asia.
Through his public work and support for Qatar Vision 2030, he is building an exciting creative future for the country that will connect arts communities across all cultural fields. Through her work as President of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa connects and strengthens the country’s growing network of museums, historic sites, festivals, installations and public art programs.
Qatar’s museums offer authentic and inspiring cultural experiences, lead the way in innovative research and environmental education through exhibitions and programs, and maintain and expand the country’s cultural offering through the art and culture of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) with the world and enrich the lives of citizens, residents and visitors. QM also initiates and supports projects that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Sheikha Al Mayassa founded the Doha Film Institute (DFI) with the aim of creating a vibrant film industry in Qatar and promoting local storytellers. DFI is dedicated to the appreciation, funding and education of cinema. Recognizing the importance of film as a form of creative expression and community solidarity, Sheikha Al Mayassa envisioned the Doha Film Institute as a global centre for the art of cinema. DFI hosts the annual Ajyal Film Festival at Katara Cultural Village, the Qumra Mentorship Program and workshops for professionals and amateurs while serving as a resource with global reach. In addition to her domestic orientation, Sheikha Al Mayassa strives to provide quality education to those in need far and wide. She is the President of Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), which envisions a world where all young people have access to the resources they need to fulfil their potential. Together with its partners, ROTA ensures that crisis-affected people across Asia continue to have access to quality primary and secondary education.
