Qatar Airways is the Official Airline Partner for the Qatar-India Year of Culture 2019, marking the beginning of a year-long collaboration that will see both nations jointly celebrate their unique cultural legacies.
Developed by Qatar Museums, the Qatar-India Year of Culture 2019 will invite audiences in Qatar and India explore their cultural heritage through an exciting array of programmes, including a variety of Qatari-Indian exhibitions, musical performances, fashion, film and artistic events.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, said that as an airline, they believe that culture is a universal connector that brings people together, and this year-long event will enable both societies to share a mutual path of understanding and appreciation of each other.
As the Official Airline Partner, Qatar Airways also looks forward to being the bridge between both countries by bringing more travellers from India to Doha, so that they can experience Qatar’s incredible hospitality and cultural heritage throughout the year.’
The Year of Culture programme was developed under the patronage of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and has continued to grow under her leadership each passing year, with the Qatar-Russia Year of Culture 2018 being the largest cultural collaboration to date.
Qatar Museums Acting CEO Ahmad Al Namla, said that since the launch of the Year of Culture programme in 2012, they have been been building bridges between Qatar and the world, celebrating similarities as well as differences.
After several successful editions, we are pleased to launch Qatar-India Year of Culture 2019. Our two countries have long enjoyed a close partnership, one that extends beyond economic ties. Our aspiration is that the Year of Culture programme will further strengthen our existing ties, encourage new encounters, and spur creativity and curiosity among the new generations of both countries, so that they may feel inspired to achieve great things together.’
In Qatar, residents and visitors to the country will be able to enjoy the Year of Culture experience at the Doha International Book Fair 2019, where India will be the Guest of Honour. Other highlights include an exhibition by Raqs Media Collective and a ‘Festival of India’ event that will feature a range of visual arts and performances such as classical dance and music (both Indian and Western), as well as cinema and theatre.
Key events to look forward to in India meanwhile, include ‘The Monsoon Wedding’ musical, and a contemporary Art Qatar Exhibition – a landmark exhibition showcasing Qatar’s rapid, social and urban transformation through the eyes of talented emerging artists from the country.
Qatar Airways currently operates 102 weekly flights between Doha and 13 destinations in India, including Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Nagpur and Thiruvananthapuram. Its cargo division currently operates a total of 26 weekly freighters to seven destinations in India, with Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, as its top three destinations.
Qatar Airways also introduced its revolutionary Qsuite Business Class experience on the Mumbai and Bengaluru routes in July 2018, both of which are served by a Boeing B777 aircraft.
For updates and more information about Qatar Airways, visit their website at qatarairways.com.