Qatar is full of museums and art galleries showcasing some of the best art in the world. Most museums and art galleries don’t only show international masterpieces, but they highlight local artists as well.
Qatar Museums (QM) is a government entity that oversees museums across Qatar including National Museum of Qatar, Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf, QM Gallery at Katara, Al Riwaq and more. In addition, it oversees archaeological sites throughout Qatar such as Al Zubara World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. qm.org.qa
3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum
Designed by Spanish architect Joan Sibina, the museum is approximately 19,000 sq m, making it one of the largest of its kind, and is built onto Khalifa International Stadium. 3-2-1 is one of the world’s most innovative and technologically advanced museums dedicated to sports. It’s also one of the world’s most comprehensive sports museums, offering an interactive journey through the history and legacy of sports around the globe and the Olympic Games. Inside the museum there are fresh, healthy gourmet choices including 3-2-1 Cafe and Naua Restaurant by Michelin-star chef Tom Aikens. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 9 am – 7 pm; Friday 1:30 pm – 7 pm. Admission: Free admission for Qatar residents (with Qatar ID); free admission for children at the age of 16 and below; QAR50 for non-residents; QAR25 for students (with student IDs). Contact: 4452 5555, 321qosm.org.qa
al markhiya gallery Building 5, Katara Cultural Village, and Fire Station
Promotes emerging and established Arab artists. There are two exhibition spaces for al markhiya gallery – Katara Art Center, Building 5 and Fire Station. Opening times: Exhibition space, daily 10 am – 9 pm. Admission: Free. Contact: 6609 9687, 6600 8750, almarkhiyagallery.com
Anima Gallery 30 La Croisette, Porto Arabia, The Pearl Island
The gallery focuses on local, regional and international contemporary art; there is also a restaurant. Opening times: Gallery: Sunday to Thursday 10 am – 7 pm, closed Friday and Saturday. Lounge: Daily 9 am – midnight. Admission: Free. Contact: 4402 7437, animagallery.com
Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar
Under development by QM, Dadu is a museum in the making and is already engaging the community in Qatar, from family events with allied organisations to Museums in Residence programmes in schools around Doha. Meaning ‘play’ in Arabic, the museum is the nation’s first institution to offer children and their families a dedicated place for learning and growth through inclusive, open-ended play, exploration, and experimentation. Contact: linktr.ee/daduqa, see their Instagram page @daduqatar
Doha Design District
Located in Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), Doha Design District is a state-of-the-art centre for local designers that is home to galleries, showrooms, creative services, stores, and even eateries and cafes. Some of the most exciting names, classics, and trendsetters can be found in the district. Centred around innovation and creativity, Doha Design District aims to be a world-class destination that prioritises the needs of creatives. It will be a landmark in Qatar and the region, and attract local and regional designers to interact with their global peers. Contact: 4000 4000, dohadesigndistrict.com
Fire Station
Also known as Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Fire Station is an interactive artistic platform that brings together talent from various disciplines in one creative and open space. The station was built in 1982 as a Civil Defence building, and was occupied by the fire brigade until late 2012 when it was transformed into an artistic hub. Today, the Fire Station is a space to allow artists to come together, produce artwork and allow for collaborations and interactions with the local, regional and international art scene. The Fire Station hosts several art residency programmes including Artists in Residence programme, New York Art and Residency and Paris Art Residency. It is also the home of Cass Art, an art supplies shop, and Café #999. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 9 am – 7 pm; Friday 1:30 pm – 7 pm. Admission: Free. Contact: 4422 4222, firestation.org.qa
Katara Art Center Building 5, Katara Cultural Village
Located in Katara Cultural Village, the centre is an art incubator that strengthens the cultural branding of Qatar by helping artists grow. It hosts art events, workshops and concepts. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 10 am – 10 pm, Friday 2 pm – 9 pm. Admission: Free. Contact: 4408 0244, dohakac.com
M7
M7, an epicentre for design, innovation, and entrepreneurship, dedicated to empowering Qatari designers to explore, collaborate and grow into successful entrepreneurs. Located in Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), M7 provides Qatar-based designers with all the necessary tools and expertise to enable them to take their ideas from concept to market. It houses an incubator, Scale 7; design concept store, Studio 7; a co-working space, Workinton; fashion production studio, The cutting studios; showroom and design platform for luxury furniture design, Fromm.; and spaces for exhibitions, workshops and talks like the learning space and sky theatre. In addition, M7 connects the community to experts from the field by offering training, workshops, and other offerings to cater to the needs of the creative community. Contact: 4402 8779, m7.org.qa
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
A member of Qatar Foundation (QF), Mathaf is situated in Education City in a renovated former school building. QF is led by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, while Mathaf is part of QM, led by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. An initial group of works, gathered by HE Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani, was transferred to the public institution. Now holding over 9,000 works collected over the past 30 years, the collection emphasises artistic trends and sites of production of modern art. Mathaf organises major exhibitions, both historical and experimental, and large-scale education programmes, performing an important role as a centre for dialogue, research, and as a resource for fostering creativity. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 9 am – 7 pm; Friday 1:30 pm – 7 pm. Admission: Free admission for Qatar residents (with Qatar ID); QAR50 for non-residents; QAR25 for students (with student IDs). Last admission 30 minutes before closing. Tickets must be booked/purchased online in advance of your visit. Fees apply for temporary exhibitions. The library and café are open during museum hours. Contact: 4402 8855, mathaf.org.qa
Msheireb Museums
Msheireb Museums celebrate the history of four historic heritage houses in the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD). Located within the oldest part of the capital, they form an important part of Qatar’s national history. They reveal unique aspects of Qatar’s cultural and social development, inspiring to create trusted environments in which the people of Qatar will engage, converse and exchange thoughts about both their past and their future. Msheireb Museums are an integral aspect of the inner city’s regeneration of the old commercial centre with its traditional community-based lifestyle. The restoration of the four heritage houses, Bin Jelmood House, Company House, Mohammed Bin Jassim House and Radwani House, into world-class museums forms a vital part of the Msheireb Downtown Doha development. Msheireb Museums is open for guided tours by appointment. Opening times: Monday to Thursday 9 am – 5 pm, Friday 3 pm – 9 pm, Saturday 9 am – 5 pm, closed Sunday. Last admission 30 minutes before closing. Admission: Free. Contact: 4006 5555, [email protected] Guided tour: msheirebmuseums.com
Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and Al Riwaq
Representing the full scope of Islamic art, the MIA collection includes manuscripts, ceramics, metal, glass, ivory, textiles, wood and precious stones. Collected from three continents, including countries across the Middle East, and reaching as far as Spain and China, the museum’s artworks date from the 7th through to the 20th century. The pieces represent the diversity of the Islamic world, and are of the highest quality. Designed by noted architect I M Pei, the museum building rises from the sea off the Doha Corniche. Inspired by classic Islamic architecture, the building further glorifies the pieces contained within it. The MIA is the flagship project of Qatar Museums (QM). There is access to the MIA Park through the museum (see Parks). Adjacent to the MIA is the QM Gallery – Al Riwaq, a spacious, contemporary venue, covering a total area of 5,000 sq m, featuring temporary exhibitions by QM with a rotating schedule of exhibits of art and cultural artefacts. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 9 am – 7 pm; Friday 1:30 pm – 7 pm; closed Sunday. Admission: Free admission for Qatar residents (with Qatar ID), and children at the age of 16 and below; QAR50 for non-residents; QAR25 for students (with student IDs). Last entry 30 minutes prior to closing. Book your tickets online in advance. Fees apply for temporary exhibitions. Contact: 4422 4444, mia.org.qa
National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ)
Serving as a monument to a historic way of life in Qatar, NMoQ officially opened in March 2019. The museum is one of the most significant cultural projects and most recognisable landmarks in the country. Designed by world-renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, the 40,000 sq m NMoQ building is forged using an interlocking disc design inspired by the desert rose. The NMoQ tells the story of Qatar and its people from more than 700 mn years ago to present day. Seemingly growing organically out of the ground, NMoQ’s structure surrounds the Old Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani – his family home and seat of the government for 25 years. The museum is organised in three ‘chapters’ – Beginnings, Life in Qatar, and Building the Nation – presented in 11 galleries. The visitor’s chronological journey, which extends through more than 2.7 km of experiences, starts in the geological period long before the peninsula was inhabited by humans and continues to the present day. Oral histories, archival images, artworks, music and storytelling contextualise the impressive array of archaeological and heritage objects as well as manuscripts, documents, photographs, jewellery and costumes. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 9 am – 7 pm; Friday 1:30 pm – 7 pm; closed Sunday. Admission: Free admission for Qatar residents (with Qatar ID), and children at the age of 16 and below; QAR50 for non-residents; QAR25 for students (with student IDs). Last entry 30 minutes prior to closing. Book your tickets online in advance. Fees apply for temporary exhibitions. Contact: 4452 5555, nmoq.org.qa
OliOli® Doha Children’s Mall, Katara Cultural Village
The present-shaped recreation centre is an experiential children’s play museum, and a spacious indoor sanctuary with hands-on activities to inspire positive play where children are free to wander, wonder and discover in six spaces – Kinetic Gallery, Water Gallery, Fitness Gallery, teamLab Future Park, Creative Lab, and WonderSphere – designed to foster their creativity, curiosity and imagination. Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 1 pm – 9 pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Admission: QAR140 for children 2 – 16 years of age; QAR70 for children 12 to 23 months; two hours access with one free adult included. Contact: 4408 1266, olioli.qa
QM Gallery Katara Building 10, Katara Cultural Village
The gallery is a temporary space allowing the museums in Qatar to present their upcoming collections and host Qatari and international artists. A wide range of exhibitions take place, such as photography, archaeology, art, sports, architecture and sculpture. Opening times: Saturday to Thursday 9 am – 7 pm, Friday 1:30 pm – 7 pm, closed Sunday. Admission: Free. Contact: 182, qm.org.qa, katara.net
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ Museum)
In his Al Samriya Estate in Al Sheehaniya, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani has built his own private museum of more than 15,000 pieces collected from his travels around the world. The museum has a huge and varied collection of artefacts in its different halls, including fossils, manuscripts, textiles, weapons, ceramics, woodwork, contemporary art, pre-Islamic coins and foreign currency, as well as a special section devoted to Qatari and Bedouin heritage, including fishing boats and traditional Qatari houses. An extension of FBQ Museum is the new Car Museum, which houses 300 stunning classic cars from legendary 1908 Studebaker and 1924 Ford T Roadster models to a 1958 Cadillac and 1968 Ford Mustang.
The museums are part of Al Samriya Estate, which also houses Al Samriya Farm, home to a herd of more than 1,000 Arabian oryx and gazelles, and wandering peacocks as well as the new Al Samriya, Doha, Autograph Collection Hotel. The Estate also includes Al Samriya Riding School, a horse riding school at Al Samariyah Equestrian Center, which is an indoor/outdoor riding arena with horse stables for boarding and riding lessons for children and adults. Opening times: Monday to Thursday 9 am – 5 pm; Friday 2 pm – 7 pm; Saturday 10 am – 6 pm; closed on Sunday. Admission: QAR50 for adult residents and non-residents/tourists; QAR30 for students and young adults (ages 13 – 22), seniors (age 65 and above), teachers and museum professionals; free entry for children age 12 and under, people with disabilities/caretakers, press and tour guides; QAR30 for groups (over 10 or more); QAR25 per person for tour guide. Last entry is 30 minutes prior to closing time. Contact: FBQ Museum 4490 2340, 6687 4177, fbqmuseum.org); Al Samriya Riding School (4490 2359, 7797 3397), alsamriyaestate.com
Souq Waqif Art Center Souq Waqif
An art gallery in Souq Waqif with exhibitions of local and international artists and art such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, calligraphy, pottery, scrap art and more. The centre also hosts art workshops. Opening times: Daily 8 am – 2 pm/4 pm – 10 pm. Admission: Free. Contact: 4417 6204, see their Facebook page for more details or visit swacqatar.com
The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar Education City
The art gallery at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a centre of excellence for education and research in art and design. There are also exhibitions of work by international artists, staff and students. Opening times: Sunday to Thursday 9 am – 5 pm. Admission: Free. Contact: 4402 0555, gallery.qatar.vcu.edu
The Hamad Port Visitors Centre Maritime Museum
It was built in an area of 1,284 sq m to tell the story of Hamad Port, how the port operates, its importance to the lives of people in Qatar, and how Qatari maritime heritage and trade has evolved over the years. In addition to the Maritime Museum, the Hamad Port Visitors Centre features various facilities, such as the first oceanic aquarium in the country (featuring 17 basins of different sizes, and 80 species of fish and aquatic creatures – 3,063 in total), a 4D cinema, and a children’s play area, in addition to a multipurpose hall/auditorium with 200 tiered seats and equipped with the latest technological devices and interactive simulators. Opening times: Sunday to Thursday 8 am – 6 pm; Friday 1 pm – 7 pm. Admission: QAR50 for those 13 years of age and above, QAR30 for children between 5 and 12 years of age, and children below 5 years of age enter for free. Book tickets online. Contact: 4045 3333, visitorscenter.mwani.com.qa
The Media Majlis Education City
The Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar is dedicated to the exploration of journalism, communication and media in the Arab region. The Media Majlis features a multi-screen façade, as well as a space where exhibition content and technology converge. The technology elevates a visitor’s experience by inviting them to participate in a global conversation on a continually changing media landscape. Opening times: Sunday to Thursday 10 am – 8 pm; closed Friday and Saturday. Admission: Free. Contact: 4454 5000, mediamajlis.northwestern.edu