ABSTRACT
Using the prodigious wealth accrued from Qatar's considerable oil and gas reserves, Doha has been transformed in recent decades from a desert backwater to a vibrant modern city. As part of a calculated policy of state branding, the ruling elite has invested heavily in a large number of cultural initiatives under the auspices of Qatar Museums, a semi-public umbrella organisation overseen by the Emir's sister Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani. Particularly striking is the Museum of Islamic Art (hereafter MIA), which sits on its own island off the Corniche. MIA's vision is to be ‘recognized as the centre of knowledge, dialogue and inspiration that illuminates the art of Islamic civilisations, opening minds and shaping the future’ (MIA, 2012). On display is a diverse range of Islamic art from across three continents and spanning more than 1,400 years. MIA opened its doors in 2008, the first of a number of high-profile museum projects envisioned for this rapidly emerging city-state. Other museums include Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, based on the edge of Education City, which opened in 2010, and the much-anticipated National Museum of Qatar, spread out over a sizeable area of downtown Doha and scheduled for a 2017 opening. These developments are the most visible of a number of cultural initiatives designed to define this modernising state for both its own people as well as an external audience.
