Culture & Heritage

CPO Content Area

Preserving Qatar’s unique heritage and culture as the nation undergoes a transformation into a globally engaged, knowledge-based society is a major priority for His Highness the Father Emir and Sheikha Moza.

Sheikha Moza cherishes her country’s rich traditions and way of life, and she believes Qataris can be active citizens in the global community while continuing to maintain their cultural identity and values. Indeed, it is this heritage that will allow Qatar to make a uniquely Arab contribution to modernity while leading a rejuvenation of Arab and Islamic learning, thought and scholarly research.

As Chair of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Sheikha Moza plays a leading role in preserving and revitalising Qatari culture and history.

The Qatar National Library currently offers free access to a vast collection of print and online resources, including the latest bestsellers, classical works, concerts, top academic journals and documentaries. The National Library is housed in a spectacular building designed by the renowned architect Rem Koolhaas.The library aims to spread knowledge, nurture imagination, and preserve the country's heritage, especially through the Heritage Library containing rare texts and manuscripts.

Other important cultural projects include the publishing house HBKU Press, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, the equestrian training centre Al Shaqab, and Msheireb Properties, the developer behind one of the smartest and most sustainable city districts in the world, Msheireb Downtown Doha, which was constructed to preserve Qatari identity and architecture.

Through these and other programmes, Sheikha Moza is working to connect Qataris with their rich cultural past and ensure they preserve their unique identity as they actively engage, learn from and contribute to, the global exchange of ideas.