Qatar Museums Signs Agreement with Daam and Ashghal to Renovate MIA

QNA

Doha: Qatar Museums (QM) has announced plans to renovate the building of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in a project conducted in co-operation with the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), and to be implemented by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). The three parties have signed an agreement for this purpose.

Through this project, the QM is seeking to provide museum visitors with an “exceptional experience”.

QM chief executive Ahmad Musa Al Namla noted: “We are pleased to co-operate with Daam and Ashghal to renovate the Museum of Islamic Art, one of the nations most prominent architectural and cultural landmarks.”

“This project confirms the QMs commitment to keep at enriching the lives of all members of the Qatari community, by providing MIA visitors with a unique experience thanks to the museum’s new interior look,” he said.

“We are pleased to announce the support of Daam for the renovation of the MIA, one of the most important leading Islamic museums in the world that hosts wonderful and unique collections of Islamic art,” Daam executive director Abdulrahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai said in a press statement.

This project is considered unique in that it will contribute to attracting a larger number of people interested in the history of Islamic art, in order to get acquainted with a large group of important and precious holdings owned by Qatar and which are housed in this distinctive architectural beacon.

Al Mannai said: “We are proud of this partnership with both the QM and Ashghal supervising the implementation of the project.”

“This support comes from the funds role in promoting and enhancing the culture of Islamic art in the Qatari society and highlighting it to the world,” he added. “We also hope that the museum will open its doors again in its new look, coinciding with hosting the World Cup in 2022, and that it will be a tourist destination that attracts visitors from different parts of the world.”

The director of the Buildings Projects Department at Ashghal Abdul Mohsen Al Rashed, expressed satisfaction with the current renovation works at the MIA.

The renovation aims to upgrade this landmark institution, which has been providing a comprehensive overview of civilization, heritage and Islamic art for the past decade in Qatar.

Al Rashed said: “Work is underway to renovate the museums interior spaces and galleries and install the latest technologies being used in renowned museums across the world, while also meeting GSAS (Global Sustainability Assessment System) sustainability standards.”

The MIA will maintain its exterior, designed by world-famous Chinese-American architect I M Pei. Largely influenced by ancient Islamic architecture, the building is made of limestone, which captures the changes in light and shade during the day.