Qatar Tourism, Qatar Museums sign agreement for auto museum

Qatar Tourism has entered an agreement to handover Doha Exhibition Centre for 10 years to Qatar Museums (QM) for the establishment of the Qatar Auto Museum. The venue will serve as a home to the country’s latest museum which is dedicated to supporting the aim to develop unique cultural and tourist attractions.

The agreement was signed at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) by Qatar Tourism Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar al-Baker, alongside QM CEO Ahmad al-Namla. QM Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Qatar Olympic Committee President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and other dignitaries were present.

The event included an exhibition of unique classic cars at NMoQ, as well as artist Pipilotti Rist’s installation, “Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You”.

QM is the nation's pre-eminent institution for art and culture, offering authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes.

In a press statement, al-Baker said: “This agreement between Qatar Tourism and Qatar Museums celebrates Qatar's position as a vibrant and artistic cultural hub. We are proud to play a pivotal role in implementing Qatar's tourism strategy, as well as developing our creative economy through key collaborations with prominent stakeholders such as Qatar Museums.”

Al-Namla said: “Qatar Museums’ partnership with Qatar Tourism aims to further enrich Qatar’s cultural landscape, providing unique tourist attractions for both residents and visitors alike. The Qatar Auto Museum advances Qatar Museums’ legacy of work surrounding car culture, which includes assembling a world-class collection of automobiles, hosting several auto-themed exhibitions, and dedicating a gallery at the National Museum to vintage cars with the support of the Sealine Sports.”

The Qatar Auto Museum will include a world-class collection of automobiles and host several auto-themed exhibitions throughout the year. It will also include permanent galleries that track the evolution of the automobile from its invention to today and showcase how it has influenced the culture in Qatar. The Qatar Auto Museum will also house temporary exhibition spaces for the display of high-profile vehicles — from supercars and limited editions to race cars and classic cars.

Additional facilities will include an Edutainment Center and Workshop Spaces, as well as areas dedicated to children’s activities such as driving simulators, mini car mechanics, kids driving areas, and more. The 30,000sqm space will be designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, led by Pritzker Architecture Prize winning architect Rem Koolhaas. QM is the governmental body overseeing the promotion and management of museums heritage sites, public art, educational programmes, and cultural experiences in the State of Qatar.