Sheikha Al Mayassa discusses culture's role in sustaining dialogue at QC Talks

Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, said on Thursday that culture can keep people talking when political conversations stop. She spoke at a QC Talks public conversation at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium in Doha.

The session was titled "Culture as Diplomat: How Cultural Institutions Shape International Relationships." Sheikha Al Mayassa appeared alongside Anne-Claire Legendre, President of the Institut du monde arabe in Paris. Dr Safwan Masri, an academic leader, scholar and author, moderated the discussion.

"Culture starts at the point of curiosity," Sheikha Al Mayassa said. "It allows you to want to discover the other person on a more humane level. Throughout history and even today, when political conversations cease to exist, cultural conversations can continue."

Legendre made a similar point about what culture can do that politics cannot. "Culture can go much deeper because it speaks to our humanity and emotions," she said. "We should invest in positive emotions, which are essential to building dialogue and understanding."

Legendre became head of the Institut du monde arabe in February 2026 and is the first woman to lead it. The Paris institution opened in 1987 to promote Arab culture and civilisation in France. Before taking the post, Legendre was France's Ambassador to Kuwait and held several other diplomatic positions.

Qatar Creates presented the event with the Institut du monde arabe. The Embassy of France in Qatar and the French Institute endorsed it. Qatar Creates is the national cultural movement that Sheikha Al Mayassa launched in 2021 to bring together the country's creative sectors.

The session reflects Doha's long use of culture in its foreign relations. Through Qatar Museums' Years of Culture programme, the country has held yearly cultural exchanges with partner nations, including a Qatar-France Year of Culture in 2020. The Museum of Islamic Art, where the talk took place, was designed by architect I. M. Pei. It has hosted many of these exchanges since it opened on the Corniche in 2008.