Qatar Museums, Uzbekistan Foundation Sign Five-Year Cultural Cooperation Agreement

Qatar Museums and the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation have signed a five-year cooperation agreement establishing a long-term framework to strengthen cultural ties between Qatar and Uzbekistan.

The agreement forms part of Qatar's cultural diplomacy and Years of Culture initiative, bringing together two main areas of cooperation: developing human capital through talent, skills and institutional capacity building, and supporting the creative economy through knowledge exchange, research and collaboration across the arts, heritage and creative industries.

The agreement was signed on behalf of Qatar Museums by HE Dr Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation and member of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums, and on behalf of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation by Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of the Foundation's Board of Trustees.

HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, said investing in culture is fundamentally an investment in people, describing the agreement as another step in the growing cooperation between Qatar and Uzbekistan.

She said the partnership combines heritage preservation with talent development and creates wider opportunities for artists, designers, professionals and institutions in both countries to learn, collaborate and exchange expertise.

The agreement covers artist exchange programmes, artistic residencies, education and professional training, institutional capacity building and joint exhibitions.

It also provides for research and knowledge exchange, as well as initiatives in design, crafts, fashion, film, music and culinary arts.

The two sides will also support participation in festivals, conferences and international cultural platforms, helping creators present their work, expand their professional networks and reach new audiences.

Cooperation will additionally extend to the preservation and restoration of Islamic cultural heritage, the transfer of specialised expertise and efforts to safeguard cultural memory while developing skills that support its continuity.

The agreement builds on growing cooperation between the two institutions. In 2024, the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation presented the exhibition "Crafting Uzbekistan: Tradition in Threads" during the inaugural Design Doha Biennial, while Qatar Museums participated in the fourth World Conference on Creative Economy in Tashkent.

The Museum of Islamic Art is also hosting "Uzbekistan: A Continuing Legacy" from September 3 to November 28 in cooperation with the Foundation, alongside the "Discover Uzbekistan" exhibition featuring works by Qatari artists inspired by an educational journey to Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in 2025.

In October 2024, Qatar Fund for Development and the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation also signed a USD 4.175 million grant agreement to restore the Bibi-Khanym Mosque complex in Samarkand, with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture implementing the project.

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