Qatar Rising

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, is the spectacular centrepiece of the Qatari art revolution. Fuelled by the proceeds of the gulf oil and gas bonanza, the Qatari elite has ploughed billions of dollars into the construction of museums and acquisition of peerless cultural assets to fill them. The MIA was designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei (then aged 86) and is as exquisite externally as the myriad treasures which adorn its rooms. Put simply, it is one of the world’s great museums.