Years of Culture deepens relations between nations, says QOSM chief

Qatar Museum’s (QM) Years of Culture initiative continues to build bridges and deepen the relations between nations year after year, according to mountaineer, philanthropist and 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) president Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Thani.

“Even though there are so many Indonesians that live in Qatar, but the best way to build these bridges is by having cultural exchanges between the two countries,” he said. “So I'm very excited to learn more about Indonesia and also teach people in Indonesia about our culture.”

Sheikh Mohammed was speaking on the sidelines of a signing ceremony on Monday at 3-2-1 QOSM, announcing QM’s partnership with celebrated Qatari entrepreneur and athlete Ali bin Towar al-Kuwari who will serve as the CultuRide Ambassador of the Years of Culture initiative.

CultuRide, a premier programme of the Years of Culture – with Indonesia as the partner country this year – will take place in June. It aims to bring together professional athletes and cycling enthusiasts in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for a cultural tour of key historical sites.

“I'm so proud to see that this year’s Year of Culture it's going to be with Indonesia and it's a country that I feel very close to but I have never been to, but I'm looking forward to discover more of it over this year.

“The Years of Culture, year after year, have been building bridges across countries. Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in the world,. It's a huge country, it's like a continent but we know almost so little about,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

He underlined the role of sports and cultural exchanges in understanding the culture of other countries, as well as building lasting friendships, citing that sports has been a huge part of his personal life as a mountain climber.

“I try my best to spread the joy of sports and the importance of sports,” he added.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla al-Thani is the first Qatari to climb Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. He also climbed the summits of Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mount Vinson (Antarctica), Mount Elbrus (the highest peak in Europe), Mount Kosciuszko (Australia), and Mount Aconcagua (South America), which is the highest peak in the Western hemisphere.

He said a famous mountain in Indonesia is also on his bucket list but the plan was delayed for four years now due to the unrest in the area.

Sheikh Mohammed also noted that Qatar hosted more than 500 international sporting events in the past 10 years, including the prestigious FIFA World Cup 2022, making it a global hub for sports.