Qatar has ranked fourth in the world for standard of living in the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index, the highest placing of any country in the Middle East and North Africa.The country also came eighth globally on the index's development measure, a composite of standard of living, health and education that gauges how well a state provides the essential services underpinning daily life.Together the two placings point to sustained gains in quality of life for citizens and residents alike, and to the depth of the infrastructure built to deliver health, education and social services.The results follow the rollout of the Third National Development Strategy, the executive instrument for delivering Qatar National Vision 2030, which puts social and human development at the centre of the country's path to a sustainable future.Qatar's showing in this year's index stands as evidence that those integrated development policies are working.

HE the Qatar Museums (QM) Chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad al-Thani inaugurated two exhibitions yesterday evening at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), highlighting different aspects of Uzbek culture and heritage.The opening of “Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion”, which runs until November 28, and “Ektashif: Uzbekistan”, which continues until November 24, comes as part of cultural exchange efforts and initiatives to introduce audiences to the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan.The two exhibitions offer a cultural and artistic experience that allows visitors to explore key aspects of Uzbek culture and its diverse arts, customs, and traditions. **media[487180]**They showcase elements of a cultural identity shaped by a long history of interaction among civilisations through a collection of exhibits and content that illustrates aspects of Uzbek life and creative traditions passed down through generations.MIA director Sheikha al-Nassr told the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that, throughout history, the land of Uzbekistan had served as a meeting point for cultures and ideas, a beacon of learning and knowledge, and the home of some of the most prominent scholars and thinkers, including Ibn Sina, al-Khwarizmi and Imam al-Bukhari.She added that the two exhibitions present aspects of Uzbekistan's rich history, spanning from the 8th century to the present day. **media[487179]**Al-Nassr added that “Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion” features 140 objects from the national collection from 13 museums in Uzbekistan, allowing visitors to explore important milestones in the country’s history and its cultural and civilisational heritage.She noted that “Ektashif: Uzbekistan” presents a different dimension of this cultural experience and was the result of a journey undertaken by seven Qatari artists to several Uzbek cities, where they explored landmarks and experienced aspects of local life and culture before translating the inspiration from their journey into a collection of artworks.“Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion” celebrates the growing cultural exchange between Qatar and Uzbekistan. **media[487178]**Across four sections, the exhibition brings together historical and contemporary works, costumes and immersive installations, taking visitors on a journey through centuries of artistic and intellectual exchange while highlighting the enduring influence of Uzbek artistic traditions on art, architecture and craftsmanship through to the present day.“Ektashif: Uzbekistan” meanwhile broadens the dialogue between Qatar and Uzbekistan by presenting new works by Qatari artists inspired by research trips to Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara.The exhibition features works is by seven Qatari artists inspired by their journeys to Uzbekistan's historic cities.The works highlight architectural details from the Timurid era, geometric brick architecture, ceramic-making traditions, ikat textiles, and traditional craft practices passed down through generations that remain alive in Uzbekistan today.The participating artists are Aisha al-Muhannadi, Abdulla al-Fakhroo, Lina al-Aali, Maryam Abel, Ameena al-Boinin, The Nourah, and Hameed al-Qahtani. **media[487177]**Through its diverse artistic approaches and choice of materials, the exhibition allows audiences to explore Uzbekistan’s history and culture from seven distinctive perspectives.

Qatar Museums and Uzbekistan's Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) have signed a five-year co-operation agreement, giving institutional shape to a relationship that until now has run on individual exhibitions, grants and goodwill.The agreement was signed by HE Minister of State for International Co-operation and Qatar Museums board member Dr Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser al-Misnad and ACDF chairperson Gayane Umerova.It sits within Qatar's cultural diplomacy framework and the Years of Culture initiative, and pairs human capital development with direct support for the creative economy through shared research, joint artistic projects and heritage conservation.HE Chairperson of Qatar Museums Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said investing in culture is, at root, an investment in people, and that the partnership joins the preservation of heritage to the development of talent — opening routes for creative professionals to work together on an international stage. **media[487170]**Umerova pointed to Uzbekistan's long history as a crossroads of civilisations, calling the agreement a significant step towards a sustainable future for artists and the communities they come from.Under the framework the two institutions will work across capacity building, creative industries and Islamic heritage conservation. The joint programme covers artist residencies, professional training and collaborative exhibitions, with further initiatives in design, craft, film, fashion and the culinary arts. Expert knowledge exchange will underpin the restoration and protection of Islamic cultural sites.The timing is deliberate. The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is currently showing Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion, which runs until November 28, presented alongside Ektashif Uzbekistan, a display of original work made by Qatari artists during a recent trip through Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara — the ceramics, textiles and tilework of the old Silk Road cities read here through Qatari eyes.The agreement builds on a run of bilateral projects. Uzbekistan took part in the inaugural Design Doha Biennial, and in late 2024 the Qatar Fund for Development pledged $4.175mn towards the restoration of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque complex in Samarkand, one of the great surviving monuments of the Timurid era and, for centuries, among the largest mosques in the Islamic world.What the pact does, in effect, is convert a series of one-off gestures into a standing arrangement — with a five-year horizon, a shared research base and a pipeline of artists moving in both directions.