Qatar’s cultural strategy is anchored in long-term nation-building and equal opportunity, Qatar Museums chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said in an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN, recalling her father’s commitment to providing the same opportunities to daughters and sons.Speaking on the programme, Sheikha Al Mayassa outlined Qatar’s decades-long investment in culture, describing it as a deliberate strategy to build a knowledge-based society while preserving national identity.Tracing the origins of Qatar’s museum movement to the establishment of the National Museum in 1975, she stressed that the country’s cultural rise has been cumulative rather than sudden. Major institutions and projects developed under the umbrella of Qatar Museums, she said, reflect sustained planning aimed at education, research and global engagement.During the interview, Amanpour asked about her experience as a woman in leadership and whether she felt empowered growing up. In response, Sheikha Al Mayassa spoke warmly of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani’s approach to parenting, emphasising that he did not distinguish between sons and daughters in matters of education, responsibility or ambition.She said her father encouraged all his children equally to pursue their aspirations, including studying abroad at a time when such paths were less common for women in the region. That early encouragement, she noted, helped shape her confidence and sense of purpose.Today, she added, women hold significant leadership roles across Qatar’s institutions, including within Qatar Museums, where appointments are based on merit and capability.The discussion also touched on Qatar’s expanding international cultural footprint, including preparations for Art Basel’s Doha edition and the development of new institutions such as Lusail Museum and Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar. These initiatives, she said, aim to foster dialogue and broaden participation in the arts locally and internationally.Addressing questions on cultural sensitivities, Sheikha Al Mayassa described an approach that balances openness with respect for context, underscoring the role of art in building bridges rather than deepening divides.The interview highlighted how Qatar’s cultural policy is intertwined with broader national development goals, positioning the arts not only as creative expression but also as instruments of education, diplomacy and social progress.

The Lusail International Circuit (LIC) has revealed the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2026 Show Car, aligning the launch with its early bird ticket offers and debuting a bold new livery. **media[417409]**The design embodies the start of Formula 1’s next chapter, as the sport gears up for its fifth consecutive year at LIC. From 2026, the FIA Formula One World Championship will enter a groundbreaking era defined by new technical regulations. **media[417410]**The upcoming generation of cars will be shorter, lighter, and more agile, promising closer racing and greater sustainability. At the core of these innovations are Active Aerodynamics systems, enabling drivers to dynamically adjust their car’s setup to boost overtaking and on-track performance.

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has launched and awarded a major new package of infrastructure and building projects worth about QR11.5bn, advancing national plans for integrated roads, drainage and public facilities in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. Ashghal Monday disclosed 12 projects, with a combined value exceeding QR4.5bn that have already been awarded. These include six key building schemes: the development of Hamad General Hospital, the design and construction of a new postal building in Al Thumama, refurbishment works for the Racing and Equestrian Club and the Qatar Equestrian Federation, and the fourth phase of the Al Uqda Equestrian Complex development. In the roads and residential infrastructure sector, four projects have been awarded, notably the development of roads and infrastructure in Izghawa and Al Thumid (Packages 1 and 2). The awarded package also covers beautification works and air‑conditioned pathways within Qatar University campus, under wider public realm enhancement efforts. Ashghal added that a further eight projects, with an estimated total value of around QR7bn, will be tendered in the next phase. These include major strategic works such as the design and construction of the Southern Strategic Tunnel for surface and groundwater drainage, and the Western Strategic Tunnel for the same purpose in the southern area, aimed at strengthening the stormwater network, boosting overall infrastructure efficiency and reducing flooding risks. **media[417832]**Upcoming tenders will also extend to road and infrastructure development for citizens’ land plots in various northern and southern areas. His Excellency President of Ashghal, Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Meer, said the authority is moving ahead with implementation in line with the State’s strategic plans for roads, buildings, drainage and service facilities, and in step with urban and economic development requirements. He pointed out that the current portfolio comprises 20 projects valued at more than QR 11.5bn, and that during the first quarter of 2026 alone, 12 projects worth over QR 4.5bn were awarded, including the Hamad General Hospital redevelopment and the Al Thumama postal building. **media[417834]**Eight additional projects, valued at about QR 7bn, are scheduled for tender, among them two major drainage tunnels in the southern region and infrastructure works for residential areas and citizens’ plots. Al-Meer stressed that the awarded projects have been given to Qatari companies, reflecting Ashghal’s commitment to empowering national firms, enhancing their competitiveness and consolidating the local private sector as a principal development partner, thereby supporting the national economy and strengthening technical and engineering capabilities in the domestic market. Projects Affairs Director Eng. Khalid al-Khayareen said the new portfolio covers critical sectors such as roads, infrastructure, drainage and buildings, demonstrating the breadth of Ashghal’s programme and its responsiveness to the needs of different regions. He highlighted the Hamad General Hospital redevelopment as one of the most significant awarded projects, noting that it involves a comprehensive modernisation of systems and facilities to keep pace with rapid advances in the healthcare sector, at a total value of about QR1.179bn, and is expected to enhance both service quality and operational efficiency. Director of the Engineering Services Department, Ghanem al-Mansoori, underlined that all tendering and awarding procedures are carried out in accordance with the Tenders Law and its executive regulations to ensure transparency and equal opportunity. Contractor selection, he said, is based on clear technical and financial benchmarks, focusing on competence, experience and professional track record, while giving priority to Qatari companies in line with Ashghal’s strategy to support the national private sector.