The new National Archives of Qatar is dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Qatar and its cultural and national identity.
HH The Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani officially inaugurated the National Archives of Qatar, affiliated with the Amiri Diwan, on 16 January 2024 at Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD).
In addition to The Amir, a number of ministers and senior officials attended the inauguration. The Amir said, ‘The inauguration of the National Archives of Qatar comes as an addition to our other national facilities to contribute to preserving the history of the State of Qatar and consolidating our country’s cultural and national identity through archiving documentary heritage, promoting scientific research, historical writing, and raising awareness of its importance.’
Dedicated to perserve and document the history of Qatar and its cultural and national identity, the National Archives of Qatar is an advanced national centre that preserves the historical memory of the State, contributes to the documentary consolidation of the national cultural identity, and enhances the authenticity of its heritage and culture locally, regionally and globally. It aims to enable access to information, records and documents and facilitate their use by setting standards and policies that regulate the process of managing public, private, historical and national documents in the country.
The National Archives of Qatar is concerned with identifying all documents of historical value in the possession of ministries and other government agencies or individuals, as well as other documents and archives located abroad, and determining the mechanisms to obtain and transfer these archives, or to obtain copies of them.
The Amiri Decree Organising the National Archives of Qatar
In May 2023, HH The Amir issued Law No 7 of 2023 on documents and archives. HH the Amir also issued Amiri Decree No 29 of 2023, organising the National Archives of Qatar and Amiri Decision No 30 of 2023 forming the Board of Trustees of National Archives of Qatar.
The decision stipulates that the Board of Trustees of National Archives of Qatar be formed under the chairmanship of the former deputy prime minister of Qatar HE Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, the Minister of Culture as deputy chairman, and the membership of the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, a representative of the Amiri Diwan, a representative of Qatar Museums (QM), and a representative of Qatar National Library (QNL). The decision also stipulates that the term of membership of the Council shall be four years, renewable for one or more similar periods.
The award-winning building
Located in Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), the building of the National Archives of Qatar mirrors the urban design of MDD – the urban structure is of tight-knit, compact urban blocks. There is a contemporary Qatari architectural language that defines the character of the place. Arabic calligraphy is embedded into the front of the building.
The National Archives of Qatar is composed of three areas informally organised around a group of courtyard houses that form a network of shaded public lanes and small squares. The central block, based on the design of fortified Qatari towers or forts, contains the archive stacks and is located between the public wing that houses the main entrance and reading rooms to the north, and an office/conservation wing to the south. The central block is raised on columns to create a grand entrance portico. Concrete and steel are used for the structure of the three buildings that are all clad in local stone.
Prior to its recent opening, in 2018, the National Archives of Qatar received the Best Conserving Building Award in the Government category of the at a ceremony held by the National Programme for Conservation and Energy (Tarsheed). This landmark building aims to reduce energy and water waste by utilising the best technology and unique architectural language. The National Archives of Qatar was acknowledged for its energy and water saving features, use of non-potable water, rainwater recovery and on-site renewable energy generation. Sustainability is central to MDD, in terms of both the conservation of natural resources and the quality of its design.
The energy efficient building design includes improved building envelopes of walls and windows, recessed windows, energy recovery to the outside air entering the building, optimised ventilation using carbon dioxide (CO2) detectors and a high efficiency district cooling plant. Also, thicker walls and orientation enables the building to benefit from the shade of adjacent buildings, which cools the local environment and reduces air-conditioning requirements. The adoption of the latest technology enables the master developer Msheireb Properties to produce renewable energy, monitor electricity use, and make the most efficient use of water, translating into reduced emissions, energy and water savings and minimised waste.
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 9 am – 5 pm
Friday 3 pm – 9 pm, Saturday 9 am – 5 pm
Closed on Sunday
For more information about the National Archives of Qatar please contact: 800 DOHA (800 3642), 3072 5093 or visit: msheireb.com.
Author: Ola Diab
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