Qatar Museums (QM), under the leadership of its Chairperson, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, announced that the United States of America will be the official partner nation of Qatar for the 2021 Year of Culture.
A cooperative agreement was signed this week between the State of Qatar and the United States of America during the 2020 Qatar-United States Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC.
The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture is intended to enhance cultural and artistic exchange and exemplifies the renewed commitment of the two nations to foster mutual understanding and promote inter-cultural dialogue. The specially curated 2021 Year of Culture will feature a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions, festivals, bilateral exchanges, and events to be held in both nations.
According to HE Sheikha Mayassa, the Year of Culture programme was inaugurated to celebrate Qatar’s successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
We started our programme in 2012 celebrating Qatar-Japan’s 40 years of bilateral relations. We continued to celebrate cities hosting the World Cup, with Brazil in 2014 and Russia in 2018.
She said that the year-long programme celebrates two nations and the diversity of its people and cultures.
Today, it brings me great pleasure to announce that 2021 will be the Year of Culture between Qatar and USA.
Qatar will host the next World Cup in 2022 and the USA will bring the next version to its grounds in 2026. HE Sheikha Mayassa added that culture goes beyond the arts, and is in fact, a measure of lifestyle that extends to all areas of life.
We celebrate culture, sports, business, education, music and much more. I look forward to working on building the existing strong relationship between our nations, and explore new opportunities together.
Aisha Al Attiya, Head of Years of Culture at Qatar Museums, said they are excited to announce the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture, which promises exceptional artistic experiences and bilateral interactions. She said that over the months to come, they look forward to announcing details of the extraordinary programme, which will include artist exchanges, world-class exhibitions, concerts and events in Qatar and the United States.
The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture builds on friendly diplomatic relations that were first established in 1972. Since then, Qatar-US relations have continuously grown at multiple levels: political, military, economic, health, cultural, and educational. The Qatar-US relationship is built on trust. It is a relationship that demonstrably serves the interests of both nations as well as the greater good of global and regional peace.
About Years of Culture
The Years of Culture initiative is an annual international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people. Though the formal programming lasts only one year, the initiative often sparks long-lasting collaboration. Culture is one of the most effective tools to bring people closer, encourage dialogue, and deepen understanding.
Previous Years of Culture included: Qatar-Japan 2012, Qatar-UK 2013, Qatar-Brazil 2014, Qatar-Turkey 2015, Qatar-China 2016, Qatar-Germany 2017, Qatar-Russia 2018, Qatar-India 2019 and Qatar-France 2020.
Qatar-United States 2021 Year of Culture is being planned in collaboration with leading institutions in Qatar and the United States.
For more information, visit qm.org.qa.
