Qatar Museums and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre Sign Landmark Agreement to Develop MuseumResidence Education Initiatives in India and Qatar

Doha/Mumbai, 22 December 2025 – Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM) and Isha Ambani of India’s Mumbai-based Reliance Industries have signed a five-year strategic partnership between the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center (NMACC) and QM. The collaboration will establish a series of Museum-in-Residence educational programmes in both India and Qatar, designed to introduce playful, museum-based learning experiences for children and provide educators with new tools to inspire creativity nationwide.

The ceremony took place at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. Connected by a shared belief in the power of education to spark creativity and the importance of cross-cultural exchange, QM and NMACC are jointly developing programmes to enrich early childhood learning. While centred on the needs of young learners, these initiatives also equip teachers and volunteers with new tools, materials, and playful methodologies that empower them to innovate in the classroom. 

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, said, “Qatar Museums and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre share the belief that creativity and cultural exchange are key to shaping a new generation of confident, empathetic young learners. Through this collaboration, led by Ms. Isha Ambani,a legacy of our Year of Culture with India, Qatar Museums will contribute its skills and experiences to the outstanding educational programmes of the Centre’s already robust history and ever-expanding roster providing educational tools and insights, helping them extend their reach in classrooms throughout India.”

In India, NMACC will partner with Reliance Foundation (RF) to implement the programming across multiple regions, guided by QM specialists – including experts from the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar – who will deliver masterclasses and hands-on mentoring. In keeping with NMACC’s mission to bring the best of the world to India and share the best of India with the world, each programme will be adapted to diverse learning contexts, strengthening the Centre’s broader commitment to education and the arts.

Isha Ambani, Director Reliance Industries noted, “We are pleased to partner with Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Qatar Museums on this meaningful collaboration focused on children and education. At the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, we are committed to bringing global ideas to India while sharing India’s rich cultural heritage with the world and creating world-class educational experiences for young people. Both Qatar Museums and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre believe that culture is where imagination begins, and education is where potential becomes real. Through this partnership, we aim to spark new forms of learning that empower every child to dream boldly and to learn confidently.”

QM and NMACC will also work together to develop additional initiatives that encourage creativity, empathy, and discovery. These programmes will be implemented in schools, anganwadis, and community centres across India, including in rural and underserved regions.

Ms Maha Al Hajri, Acting Director of Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, said, “We are proud to launch this collaboration as part of Dadu’s Museum-in-Residence programme, bringing the Light Atelier to new audiences in India. The Light Atelier, developed for children aged three to seven, creates immersive, hands-on learning environments that reflect Dadu’s commitment to learning through play. As part of our learning-through-play philosophy, this Museum-in-Residence programme allows us to share Dadu’s approach beyond our walls while creating meaningful cultural exchanges with partners like the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.”

This partnership marks a milestone in Qatar Museums’ ongoing commitment to advancing education and cultural exchange globally, reflecting the mission of Qatar National Vision 2030 to invest in human and cultural development.

For more information about Qatar Museums initiatives, visit qm.org.qa.

For NMACC, it is another step forward in identifying and bringing the best of global ideas to India’s leading cultural centre. For more information, visit, www.nmacc.com.

About Qatar Museums

Now marking its 20th anniversary, Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves and expands the nation’s cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors. 

Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the development of museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, ALRIWAQ, QM Gallery Katara, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, and Design Doha. Future projects include Dadu: Children’s Museum of Qatar, Art Mill Museum, Qatar Auto Museum and the Lusail Museum. 

Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as Fire Station, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, M7, the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs—that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure. 

Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention. 

About Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar

Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, will provide a unique place for learning and growth through inclusive, open-ended play, exploration, and experimentation. Through an oasis of stimulating, interactive, and accessible indoor and outdoor experiences for families in the heart of Doha, Dadu will nurture children’s development, inspire their curiosity, encourage collaboration and dialogue, provide the tools to fuel creativity and instill a sense of social responsibility. Under development by Qatar Museums, the new institution is designed to challenge and inspire children and advance the Qatar National Vision 2030 for human, social, economic and environmental development. Although doors are not yet open, the Museum is already engaging the community in Qatar through programmes from family events with allied organizations to museum-in-residences in schools around Doha. Ms. Maha Al-Hajri is the Museum’s Acting Director as of October 2025.

The Dadu Gardens, located at the future site of Dadu, are conceptualized as ‘living classrooms.’ They use nature-driven interactive play to nurture cognitive and emotional development in children. Spanning 14,500 square metres, they welcome visitors up to 11 years old with their families and carers. Visitors can plant herbs and fruits, observe them growing and use the resulting produce in their recipes. The space includes a community garden, an amphitheatre and a sculpture plaza, amongst other exciting features.

About the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary space in the sphere of arts, located in the heart of Mumbai, India.

NMACC is home to three performing arts spaces: the majestic 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seater Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seater Cube. It also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space that houses shifting exhibits and installations from the finest artists across India and the world. Spread across the Cultural Centre’s concourses is a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including the famed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – an immersive installation, and ‘Kamal Kunj’ – one of the largest Pichwai paintings in India.

Since its opening in March 2023, the Cultural Centre has staged more than 1,500 shows featuring over 7,000 artists across venues, welcoming more than two million guests. For two years now, NMACC has introduced marquee Indian productions such as ‘The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation’, ‘Mughal-E-Azam’, ‘Rajadhiraaj: Love. Life. Leela’ and iconic international musicals such as ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘MAMMA MIA!’ ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, and many others.

NMACC has been featured in the international publication Madame Figaro as one of the seven leading cultural centres of the world.

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Press Contacts:

Lamis Nasser

lnasser@qm.org.qa

+974 4452 5418

Linah Alsaafin

lassaafin@qm.org.qa

+974 5206 6404