Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, said she wished to be Minister of Foreign Affairs, and revealed details for the first time about her childhood, education, family and cultural role.
This came in the program “The Other Side” broadcast by the “Al Jazeera 360Presented by Ala Al-Faris (click on the link to the full episode) here).
Sheikha Al Mayassa indicated that she had dreamed of becoming her country’s foreign minister because of her love for diplomatic and political work, before she was assigned the task of managing the work of museums and culture in the Gulf state.
And about her relationship with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al ThaniShe said that he is her brother and her friend, and that there are only two years between them, noting that many say that they are twins and that they resemble each other in appearance and characteristics, and are similar in personality and hobbies, as she loved playing tennis.
She said that she loved to imitate what he did, and that he was kind to her when she was little, always listening to her and giving her the opportunity to express her ideas.
And described the prince father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani He was the biggest supporter in her life, and he advised her in all her important decisions. He never made her feel that she was wrong, but rather stressed the need for her to learn and look forward.
She talked about her studies at Duke University in the United States, where her father was the biggest supporter of studying anywhere she wanted, revealing that she was the first person in the family to go to the United States after her brothers went to Europe.
On the other hand, Sheikha Al Mayassa learned patience, determination and self-respect from her mother. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al MissnedShe said that she has undertaken many initiatives to develop society, women's, children's and family rights, as well as education and health in Qatar.
The origin of Mayassa
Sheikha Al Mayassa revealed that her father chose her name after reading the story “Al Mayassa and Al Muqdad,” in which Al Mayassa was a well-known knight who refused to marry all men except her cousin, who defeated her in a duel.
She said she was not sure if she was the first girl in Qatar to be called Al Mayassa, noting that she had a normal childhood and a more than normal life.
She revealed that her father was humble and treated his children without any protocols, adding that she did not know that her father was the Crown Prince, and she asked him one day about his job and did not know what that meant.
Regarding her academic life, Sheikha Al Mayassa touched on an incident when her teachers chose her as an ideal student after she had excelled with distinction, but the principal refused and tried to convince her – for certain reasons – to accept being the deputy of the ideal student, but she rejected this principle completely.
As for the certificates, the Qatari official confirmed that she never felt that she was wronged, but rather the opposite, as her colleagues used to joke with her when she got high grades and say that she was the daughter of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, noting that the exams came from abroad.
She admitted that she loved studying very much and was very diligent, to the point that she would “do some of the homework for her brothers, who preferred playing and sports.”
Her involvement in the work
Regarding work, Sheikha Al Mayassa said that she graduated in 2005 and started working directly in the office of the Father Emir, before taking over the office of the opening of the Islamic Museum before the Asian Games in 2006.
Sheikha Al Mayassa believes that building museums is not difficult, but her father was interested in focusing on human development and having Qataris supervise the management of the projects. “Therefore, we drew up a 25-year plan in line with Qatar Vision 2030.”
She explained that the plan was based on several values, namely the Qatari, Arab and Islamic identity, as Qatar opened the Islamic Museum, then the Arab Museum, then the National Museum, in addition to social development. “Therefore, we opened the Sports Museum in 2022, and we will also open the Children’s Museum.”
In addition to this, there are projects planned for the next 10 years, such as the Lusail Museum and the Car Museum, and the Qatar Mills, which were built in the late 1990s, will be converted into a new museum.
She stressed that the number of museums in Qatar (8) is not large compared to its geographical size, revealing the existence of 4 museums and work is underway on a similar number.
She stressed that Qatar's internal and external policy is independent, but it supports highlighting the materials that interest it and its culture, explaining that she is happy to see new museum projects and cultural and archaeological centers in the region in order to create a legacy for future generations.
Cultural initiatives
Sheikha Al Mayassa pointed out that the Cultural Years initiative arose after her country won the bid to host the event. World Cup 2022 With the aim of introducing Qatar to the world and introducing Qataris and residents to the world coming to it.
She stressed that the initiative achieved great success after drawing cultural years between Qatar and countries organizing the World Cup such as “Brazil 2014” and “Russia 2018”, adding that it does not only include the arts but also the education, health and trade sectors.
She stressed the need to be proud of the Qatari, Gulf and Arab identity, culture, customs and traditions, so the Qatar World Cup was to highlight the Arab and religious identity and was free of alcohol, and its opening ceremony reflected Arab cultures and everyone carried the Palestinian flag.
She added that Qatar has a special interest in the Palestinian cause and it is impossible for it to abandon it, revealing her country's role in registering the Palestinian village of Battir on the UNESCO heritage list in 2014.
Regarding the placement of the “yellow bear” at Hamad International Airport, she said that she believed in the necessity of placing artwork at the airport, but the CEO of Qatar Airways at the time, Akbar Al Baker, called her and asked her to remove it. She asked him to give her a week before he contacted her again and asked her to keep it because people loved the idea.
She explains that placing artworks in public places stems from the fact that Qatar “does not view it as a material investment, but rather as a scientific and cultural investment and human development,” noting that these works change the mood of patients, while museums provide places for people with disabilities who are unable to travel.
She touched on the archaeological sites in Qatar, such as Al Zubarah – the first Qatari site to be registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013 – in addition to the village of Ain Mohammed, which focuses on Qatari heritage, customs and traditions.
Sheikha Al Mayassa believes in the knowledge economy, investing in creative talents, preserving the environment, and volunteer work. She personally leads beach cleaning campaigns, expressing her pride in…Al Jazeera Media Network She described it as the most important landmark of Qatar.
Mayassa's private life
Regarding her family, Sheikha Al Mayassa married Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, and she revealed that he gave her a painting for the first time, as she did not realize at the time that he was artistically talented.
She said that behind her story as a successful woman are great men, namely her father, brother and husband, stressing that she does not have a wide social life as her time is divided between her home and her work.
She stressed the importance of working mothers allocating time for their children, revealing that she does not allow her children to own smartphones before they reach a certain age, expressing her belief in the necessity of children living a real life, not a virtual one, and encouraging them to play sports, develop talents, read, and swim.
Regarding her hobbies, Sheikha Al Mayassa said that she spends her private time with her children, noting that she loves playing padel, swimming, tennis, reading, watching movies and photography.
She touched on her book “The Magic of Culture” after completing her 40th year last year, and said that it is dedicated to visitors to Qatar and its projects, and she dedicated it to every Qatari and resident who participated in the success of the 2022 World Cup, and considered it a kind of thanks and appreciation to her father and brother, the Emir.