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The five-year partnership will bring Qatar Museums’ teaching model to India through the multidisciplinary centre, NMACC, while also enabling the creation of new programmes.
In India, NMACC will partner with Reliance Foundation (RF) to implement programming across multiple sectors guided by QM experts.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), and Isha Ambani of Reliance Industries, Mumbai, India, have signed a five-year strategic partnership between the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center (NMACC) and QM. This collaboration will establish a series of Museum-in-Residence educational programs in both India and Qatar, designed to introduce playful, museum-based learning experiences to children and provide teachers with new tools to inspire creativity across the country.
The ceremony took place at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. Linked by a shared belief in the power of education to awaken creativity and the importance of intercultural exchange, QM and NMACC are jointly developing programs to enrich early childhood education. While focused on the needs of young learners, these initiatives also equip teachers and volunteers with new tools, materials, and fun methods 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 Museum and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center share the belief that creativity and cultural exchange are vital to shaping a new generation of confident, empathetic young learners. The legacy of our Year of Culture with India, through this collaboration led by Ms. Isha Ambani, will add to Qatar Museums Centre’s already strong history of excellent educational will contribute their skills and experiences to the programs and the ever-expanding roster provides educational tools and insights, helping them expand their reach into classrooms across India.”
In India, NMACC will partner with the Reliance Foundation (RF) to implement programming across multiple sectors guided by QM experts – including experts from the Children’s Museum of Dadu, Qatar – who will deliver masterclasses and practical advice. 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 program will be adapted to diverse learning contexts, strengthening the Centre’s broader commitment to education and the arts.
Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Industries Limited, said, “We are delighted to partner with Her Highness 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 youth. Qatar Museums and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center both believes that culture is where imagination begins, and education is where possibilities become real. Through this partnership, we aim to foster new forms of learning that empower every child to dream boldly and learn with confidence.”
QM and NMACC will also work together to develop additional initiatives that encourage creativity, empathy, and discovery. These programs will be implemented in schools, anganwadis and community centers across India, including rural and deprived areas.
Maha Al Hajri, Acting Director of DADU, the Children’s Museum of Qatar, said, “We are proud to launch this collaboration as part of DADU’s Museum-in-Residence programme, bringing Light Atelier to new audiences in India. Developed for children aged three to seven, Light Atelier creates an intensive, hands-on learning environment that reflects DADU’s commitment to learning through play. As part of the Khel philosophy, this Museum-in-Residence program allows us to share Dadu’s vision 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 advance education and cultural exchange globally, reflecting the mission of Qatar National Vision 2030 to invest in human and cultural development.
For NMACC, this is another step towards identifying the best global ideas and bringing them to India’s leading cultural hub.
About Qatar Museum
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Qatar Museums (QM), the country’s leading institution for arts and culture, offers authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations and events. QM preserves and expands the country’s cultural offerings, sharing the arts and culture of 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 the leadership of its Chairman, Her Highness Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant hub for arts, culture and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of bringing people together to develop an innovative, diverse and progressive nation, igniting new thinking, fostering vital cultural dialogue and amplifying the voices of the people of Qatar. Since its establishment 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, National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, ALRIWAQ, QM Gallery Katara, Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival and Design Doha. Future projects at Dadu include: Children’s Museum of Qatar, Art Mill Museum, Qatar Auto Museum and Lusail Museum.
Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects such as Fire Station, Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, M7, the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studio and Labs – which nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure. Animating everything Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection with Qatar and its heritage, a strong commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.
About Children’s Museum of Dadu, Qatar
Dadu, the Children’s Museum of Qatar, will provide a unique space for learning and development 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 foster children’s development, inspire their curiosity, encourage collaboration and dialogue, provide tools to foster 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 the doors are not yet open, the museum is already engaging the community in Qatar through programs ranging from family programs with affiliated organizations to museum-in-residence in schools around Doha. Ms. Maha Al-Hajri is the acting director of the museum until October 2025.
Dadu Gardens, located on the future site of Dadu, has been conceptualized as ‘living classrooms’. They use nature-powered interactive play to promote cognitive and emotional development in children. Spanning 14,500 square metres, they welcome visitors up to 11 years old along with their families and carers. Visitors can plant herbs and fruits, watch them grow, and use the resulting produce in their dishes. The space also includes a community garden, an amphitheater, and a sculpture plaza, among other exciting features.
About Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center
The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center (NMACC) is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary space for the arts, located in the heart of Mumbai, India.
The NMACC is home to three performing arts venues: the majestic 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seat Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seat Cube. It also houses the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space that houses shifting exhibitions and installations from the finest artists from India and around the world. The cultural center’s premises span a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room – an immersive installation, and ‘Kamal Kunj’ – one of India’s largest Pichwai paintings.
Since its opening in March 2023, the cultural center has hosted over 1,500 shows with over 7,000 artists across various venues, and welcomed over two million guests. For two years now, NMACC has presented premier Indian productions like ‘The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation’, ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Rajadhiraj: Love’. life. ‘Leela’ and iconic international musicals like ‘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 world’s seven leading cultural centres.
December 22, 2025, 19:42 IST
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