GCDN Annual Convening – Doha 2026

Over the past five decades, Qatar has invested in cultural infrastructure – both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’' – as part of a long-term strategy to diversify the economy, underpin and celebrate national identity, cultivate talent, shape public space, and position the country as an active participant in global cultural exchange.

In this opening session, Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will describe how Qatar is building its cultural ecosystem, where some common assumptions miss the mark, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. In conversation with Adrian Ellis, Her Excellency will reflect on the considerations behind major investments, the links between culture and place, infrastructure and community, and the local and global forces that shape cultural life – setting the scene for our wider explorations over the days ahead.