Our Leadership

Our senior leaders all share a passion for arts and heritage and are committed to driving Qatar’s cultural sector forward.

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Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Chairperson, Qatar Museums, Doha Film Institute, Reach Out to Asia, and Qatar Leadership Centre

Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is engaged in the fields of formal and informal education. She is Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Doha Film Institute, Reach Out to Asia, and Qatar Leadership Centre. In having the privilege to serve her country in multiple fields – among them culture, leadership, education, and philanthropy – she has been able to facilitate conversations across borders and fields. As a public servant, her objective is to invest in Qatar’s local community and celebrate the country’s diversity using the visual arts as a vehicle for communication. Her current interests are in human development, cultural regionalism, environmental stewardship and sustainability, and economic growth using culture as a catalyst for education, dialogue, and exchange. Through her public work and support of the Qatar Vision 2030, she is building an exciting creative future for the country that will connect artistic communities in all areas of culture.

Qatar Museums

Through her work as Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa connects and amplifies the nation's growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations and programmes. Qatar Museums provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences, spearheads innovative research and environmental education through exhibitions and programming and preserves and expands the nation’s cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents and visitors. QM also initiates and supports projects that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.

Doha Film Institute

Sheikha Al Mayassa founded the Doha Film Institute (DFI) with the aim of building a dynamic film industry in Qatar and nurturing regional storytellers. DFI is dedicated to film appreciation, financing and education. Recognising the importance of film as a form of creative expression and community solidarity, Sheikha Al Mayassa has conceived of the Doha Film Institute as an all-encompassing hub for the art of cinema. DFI hosts the annual Ajyal Film Festival in Katara Cultural Village, the mentorship program Qumra and workshops for both professionals and amateurs, while serving as a resource that is global in scope.

Reach Out to Asia

In addition to her domestic focus, Sheikha Al Mayassa believes in providing those in need further afield with quality education. To this end, she serves as the chairperson of Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), which envisions a world where all young people have access to the resources they require to realise their potential. Together with partners, ROTA works to ensure that people affected by crisis across Asia have continuous access to high-quality primary and secondary education.

Among her other leadership roles, Sheikha Al Mayassa is Co-Chairperson of the Joint Advisory Board of Georgetown University Qatar, Co-Chairperson of Fashion Trust Arabia, Vice-Chairperson of Education Above All, and a Member of the Qatar Foundation Board of Trustees. She is also a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Rhode Island School of Design; a Founding Member of the Environmental Council of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; a Member of the Collections Council of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and a Member of the Board of Advisors of Common Sense Media.

We don't want to be the same. We want to respect and understand each other...we want to build our own identity, our own fabric.

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Portrait of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Qatar Museums' Chairperson: Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Ahmad Musa Al Namla

Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Museums

Ahmad Al Namla is the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Museums (QM), responsible for its overall leadership, establishing its priorities, and delivering its mission. He champions the vision of the Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

Mr. Al Namla previously served as the Director of Finance at QM, where he oversaw all financial operations, directed corporate financial planning and was fundamental in setting strategic fiscal priorities. Prior to joining QM, he had a 20-year career in the oil and gas sector in finance, during which he acquired a seasoned knowledge of leading complex financial decision-making and corporate leadership.

Mr. Al Namla holds an executive master’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship from HEC Paris, a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics with a major in accounting from Qatar University and is a certified public accountant. In 2014, Ahmad graduated from the “Current and Future Leaders Programme”, which is designed to “develop and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to positively contribute toward the sustainable development and growth of Qatar in line with its national vision.”

Mona Ahmad Hussain

Deputy CEO Operations, Director of Legal Affairs, Acting Director of Finance

Mona Ahmad Hussain is Qatar Museum’s Deputy CEO of Operations and Director of Legal Affairs. She leads on operational matters for all Qatar Museums (QM) sites and legal entities, including Finance, HR, IT and FM.

Mona is also a board member and board secretary of IN-Q Enterprises and a board member of the Qatari Cultural Heritage Law Project.

Mona graduated from the London School of Economics with a Bachelor of Laws and obtained a postgraduate diploma in law from BPP College of Law. She completed her legal training at Clifford Chance LLP and qualified as a UK solicitor in 2008. Prior to joining QM, she was a Senior Legal Counsel at Qatar Foundation and Legal Advisor at DFI.

Sheikha Amna Al Thani

Acting Deputy CEO of Museums, Collections and Heritage Protection, Director of National Museum of Qatar

Amna bint Abdulaziz Al Thani is the Acting Deputy CEO of Museums, Collections and Heritage Protection, as well as the Director of the National Museum of Qatar. Amna leads the museums from macro-level project planning to in-depth operational and strategic planning. She headed the steering committee and the community workshops that culminated in the development of the National Museum of Qatar. Amna has over nine years of experience in museum development.

Amna believes that effective management comprises efficiency in core business functions with an emphasis on human resources development, technology and AI within museums.

Amna earned an MSc in Sociology from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and English from Carnegie Mellon University. ​

Sheikha Reem Al Thani

Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing, Director of Central Exhibitions

Reem Al Thani is the Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing and the Director of Centralized Exhibitions at Qatar Museums (QM). Reem leads a team that services the museums and galleries of QM to bring world-class programming to Qatar and introduce Qatar's culture and emerging art scene to the world. Reem serves on the board of IN-Q Enterprises and has 11 years of experience in museums and exhibitions.

Previously, Reem held several roles in exhibitions, including the Director of Centralized Exhibitions, overseeing the development and implementation of QM's schedule of local and international exhibitions.

Reem graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar with a double major in interior design and fashion design before becoming the first Qatari to earn a master's degree in adaptive reuse interior architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is also a multidisciplinary designer who works on activating space through a human approach to design.