Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani

Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Born1983 (age 40–41)
Doha, Qatar
Spouse
Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani
​
​
(m. 2006)​
IssueMohammed bin Jassim Al Thani
Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani
Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani
Norah bint Jassim Al Thani
Tamim bin Jassim Al Thani
Names
Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
HouseThani
FatherHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
MotherMoza bint Nasser Al-Missned
OccupationFounder and Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Doha Film Institute

Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Arabic: المياسة بنت حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 1983)[1][2] is the sister of Qatar's ruling Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and daughter of the country's former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. Al-Mayassa was declared the most influential person in art on Art+Auction's top-10 list[3] and ArtReview's Power 100,[4] and prominently appears on the Time 100,[5] and Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women.[6] She was listed in the 'Top 100 most powerful Arabs' from 2014 to 2017 and 2021 by Gulf Business.[7][8][9] Al-Mayassa serves as Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and it was reported by Bloomberg that her annual acquisition budget on behalf of the organization is estimated at $1 billion.[10]

Al-Mayassa reportedly bought Paul Gauguin's When Will You Marry? in 2015 for $300 million, a record price for a painting.[11] In March 2016, she opened the exhibition What About the Art? A New Exhibition curated by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang at Al Riwaq Gallery.[12] Qatar has bought Cezanne's The Card Players in 2012 for $250 million,[2] as well as Mark Rothko's White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose) in 2007 for $70 million, a Damien Hirst pill cabinet for $20 million and works by Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Francis Bacon.[13] She has staged major exhibitions in Qatar with Takashi Murakami, Richard Serra, and Damien Hirst.

Education

Sheikha Al-Mayassa graduated with a B.A. degree in political science and literature from Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, USA) in 2005.[14]

During the 2003–2004 school year, she studied at the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, and the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (known as Sciences Po).[15][16]

Career

Upon graduation, Sheikha al-Mayassa established the NGO Reach Out To Asia. This organization is a philanthropic effort inspired by the desire to help the victims of recent natural disasters in Asia by providing quality education; it also celebrated the occasion of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.[17]

Sheikha Al-Mayassa is the chairperson of Qatar Museums, whose former[18] CEO Edward Dolman[19] had previously served as Chairman of Christie's International,[20] and responsible for cultivating significant cultural events in the region.[6] She has been profiled extensively in The New York Times.[21]

Sheikha Al-Mayassa is chairperson of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), which she founded in 2010.[22][23] The institute partnered with the Tribeca Film Festival to produce several annual iterations of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.[24] In February 2013, they announced a $100 million feature film fund with Participant Media, a production company founded by billionaire Jeffrey Skoll, who was the first employee and first president of internet auction firm eBay.[25]

Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) launched in September 2018 under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser as honorary chair and co-chaired by HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Tania Fares (Founder of Fashion Trust).[26] FTA is the only initiative of its kind operating in the Arab world, dedicated to finding and nurturing talented designers.[27] She is a member of the board of trustees at Qatar Foundation.[28] In 2018, she was named to a three-year term on the Rhode Island School of Design board of trustees.[29]

She is a member of the Leadership Council of The Democracy & Culture Foundation.[30]

In April 2023, Sheikha Al-Mayassa was a speaker at the "Art for Tomorrow" conference in Italy, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation in collaboration with The New York Times.[31][32]

In December 2023, she launched her podcast, "The Power of Culture", which focuses on the cultural scene in Qatar.[33]

Art collecting

Sheikha Al-Mayassa's wealth and role as Chairperson of Qatar Museums make her influential among art collectors. Bloomberg reported her acquisition budget on behalf of Qatar Museums is estimated at $1 billion annually.[10][34]

Sheikha Al-Mayassa is said to have purchased the most expensive painting in the world, Paul Gauguin's When Will You Marry? in 2015 for $300 million,[11] Cezanne's The Card Players in 2012 for $250 million, as well as Mark Rothko's White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose) in 2007 for $70 million, a Damien Hirst pill cabinet for $20 million and works by Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Francis Bacon. She has staged major exhibitions in Qatar with Takashi Murakami, Richard Serra, and Damien Hirst (underwriting his exhibit first at the Tate Modern prior to opening in Doha). The Sheikha oversees a vast array of museums including the I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, which opened in November 2008,[35] and the Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar, which opened in March 2019.[36] The Orientalist Museum by Herzog & de Meuron is slated to open in the coming year.[21][37]

Sheikha Al-Mayassa participated in a TED Talk in February 2012, where she highlighted the importance of the social impact of art. She affirmed that her goal was to create a local collection of art to contribute in shaping the Qatari national identity.[38]

Family

Sheikha Mayassa is the sister of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Her father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani is the former Emir, and mother Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, the former First Lady.

Sheikha Mayassa's mother Sheikha Moza is responsible for opening campuses of several world-class academic institutions in Doha, including Virginia Commonwealth University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Texas A&M University and Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of Calgary in Qatar.[39]

Her brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the Chairman of Qatar's winning bid to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha.[40]

Sheikha Al-Mayassa's father former Emir of Qatar from 1995 to 2013, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, established the Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund to manage the country's oil and natural gas surpluses.[39][41][42] The Qatar Investment Authority and its subsidiaries have acquired many businesses abroad, including London's iconic department store Harrods from entrepreneur Mohammed Al-Fayed,[43][44] Paris based department store Printemps,[45] a 75% stake in film studio Miramax,[46] a 2% stake in media conglomerate and Universal Music Group parent company Vivendi,[47] a 1% stake in luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy[48] and several other major companies.

Marriage and children

Sheikha Al-Mayassa married Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani[49] at Al-Wajbah Palace, Doha, on 6 January 2006. Sheikh Jassim is an elder son of Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, making them second cousins. Together they have four sons and one daughter.

  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.
  • Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.
  • Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.
  • Sheikha Norah bint Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani
  • Sheikh Tamim bin Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.

References

  1. ^ "Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani". businessoffashion.com. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Sheikha Al-Mayassa bin Khalifa Al Thani Qatari art curator". Britannica. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Broad, Gagosian, Qatar Sheikha, Ai Weiwei Make Art Power List". Bloomberg. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Power 100". Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  5. ^ Takashi Murakami (23 April 2014). "Sheika al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani". Time. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Board of Trustees". Qatar Museums Authority. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Top 100 Powerful Arabs 2014". Gulf Business. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Top 100 Powerful Arabs 2017". Gulf Business. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Top 100 most powerful Arabs 2021". Gulf Business. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  10. ^ a b Nayeri, Farah (23 October 2013). "Sheikha Mayassa Tops Art Power List for $1 Billion Spend". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  11. ^ a b Reyburn, Scott (5 February 2015). "SGauguin Painting Is Said to Fetch $300 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Sheikha Al Mayassa: 'Art is very powerful because it has no boundaries'". CNN. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Qatar's Sheikha Mayassa tops art power list". The Guardian. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  14. ^ Rohter, Larry (23 October 2009). "Mixing Oil and Hollywood: Tribeca Festival Expands to the Persian Gulf". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Portrait Son Excellence Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani" (PDF). gco.gov.qa. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  16. ^ "H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani". iloveqatar.net. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Qatar Foundation, Qatar Airways and the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee Team Up To Launch Biggest Celebrity Charity Campaign In Qatar". Qatar Airways. 26 September 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Edward James Dolman". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Qatar Museums Authority Leader to Leave Post". worldarchitecture.org. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Phillips CEO Ed Dolman Reflects On Dramatic Change In Global Art Markets, From Intimidating Grandeur To Accessible Emojis". Forbes. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Qatari Riches Are Buying Art World Influence". The New York Times. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  22. ^ "'The Present' is a tale of basic human rights violations: Fatma Alremaihi". Gulf Times. 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  23. ^ "The Institute". Doha Film Institute. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Lights, camera: The Doha Film Institute's reinvention of Arab cinema". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Berlin: Participant Media, Doha Film Institute Launch Five-Year $100M Feature Film Fund". Deadline. 13 February 2013.
  26. ^ "Watch: Fashion Trust Arabia's Tania Fares On Fostering Creativity, Building Community And Supporting MENA Talent". Harper's Bazaar. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Fashion Trust Arabia". Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  28. ^ "Board of Trustees". Qatar Foundation. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  29. ^ "Rhode Island School of Design's Board of Trustees Elects New 2018 Members | RISD". www.risd.edu. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Leadership Council". democracyculturefoundation.org. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Art for Tomorrow: Is Culture a Way Out?". Art for Tomorrow. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  32. ^ "Qatar Cultural Leader Says Heritage Can Be a Bridge to Art's Future". The New York Times. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  33. ^ "Sheikha Al Mayassa launches podcast, spotlight on Qatar's cultural scene". The Peninsula. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  34. ^ marhaba.qa: "Who’s Who in Qatar: The People of Qatar You Should Know About" Archived 20 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, 10 August 2014
  35. ^ "Doha, Qatar, a New Arts Capital". The New York Times. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  36. ^ "The Heartbeat of our Heritage". National Museum of Qatar. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  37. ^ "Expect the unexpected at the new National Museum of Qatar". The Art Newspaper. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  38. ^ "Sheikha Al Mayassa Founder, Doha Film Institute". TED. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  39. ^ a b "Sheikha Moza: The woman behind Doha's Education City". The Washington Post. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Qatar's bid for 2022 WCup includes cooling fields". The San Diego Union-Tribune. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  41. ^ "Qatar Investment Authority". Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  42. ^ "Qatar Holding Buys Harrods Store". The New York Times. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  43. ^ "Qatar investor buys UK department store Harrods". Reuters. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  44. ^ "Qatari investor buys UK's Harrods". Arabian Business. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  45. ^ "Qatari Investors to Buy Printemps". The Wall Street Journal. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  46. ^ "Ron Tutor Sells His Miramax Stake". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  47. ^ "Vivendi Says Shareholder Qatar Holding Raised its Stake to 2%". Bloomberg. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  48. ^ "Slice Of LVMH". Vogue. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  49. ^ "A 30-year-old Qatari is the most powerful person in art—even if she didn't buy a $142 million painting". Quartz. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

Further reading

  • "Meet Sheikha Al-Mayassa, Qatar's doyenne of art"
  • "A Rare Conversation With The Influential Royal Who Brought The Fashion Crowd To Qatar"

External links

  • Muslim Women: Past and Present about Al-Thani
  • Sheikha Al Mayassa at TED
    • "Globalizing the local, localizing the global" (TEDWomen 2010)
  • Podcast: The Power of Culture
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