Doha: Qatar’s first fashion, design and tech entrepreneurship hub M7 will open on Friday, the Qatar Museums announced yesterday.
Established under the leadership of the Chairperson of Qatar Museums, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, M7 is the latest initiative developed and supported by Qatar Museums to help build a strong creative ecosystem in Qatar.
Situated within Msheireb Downtown Doha, M7 will host world-class exhibitions, educational programmes, and public discussions in addition to an array of offerings through its Resident Partners.
In a statement H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said: “Because the future of Qatar depends on cultivating the creative potential of all its citizens, Qatar Museums has developed M7 to raise public awareness of the vast influence of fashion and design as an industry and to provide much-needed support for Qatar’s own burgeoning creative sector, from concept design to the production line.
“We are grateful to Qatar Foundation, headed by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, for initiating the Msheireb Downtown Doha project, for our M7 partners Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar and Qatar Development Bank and of course, the contributions of the private sector,” she said.
Sheikha Al Mayassa added: “There could not be a more fitting time to open M7 and present Christian Dior Designer of Dreams, its first major exhibition, as Qatar Creates begins its celebration of fashion and design and we have the opportunity to introduce our young and emerging creators to some of the top industry professionals who will be in Doha to share their contributions and experience the very best that Qatar has to offer.”
Fahad Al Obaidly, Head of Public Programmes, M7; and Maha Al Sulaiti, Director of M7, during a press conference held yesterday. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Maha Al Sulaiti, Director of M7 and Fahad Al Obaidly, Head of Public Programmes at M7 revealed that M7 along with its Resident Partners, will feature training, workshops, and incubator spaces; a ground-floor public café; a concept store; a co-working space; a multimedia gallery and two exhibition galleries.
The inaugural exhibition at M7 will open on November 6 as part of the annual Qatar Creates cultural initiative; which will be Christian Dior Designer of Dreams, a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the house of Dior’s unique heritage and will be on view at M7 until March 30, 2022.
Maha Al Sulaiti, Director of M7 said: “At M7, we are dedicated to empowering designers and creatives to explore, collaborate and develop successful businesses.
"Through comprehensive programmes, M7 equips aspiring creative entrepreneurs with the skills and know-how to realise their business ambitions.
"It is indeed an exciting and inspiring time for designers in Qatar and M7 is honoured to support and nurture the local creative ecosystem.”
Designed by John McAslan + Partners, M7’s interior spaces are organized around a skylit atrium, in which light filters down through a patterned screen inspired by traditional Qatari motifs.
