ICOM Qatar Election - Candidates

Shaika Al Nassr is the Director of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha. With over 18 years of dedicated service at MIA, she has held several senior roles, including Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and Head of Exhibitions, contributing decisively to the museum’s strategic development and to the successful relaunch of MIA in 2022. Shaika’s academic background reflects a strong interdisciplinary and global perspective. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Qatar University, followed by postgraduate studies in Islamic Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and a master’s degree in... More

As the Director of the Cultural Diplomacy Department at Qatar Museums, Aisha Al Attiya plays a pivotal role in fostering international cooperation and understanding. Her strategic leadership and vision are evident in developing and implementing strategies that recognise cultural diplomacy's fundamental importance as a soft power for change. Since joining Qatar Museums in 2011, Aisha Al Attiya has been instrumental in conceptualising and executing cultural diplomacy projects. Her ability to turn vision into action is evident in the successful past Years of Culture programs with partner nations, including Japan, the UK, Brazil, Türkiye, China, Russia, India, France, the USA, MENASA,... More

Zeina Arida is the director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. A cultural activist in the Arab world, addressing photography, archives, and modern and contemporary art, Arida reopened the Sursock Museum in Beirut after a ten-year renovation and expansion project, initiating local and international partnerships, presenting exhibitions, public programs, and library and archives activities, turning the museum into a local and international landmark. Following the damage caused by the Beirut blast on August 4, 2020, she raised 2.5 million dollars for the reconstruction of the building and the restoration of the artwork. From 1997 to 2014, she was the... More

Victoria Alexander has held the position of Deputy Director of Strategic Operations at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) since 2021, during this period she has managed the daily and long term operations of Qatar’s largest and most visited museum, ensuring that NMoQ is always open and providing a welcoming, safe and inspiring experience to visitors, including through challenges such as COVID, the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and several large scale gallery enhancement projects. She is interested in ensuring long-term sustainable, cost efficient operations. Victoria is a Chartered Accountant and spent a decade working in finance in roles at BDO... More

Saeed Al-Shawi is the Director of Information Technology at Qatar Museums, where he leads the institution’s digital transformation and the adoption of advanced technologies across its museums and collections. With over 20 years of experience, he has held senior IT leadership roles at major Qatari institutions including Qatar Foundation, Ooredoo, and Qatar Petroleum. At Qatar Museums, Al-Shawi focuses on digitizing cultural institutions and bringing emerging technology into the heritage sector — spanning artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital asset management for collections. He has led initiatives to streamline work and processes through integrated systems and automation workflows, improving operational efficiency... More

Dr. Nabeel Yahya is an accomplished academic and museum studies specialist with over 20 years of experience driving innovation in education, heritage, and cultural development. As Senior Planning and Capacity Development Expert at Qatar Museums, he has built a distinguished career marked by strategic vision, dynamic leadership, and a passion for advancing cultural institutions as engines of learning and community growth. He has held key leadership roles at Qatar Museums—including Acting Learning & Development Director, Career Development Specialist, Head of Education at the Museum of Islamic Art, and Education Specialist at the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum—where he spearheaded transformative programmes,... More

Dr Fatema Al Sulaiti, the Director of International Cooperation at Qatar Museums, is a highly experienced art museum professional and historian, specializing in Islamic art and architecture. She is also Qatar’s National expert in UNESCO, where she is responsible to represent, implement, and evaluate policy reform and international programs that focus on key agency priority areas within the international cooperation in the Field of Culture and Museums. She was appointed as the Rapporteur of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention 1954 for 2022 and 2023. Dr. Fatema holds a PhD in Islamic architecture, with an eye towards its impact, past... More

Dr. Cramerotti is an internationally recognized museum director, curator, scholar, and cultural leader with extensive experience in museum management, curatorial practice, digital innovation, and international cultural collaboration. He currently leads the Media Majlis Museum and has played a significant role in advancing research-driven exhibitions and public engagement initiatives in the region. In addition to his role at Northwestern University in Qatar, he serves as President of the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art (IKT) and Chair of Digital Strategies for the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). He has advised numerous international cultural institutions and has extensive experience working with... More

Jack Thomas Taylor is a museum professional and social history curator, specializing at the intersection of art, media, and technology. With seventeen years of experience in arts, cultural and creative organizations across the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, Jack's work spans exhibitions, publications, programs, and cultural and creative strategy addressing questions of identity, representation, and value across formal, informal, and non-formal contexts. He is a founding Curator at Northwestern University in Qatar's Media Majlis Museum—the only AAM-accredited museum outside the Americas—and a founding board member of ICOM Qatar. Alongside his curatorial work,... More

Abdulla Khalid Al Naama General Manager at Msheireb Museums Abdulla Khalid Al Naama is a seasoned General Manager with a distinguished career in managing Msheireb Museums, a key cultural entity under Msheireb Properties in Doha, Qatar. As General Manager, Abdulla has played a critical role in Msheireb Museums’ development and success, overseeing the operations, budget, and strategic planning for multiple museums within the Msheireb cultural district. He managed the Heritage Quarter activations during the highly successful FIFA World Cup 2022, which saw over 4 million visitors attend Msheireb Downtown Doha. Abdulla has positioned Msheireb Museums as a key cultural partner... More

Dr. M V Nair is a retired museum professional and had served as: • Professor and Dean National Museum Institute (deemed to be University) now Indian Institute of Heritage Government of India Ministry of Culture New Delhi • President India ICOM • Vice President ICCROM Rome • Director National Research Laboratory for Conservation (NRLC) Ministry of Culture Government of India • Elected member ICOM CC Pais He has also guided and produced eighteen PhDs in varied fields of Museology and is ready to volunteer all his expertise for Museums and Museum related research in the region. More

Now Director of the National Museum of Qatar, Sheikh Abdulaziz H. Al-Thani previously spearheaded the sponsorships program for Qatar Museums, where he was responsible for managing internal and external stakeholder engagement for fundraising and joint activation development. During the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Sheikh Abdulaziz played a key role in the communications function within Qatar Museums, overseeing the growth and expansion of the department to ensure that all components of the Qatar Museums portfolio had the necessary media relations capacity. Sheikh Abdulaziz also brings substantial experience in the financial sector to his role at the National... More