Museum of Islamic Art hosts International Day on 18 November

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha will host International Day of Islamic Art on 18 November 2026, with a programme spanning its library, galleries and public spaces. The museum, located off Al Corniche St, is also known as the home of Qatar Museums' Islamic art collection.

International Day of Islamic Art brings a full programme

The official programme includes a drop-in event at the MIA Library, family activities, story time, guided tours in Arabic and English, a workshop on Islamic illumination and performances by school students. The schedule also includes the Majlis Book Club and an Arabic curator-led tour connected with the temporary exhibition Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion.

The library event is listed for 18 November 2026, while the wider programme gives visitors several ways to approach Islamic art through making, discussion, storytelling and guided interpretation. The organiser's 18 November programme places the activities at the museum and identifies the library as the venue for the drop-in event.

One listed workshop, The Art of Islamic Illumination, is scheduled for the MIA Atrium and is described by Qatar Museums as an opportunity to explore patterns, colours and decorative techniques. Its official workshop listing confirms the date, venue and bilingual format.

How the programme connects with the museum

The event takes place within a building whose permanent galleries are organised by broad historical and cultural themes, periods and geography. The reinstallation project added more than 1,000 objects to the permanent displays, including newly conserved or acquired works, and introduced a visitor trail with expanded interpretive material.

I. M. Pei designed the building, which stands on the Doha waterfront and opened in 2008. The collection presents Islamic art from three continents and more than 1,400 years, giving the 18 November programme a direct setting in the museum's long-running work of connecting objects with history, craft and cultural exchange. Further details of the reinstalled galleries appear in this architectural and museum overview.

Visiting Museum of Islamic Art: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• International Day of Islamic Art takes place on 18 November 2026 at the Museum of Islamic Art and includes a drop-in programme at the MIA Library.
• Visitors can find tours, family activities, story time, a workshop, a book club and school-student performances across the museum programme.
• The museum is off Al Corniche St in Doha, Qatar, on the waterfront and within the Qatar Museums network.
• The building contains permanent galleries arranged around historical and cultural themes, with interactive and family-focused elements introduced during the reinstallation.
• Arabic is the official language of Qatar and the national currency is the Qatari riyal.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Museum of Islamic Art

When does International Day of Islamic Art take place at the Museum of Islamic Art?

It takes place on 18 November 2026, with activities centred on the MIA Library and other museum spaces.

What is the Museum of Islamic Art?

It is a Doha museum with Islamic art from three continents and more than 1,400 years, housed in a building designed by I. M. Pei.

Where is the Museum of Islamic Art and how do you get there?

The museum is off Al Corniche St in Doha, Qatar, on the waterfront.