Qatar's 'In-Q' at Harrods London

Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) has announced Tuesday the opening of its new store In-Q scheduled to take place on June 25th at the Harrods department store in London. The move presents an innovative store experience that offers a unique insight into the diverse culture, arts, and crafts of Qatar bringing authentic Qatari culture to the UK while enriching cultural and artistic exchange between the two countries, QMA noted in a press release. "We aim to offer people a taste of Qatari culture and heritage through visiting our retail shop in Harrods," QMA CEO Mansoor Al Khater said. "In-Q will be closely connected to art exhibitions and major cultural activities taking place in Qatar," he added. "The merchandise on display at In-Q will constantly change to reflect our cultural activity throughout the year and offer Harrods visitors a realistic glimpse into Qatar's emergence as a cultural hub in the region," Al Khater explained. According to the release, visitors to In-Q will be able to enjoy a comprehensive experience, where traditional arts and crafts, books, Islamic clothes, jewelry, and merchandise from Qatar’s world-class museums will be on show and available for purchase. There will also be a relaxation area serving Arabic coffee with dates and sweets, giving visitors a chance to sample Qatari hospitality and connect with Qatar’s culture. Offering insights into Qatari culture and lifestyle, In-Q at Harrods will be the first retail outlet of its kind to be initiated by QMA abroad. Established in 2005, QMA is a governmental organization which combines the resources of all museums in the State of Qatar, whose remit is to develop museums and cultural institutions and provide an effective system for collecting, protecting, preserving and interpreting historic sites, monuments and artifacts. The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) , inaugurated in 2008, is the Authority’s flagship project. The organization won further global acclaim with the December 2010 opening of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. QMA organizes cultural and artistic world-class projects all year round. (QNA)