Mal Lawal Returns to Qatar with Large Showcase of Private Collections and Artifacts from the Region

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir has officially launched the second Mal Lawal – a  biannual exhibition organized by Qatar Museums and dedicated to the heritage and culture of the region through objects emanating from private collections.

The initiative is made possible through the guidance and leadership of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums. Following the enormous success of the first event held in September 2012, the much-anticipated biennale has grown in size and scale. It will now occupy more than 8,000 sq. meters at the Doha Exhibition Centre between 16^th December 2014 and 28^th February 2015.

Displays of 4,000 traditional artifacts gathered by more than 110 Qatari private collectors and 42 from the wider GCC region will connect visitors to the country’s cultural heritage and history. Organized into nine categories, Mal Lawal, which means “from the old Days” in Qatari dialect, features manuscripts, weapons, Islamic collections, old maps, ethnographic/heritage items, antiquities, jewelry, clothing & accessories and many other rare items from Qatar and the rest of the GCC.

This year, a number of new elements have been introduced to the program to make it an even bigger event. Four Majilis settings will give visitors an intimate glimpse into the heart of a traditional Qatari home. Specially created live video links will deliver a virtual experience of eight “home museums” and their private collections of unparalleled quality. More than 100 “oral histories” captured in mini-films will document and celebrate the memories and observations of venerable Qatari elders.

An eye-opening exhibition into the history of the Gulf peoples, Mal Lawal displays objects offering a first-hand look into the heritage of these newly-created nations on the Arabian Peninsula.