When I visited during an unplanned stopover in July 2025, I had given this already a thumbs down, before I even stepped foot into the museum. There was no way, that a building from 2019 would already become a WHS.

Upon arrival I had to admit, that the building looks impressive and amazing. The desert rose shape is clearly visible and even though the whole complex is massive, it feels good to wander around. There was some minor renovations going on and I had trouble to find the entrance. Entrance was free and the exhibition, as mentioned by Els, very impressive. Everything is top notch, with interactive elements and spacious rooms. It is kind of funny, that a country I would describe as rather boring is presenting itself in such an interesting way.

The palace is a cool feature, but it is so heavily restored, that I (no, I did not do any kind of research before visiting) thought it was fake, before reading the information boards.

Did I change my mind after the visit? Yes, I did. The building is new. But Qatar is new. I only looked at it from a European perspective, where we have tons of sites from 50’000 years of human activity. But that’s not the right angle. There is not much left from the really old sites, like Al Zubarah or Al Da’asa. Something like the national museum would represent Qatar and the history and identity of the region much better. So yes Qatar, go for it.