The Arab Gulf States cultural presence in China was omnipresent twice in the capital Beijing. Last year it was the exhibition ( Roads of Arabia) exhibiting a comprehensive collection from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held at the National Museum of China. On the 16th April, Beijing hosted another spectacular exhibition from the collection of Sheikh Hamad bin Abdallah Al Thani of Qatar. It opened at no less prestigious a venue, the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City.
Sheikha Hussa Sabah Salem al-Sabah attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition ( Treasures from the Al Thani Collection). She was accompanied by a delegation from Kuwait consisting of Mrs. Salam Kaoukji, Head Curator of The al-Sabah Collection and two conservators from Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah( DAI), Mr. Abdulaziz al Duweesh and Mr. Ahmad al Enizi. A long time friend and supporter of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Mrs. Rima Shehada, flew from Beirut to join the team of DAI.
The exhibition was comprised of objects of art that stretches chronologically from 3rd millineum BCE ( DAI has lend nine objects to this section) to the Renaissance and a jewellery collection expands from the Mughal period to contemporary period. The exhibition is scheduled to close on June 2018.