16 September 2025 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – At a special preview hosted by the Embassy of Qatar in Buenos Aires, the Years of Culture initiative today announced details for the remainder of Qatar-Argentina 2025. The varied programme will spotlight music, debate, community service and even a cycling journey across international borders. Years of Culture supports Qatar in building global connections with a focus on heritage, creative industries, social and economic development, and innovation.

Qatar’s ambassador to Argentina, H.E. Battal Al Dosari, applauded the achievements of the initiative to date, noting that: “This partnership comes at a particularly meaningful moment in Qatar’s cultural story as we mark several important anniversaries, including the 20th anniversary of Qatar Museums and the 50th anniversary of the National Museum of Qatar. These milestones are commemorated through Evolution Nation – a campaign that traces our journey from the founding of the National Museum to today’s robust cultural ecosystem. We are here today because these foundations have enabled initiatives like the Years of Culture to extend our connections worldwide.”

The Minister of Economic Development for the City of Buenos Aires H.E. Hernán Lombardi, and Minister of Culture for the City of Buenos Aires H.E. Gabriela Ricardes, attended the event and expressed their support for the ongoing collaboration. Both officials highlighted the importance of cultural diplomacy as a tool to deepen bilateral ties, with Ricardes noting that “these exchanges expand opportunities for dialogue, creativity, and long-term cooperation.” 

Early Highlights and Shared Achievements

This year’s programme has already featured the landmark LATINOAMERICANO exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar, staged in partnership with the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA). The critically acclaimed exhibition was the first large-scale presentation of Latin American art in the wider West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region and drew thousands of visitors.

Qatar Reads, an initiative led by Qatar National Library focused on encouraging a love of reading from an early age, is bringing Arabic tales to Argentina through storytelling workshops and the distribution of 1,000 reading kits, all translated to Spanish. An accompanying exhibition of 12 miniature-style paintings by Qatari artist Wadha Al Athba inspired by the  Kalila wa Dimna book is on view at Biblioteca Ricardo Güiraldes through the end of October. 

The exchange is also building long-term relationships focused on innovation and economic diversification. Earlier this year, seven Argentinian start-ups travelled to Doha for Project Qatar where Argentina was honoured as the Guest Country by Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. These companies showcased the forefront of Argentine innovation, ranging from biotechnology to blockchain, meeting with investors and government representatives to explore opportunities for global expansion. Through this collaboration, Years of Culture set a new precedent for how cultural exchange can intersect with economic opportunity. This approach will continue later this year, when an Argentine delegation participates in the major Hospitality Qatar expo 28–30 November 2025.

A Season of Encounters

Mr. Ali Al-Binali, Counsellor at the Embassy of Qatar in Argentina, shared further details of upcoming events to take place in Argentina and Qatar through the end of the year.

• Music at Teatro Colón (17 Sept.): The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will make its Latin American debut at Buenos Aires’ storied opera house. Under the baton of maestro Enrique Diemecke, the repertoire combines Argentinian and Qatari voices, from Piazzolla to Dana Al Fardan, alongside guest bandoneón virtuoso Victor Hugo Villena. Complimentary tickets will be distributed at Teatro Colón’s box office on the morning of the event. A preview performance will take place at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha on 14 September.
• Community Volunteering (20–27 Sept.): Qatar Museums’ Community Development Department will lead its third International Volunteer Trip, this time to Argentina and Chile. In Buenos Aires, volunteers will collaborate with local cultural institutions, restoring heritage artifacts, leading workshops, and sharing culinary traditions.
• Town Hall at Usina del Arte (24 Sept.): In partnership with Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates, young voices from Qatar, Argentina, and Chile will gather to explore the urgent question: How should we reinvent the city? Set within the context of Usina del Arte’s industrial heritage, the debate will amplify youth perspectives and connect them to pressing global conversations.
• CultuRide (6–12 Oct.): An international team of cyclists will undertake a 500-kilometre journey between Chile and Argentina. Beginning in Puerto Varas, Chile, the route traces the shores of Lago Llanquihue before ascending the Andes into Argentina. Along the way, local riders will join the group, creating opportunities to share traditions, stories, and cultures across borders.
• M7, Qatar’s epicentre for innovation and entrepreneurship in fashion and design, will host a Retail Pop-up (21–25 Oct.) featuring Argentinian designer Valentina Musa, inviting audiences to discover her contemporary designs and creative approach.
• Argentina will also feature prominently in this year’s Qatar Creates Week (beginning 24 Oct.), a celebration of Qatar’s creative industries. Among the highlights will be Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive installation at the Museum of Islamic Art Park. An homage to Victor Grippo’s 1972 Buenos Aires performance, the installation will reimagine the bakery oven as a functional tool and a cultural symbol.
• A delegation of Argentinian companies will attend this year’s Hospitality Qatar (28–30 Oct.) to explore opportunities for economic diversification and creative partnerships.
• Street Art Exchange (Oct.–Dec.): Public spaces in Buenos Aires will be transformed with murals from Qatari artists Abdulla Alemadi and Abdulla Al Sallat, created with Buenos Aires Street Art and Club Media Network. In Qatar, Argentinian muralist Pablo Harymbat will bring his signature style to the tunnels of Doha’s Olympic Cycling Track (8–21 Oct.), expanding the footprint of Qatar’s JEDARIART programme. In December, the Qatar Museums Public Art Department will bring Argentinian muralist Animalitoland to the World Wide Walls Doha festival (3–9 Dec.)
• In December, Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile’s monumental clay sculpture will be on view in Doha in celebration of Mathaf’s 15th anniversary celebrations part of Evolution Nation.
• Throughout the season, Qatar’s cultural institutions will present additional programmes inspired by the Year of Culture partnership, from storytelling at the Qatar National Library to film screenings presented by the Doha Film Institute. 

The Qatar-Argentina 2025 Year of Culture is part of a long-running initiative launched in 2012 to promote cross-cultural understanding through partnerships around the world. Each year, the programme brings Qatar together with different countries, building connections across heritage, sports, innovation, and social and economic development. 

For details on each programme, please visit https://yearsofculture.qa