Ahead of World Cup, Qatar puts arty foot forward

The capital of Qatar's skyline is dotted with metal and glass towers but the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), built on a man-made island on the south side of the Doha corniche, still stands out for its geometric simplicity. So clever is the design by Chinese-American architect IM Pei that you'd be forgiven for thinking that the sand-coloured five-storey structure is floating on water.

- Mohammed Wajihuddin

The museum reopened to the public on October 5 after a year-long "enhancement in facilities and reimagination of its collection of permanent galleries". The makeover is part of an effort to showcase the cultural transformation of Qatar to the millions of visitors who will be streaming in to watch the Fifa World Cup that starts on November 20. It also plans to expand its public art programme displaying global showstoppers including a new installation by Indian artist Shilpa Gupta.