In the presence of His Excellency Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, and Her Excellency Rachida Dati, French Minister of Culture, Qatar National Library (QNL) and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster collaboration in digitization, preservation and scholarly research, with a focus on Islamic heritage and the history of the Gulf region. The MoU builds on the long-standing cultural ties between Qatar and France, which have gained momentum in recent years.
Signed by Philippe Lonné, Director General of the BnF, and Tan Huism, Executive Director of QNL, the MoU reaffirms both institutions' commitment to knowledge exchange and mutual cultural understanding. It marks the continuation of a fruitful partnership between QNL and several French cultural entities.
Commenting on the occasion, His Excellency Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, said: "France has always been a valuable partner in supporting Qatar National Library’s cultural and academic initiatives. This MoU is the culmination of years of meaningful collaboration and reflects the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between Qatar and France. Our past partnerships have included joint exhibitions, lectures and seminars with the French Embassy, as well as an MoU with the French Diplomatic Archives. Two years ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two nations, and today we are entering a new, broader phase of cooperation—one that furthers our mission of heritage preservation and fosters knowledge as a bridge between peoples."
The agreement outlines multiple areas of cooperation focusing on heritage preservation and enhancing accessibility. Key initiatives include the analysis of pigments and dyes used in ancient Qur’anic manuscripts held by both libraries, capacity building and expertise exchange in collection management, advanced technologies, and digital content development. It will also involve the digitization of rare Islamic scientific manuscripts from the BnF, which will enrich Qatar Digital Library for the benefit of local and international researchers.
Tan Huism, Executive Director of Qatar National Library, said: "We are proud of our enduring relationship with France’s leading cultural institutions, and we are particularly honored to partner with one of the world’s oldest and most respected national libraries. This collaboration reflects our steadfast commitment to global partnerships that enrich digital content and open new horizons for academic exploration. By digitizing rare Islamic scientific manuscripts and sharing preservation expertise, we are jointly working to realize our shared vision of libraries as beacons of creativity and platforms for intercultural dialogue."
