For Nasser Al Khori, Executive Director of the Generation Amazing Foundation, sport and culture speak a language that requires no translator. As the latest voice in Qatar Museums' Evolution Nation series, Al Khori reflects on a career spent using football as a tool for connection, and on what Qatar's own evolution has meant for his own.
"I truly believe that art, culture, and sports as well are universal languages," Al Khori said. "They do not need translation to reach anyone. For Qatar, this is an opportunity to share our values, history, and heritage, and build bridges with the world and its people."
That belief has shaped his professional path. Al Khori sees his own trajectory as bound up with the nation's. "I feel my journey is connected to Qatar's evolution," he said. "Just as Qatar brought together its heritage and openness to the world, I also tried to use sports and culture as a bridge connecting people and cultures."
Nasser Al Khori, Executive Director of the Generation Amazing Foundation
Nowhere was this more apparent than during his work on the FIFA World Cup 2022, an event that placed Qatar before a global audience. "Through my work on the FIFA World Cup 2022, I had the honour of being part of this global event," he said, "and we were able to present Qatar in a new light: a country small in size, but great in vision."
Al Khori's connection to Qatar's cultural institutions runs deeper than his professional remit. The National Museum of Qatar, he said, carries personal weight. "Honestly, the National Museum of Qatar holds a special place for me. Ever since I was young, we used to visit the museum on school trips, and those were some of my favourite memories. And today, with the new version, I see a modern design that still carries a heritage spirit."
On what he would pass on to the next generation, Al Khori pointed to a trait he considers foundational to Qatari identity. "If I had to choose something for the next generation, I would choose the value of generosity and hospitality," he said. "For me, this is not just a custom, it is the essence of our Qatari identity. If the next generation preserves it, they will be an extension of our heritage, while also remaining open to the world."
The Evolution Nation campaign forms part of Qatar Creates, the year-round cultural movement by Qatar Museums that is shaping how people engage with art, design, food, fashion, film and sport in Qatar and beyond. As the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture and creativity, Qatar Creates brings together programmes, initiatives and stories that showcase the country’s dynamic creative landscape to audiences at home and around the world.
Episodes of Evolution Nation are available on the Qatar Creates YouTube channel and across Qatar Museums' social media platforms, sharing the stories of the people behind Qatar's continuing evolution as a cultural, creative and sporting nation.
*This article forms part of Evolution Nation, an ongoing series celebrating the people helping shape Qatar’s cultural, creative and sporting future. Episodes are available through the Qatar Creates YouTube channel and across Qatar Museums’ digital platforms, sharing the stories behind Qatar’s continuing evolution and the individuals driving it forward.
