Doha was among 49 cities worldwide to join the UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN) on Monday.

Qatar’s capital city Doha has become the first in the region to join the UNESCO Network of Creative Cities as a Creative City of Design, adding yet another title to its accomplishments.

“What better way to celebrate #QatarCreates with this new accomplishment for Qatar! Doha is the first city to be registered for design in the region by the UNESCO in their Creative Cities Network,” said Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums.

The capital was among 49 cities worldwide to join the network (UCCN) on Monday, flaunting its creative designs and becoming the first in the region to join the 246 innovative cities that make up the network.

Now, there is total of 295 UCCN cities across 90 different countries that invest in culture and creativity – crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music – to advance sustainable urban development.

Launched in 2004, the network aims to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.

All the cities included work together to achieve a common objective: “placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.”

This Qatari city has won a ‘UNESCO Learning City 2021’ award

Doha’s addition was made following its designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, in recognition of “their commitment to placing culture and creativity at the heart of their development and to sharing knowledge and good practices”.

“MABRUK to Doha for becoming a UNESCO Creative City for design, the first of its kind in the region. Thanks to the vision and leadership of @almayassahamad to bring culture, public art and creativity at the Red heart of Doha,” said Anna Paolini, Director, UNESCO Regional Office in Doha.

The latest developments come as the Gulf state holds its Qatar Creates initiative that has seen a number of global celebrities, fashion designers and models flock to the capital city to support local talent.

As part of the events, Doha hosted the Fashion Trust Arabia award gala, opened up the region’s first Dior exhibition and inaugurated its newest M7 centre – a cultural hub for budding fashion designers.

City awards

Just weeks earlier, UNESCO set its eyes on another Qatari city.

In October, Qatar‘s Al Wakra city was awarded the 2021 UNESCO Learning City Award for its outstanding progress in providing lifelong learning opportunities for its community.

The city, which has almost 90,000 inhabitants, was among ten cities globally to be granted the prestigious award, highlighting its prominence not only in the region but also worldwide.

“On behalf of the UNESCO Doha office’s Director, Dr. Anna Paolini and the whole team in the Doha office, I would like to congratulate the municipality of Al Wakra city, represented by Mansour Al Boenain Mayor of Al Wakra Municipality and the entire population of Al Wakra for this award,” a UNESCO official said.

Other winners include Belfast (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Damietta (Egypt), Dublin (Ireland), Huejotzingo, (Mexico), Jubail Industrial City (Saudi Arabia), Osan (Republic of Korea), Shanghai (People’s Republic of China), and Wyndham (Australia).

All cities were chosen by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), upon the recommendation of an independent jury of international experts, the institution highlighted.

During an event, a UNESCO official affirmed that the “city will continue to strengthen its policies and programmes in order to give everyone a learning opportunity.”

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