Doha, Qatar: The second seminar of the fourth edition of the Ministry of Culture's "Seminar Season," held in partnership with Qatar University and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, took place today under the title "The Gulf and Its Historic Memory."
The seminar featured the participation of HE Member of the Shura Council HE Khalid bin Ghanem Al Ali, Assistant Professor of Gulf Studies at Qatar University Dr. Amna Sadiq, and Dr. Alanoud Al Khalifa, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.
Moderated by Director of Qatar Media Center Iman Al Kaabi, the seminar highlighted the dimensions of historical memory in the Arabian Gulf and its role in shaping cultural and social identity.
The "Seminar Season," which continues until February 25, brings together a distinguished group of experts, intellectuals, thinkers, and academics from Qatar and beyond to exchange perspectives and develop enlightened approaches to cultural and intellectual debates, the challenges of contemporary civilizational relations, social changes, and other current cultural and intellectual issues.
In his intervention on shaping the historical memory, HE Khalid bin Ghanem Al Ali addressed three key themes: memory as a historical source, the formation of historical memory, and how to achieve a reliable historical memory.
He emphasized that historians should not accept historical writings from any source without critique, as they are susceptible to distortion and bias. Instead, they must rigorously compare and analyze texts to correct any inaccuracies and produce a narrative closer to historical truth.
He added that to build a reliable historical memory and move beyond traditional or uncritical narratives, Gulf historians must rewrite their history to assess the objectivity and accuracy of the prevailing narratives about their societies, which in turn shape historical memory.
HE Khalid bin Ghanem Al Ali called for giving greater value to local memory, recorded by those who lived it, such as Sheikh Jassim's Diwan, which should be considered a primary source for Qatari historical memory. This approach, he noted, would serve two key objectives: either correcting the retrieved memory or refining the restored memory of local history.
He argued that achieving a trustworthy historical memory requires moving beyond narrative and descriptive writing (traditional history) to deeper understanding, applying theories and methodologies from the social sciences and humanities, such as Webers system theory, ideal models, and charisma.
This interdisciplinary or even transdisciplinary approach would lead to better comparison and analysis.
For her part, Dr. Alanoud Al Khalifa presented a paper on collective identity in the Arabian Gulf, between the past and the future, with museums as a model.
She explained that Gulf identity is the product of complex historical trajectories of social, political, and economic interactions that have shaped a sense of belonging over time.
She highlighted that collective memory is not merely a recollection of the past but a dynamic process that continuously reshapes identity in response to regional transformations.
Dr. Al Khalifa emphasized that Gulf identity has never been static or insular but has evolved due to political, economic, and social changes. She argued that history should not be viewed as a fixed reality but as a flexible source through which collective identity is continuously redefined.
She pointed out that Gulf museums serve as a model reflecting this evolution. Their role extends beyond preserving the past; they function as living spaces that showcase the ongoing transformations of identity across generations.
Meanwhile, Dr. Amna Sadiq highlighted that place memory in the Gulf is a fundamental component in shaping Gulf identity, as Gulf residents perceive themselves as children of both the desert and the sea, underscoring their cultural and economic heritage.
She underlined that historically, the sea was a source of livelihood through trade, pearl diving, and fishing, while the desert shaped the nomadic lifestyle, reinforcing values of independence and perseverance among Gulf populations.
Dr. Sadiq noted that identity transcends environmental dimensions to encompass geographic and national aspects. Gulf residents often describe themselves as children of the Gulf, emphasizing the shared maritime space that unites the region. On a more local level, individuals identify with their immediate surroundings, referring to themselves as children of the neighborhood or the village or city where they were raised, reflecting a deep connection to their social and cultural environment.
She added that place memory in the Gulf has not been immune to rapid transformations. The region has undergone multiple oil booms that reshaped its infrastructure, transforming Gulf cities from their 1950s and 1960s forms into modern urban centers by the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
