Doha: Qatar Museums yesterday unveiled Dadu Gardens, a signature feature of Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar. Dadu Gardens, open to the public from November 21, is dedicated to delivering creative and educational activities to members of the community.
The Promise, a public art installation by renowned US-based artist KAWS, has been at Dadu Gardens to mark its official opening. Ministers in attendance at the Dadu Gardens unveiling included Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan bint Muhammad Al Kuwari; Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi and Minister of Social Development and Family, H E Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad.
Dr. Mohamed Al Sada, President of the Dadu Advisory Committee, said: “Today marks a momentous occasion as we unveil Dadu Gardens — an enriching space for children and families in Qatar to learn and thrive. Dadu Gardens is the first phase of the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar and a place where children can learn about sustainability, the green economy, healthy habits and the environment. We extend gratitude to the founding family members for their generous contributions. The donor model on which the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar is based, means that the private sector and members of the community are able to actively contribute to the future success of Qatar and its people.”
Representatives of the Dadu Founding Family — donors of QR3.65m or more to the project — were in attendance during the opening ceremony of Dadu Gardens. The Dadu Founding Family members currently include Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Baladna, Baladiya, ConocoPhillips, DAAM, Eni, ExxonMobil, IntesaSanPaolo, Ooredoo, Shell and SLB.
Throughout the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Dadu Gardens invites children and their families to participate in a series of activations centred on the theme of nature and environment, with Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, 321 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum and the National Museum of Qatar coming together to deliver vibrant cultural programming to engage and educate the local community and visitors to Qatar.
Dadu Gardens showcases Qatar Museums’ commitment towards sustainability and is located on grounds that includes programming and event spaces, water features and diverse landscapes, an amphitheatre, playgrounds, and picnic areas. The community space comprises an outdoor kitchen, community garden and permaculture garden with different types of edible landscapes including an herb garden, vegetable crops and fruit trees.
As the first-of-its-kind publicly funded national entity in Qatar, the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar aims to make the local community feel empowered through its collective contributions towards enriching the cultural, environmental and social ecosystems in the country.
