Katara Cultural Village : Advancing Cultural Diplomacy and Intercultural Competence Through a Representation of Qatari Culture and Identity

The Katara Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) is arguably a response to claims from Western audiences that Qatar is a closed and conservative-minded country (Al-Ansari & Zahirovic, 2021, p. 203). Although Katara helps promote Arab and Islamic heritage and culture from Qatar to the world, delivering such values cross-culturally and establishing intercultural bridges effectively remains a challenging enterprise that is constantly contested. Given that Katara provides a platform to promote arts, heritage and culture, this research investigates what programs and services it offers to encourage intercultural communication and competence, and how these intercultural initiatives inform a global understanding of Qatari identity and culture. This research identifies intercultural competencies provided by Katara and explores how such intercultural initiatives enhance global understanding of Qatari identity and culture. This research also aims to improve the understanding of what Qatari identity is, as well as the challenges in pinpointing this. Through interviews with personnel at Katara and subsidiaries, the research evidences how Katara facilitates a global understanding of Qatari identity and culture, rectifies negative Western perceptions about Qatari culture, and promotes a more effective intercultural encounter between Qatar and foreign cultures.