Tariq Al Jaidah’s entrepreneurial engagement with the arts began in 2007 withe the founding of Waqif Art Centre in Doha’s Souq Waqif. At the time, the centre was one of the very first privately initiated art spaces in the country, providing an early commercial and exhibitionary platform for Qatari and regional artists.
Operating before the emergence of a broader gallery network in Qatar, Waqif Art Centre played a formative role in normalising the idea of privately run art spaces and helped introduce a market-oriented yet experimental model to the local art scene. At a time when exhibitionary opportunities for local artists were limited, Waqif Art Centre provided a visible and accessible platform for artists and audiences alike in one of Doha’s most culturally significant locations. In addition to exhibiting some of the regional pioneers such as Abdullah Al Muharraqi (Bahrain, b. 1939), the centre also partnered and collaborated with a number of regional institutions such as London-based Mathaf Gallery. Arguably one of the most important of these collaborations included the establishment of a satellite outpost for Dubai’s Third Line Gallery in Doha exhibiting the likes of Huda Lutfi (Egypt, b. 1948), Hayv Kahraman (Iraq, b. 1981), Monir Shahroudy Farmanfaian (Iran, 1922-2019), and Youssef Nabil (Egypt, b. 1972). Beyond its active programme, the gallery played an important role in fostering public engagement with contemporary art while helping to cultivate a broader culture of appreciation and patronage.
