We are pleased to invite you to a special seminar held in celebration of Qatar National Day. Organized by our Heritage Library, this event will explore key milestones in Qatar’s history and highlight the country’s cultural and historical influence within the Gulf and the wider Arab region. Through these formative moments—shaped by major regional and international developments—we revisit the forces that built our shared memory and shaped the course of history. Join us for an engaging and insightful journey into Qatar’s past.

Speakers:

• Dr. Hamad Al-Ghadeed, Assistant Professor of Modern and Contemporary History of the Gulf and the Middle East at Qatar University, who will speak on “The British Archives and the Emergence of Security Forces in Qatar: A Reading in the Records of the British Political Residency in the Gulf (1949–1971).”
• Dr. Philippe Pétriat, Professor of Middle Eastern History from the Ottoman era to the contemporary period at Sorbonne University – Paris 1, who will speak on “Conquering the Gulf: Imperial and Colonial Strategies in the Records of the Ottoman Campaign of 1871.”
• Dr. Abdulrahman Alebrahim, Assistant Professor of History at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, specializing in the history of the Middle East and the  Arabian Peninsula, who will speak on “An Inside Look: Family and Private Archives and Their Role in Reconstructing Gulf History.”
• Dr. Moez Dridi, Senior Archivist at Qatar National Library, who will provide a general introduction to the symposium’s topic and moderate the session.

Date: 8 December 2025

Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Language: Arabic and English

Target Audience: General public

Seats are limited, please click the button below to register.