National Museum of Qatar Launches Metaverse Pilot Project with Cisco and droppGroup
The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) today unveiled a groundbreaking Metaverse Pilot Project, offering an immersive digital experience of its galleries and collections through the use of 3D environments, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
Developed in collaboration with Cisco and Web3 implementation partner droppGroup, the project allows visitors to explore digital twins of three galleries – The Archaeology of Qatar, The People of Qatar, and Life in Al Barr (The Desert) – featuring 22 curated objects with interactive AR features. This initiative marks a significant step towards wider adoption of metaverse technology within cultural institutions globally, potentially reshaping how museums engage audiences.
“The National Museum of Qatar was created as a living museum, one that tells the story of our land, our people, and our heritage in ways that connect the past with the present,” said HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al-Thani, Director of the National Museum of Qatar. “With the NMoQ Metaverse Pilot Project, we are extending this mission into the digital realm, allowing audiences everywhere to walk through our galleries, engage with our collections, and encounter Qatar’s history in immersive and interactive new ways.” The platform is accessible on multiple devices, including mobile, desktop, tablets, and VR headsets, and includes a bilingual digital mascot, Murjana, providing personalized guidance. Learn more about the Qatar Museums and their ongoing initiatives.
The project is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program in Qatar, which aims to accelerate the nation’s digitalization agenda. According to Hasan Khan, General Manager at Cisco Qatar, “Qatar Museums has consistently demonstrated strategic vision in leveraging technology to advance cultural preservation and global engagement, in alignment with Qatar’s national digital ambitions.” The NMoQ Metaverse Pilot Project is expected to serve as a model for other museums seeking to enhance accessibility and engagement through innovative digital solutions, as detailed by the World Economic Forum.
Officials stated that Qatar Museums will continue to explore and expand the capabilities of the Metaverse Pilot Project, with plans to incorporate additional galleries and features in the future.
Doha: Qatar Museums (QM) and the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) are proud to announce the launch of the NMoQ Metaverse Pilot Project, developed in collaboration with Cisco, and in turn, with Web3 implementation partner droppGroup.
This initiative marks a major step in digital cultural innovation, presenting a live, intelligent museum experience that integrates immersive 3D environments, augmented and extended reality, and artificial intelligence.
The NMoQ Metaverse Pilot Project aims to place Qatar at the forefront of integrating metaverse and AI technologies to enhance museum engagement, while exploring new technologies intended to promote access to culture.
By embracing innovation, Qatar Museums demonstrates its role as a pioneer in cultural transformation and experimentation while supporting the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The platform also introduces new opportunities for accessibility and remote learning, allowing students, researchers, and educators to engage with Qatar’s cultural heritage in new ways.
HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al-Thani, Director of the National Museum of Qatar, said: “The National Museum of Qatar was created as a living museum, one that tells the story of our land, our people, and our heritage in ways that connect the past with the present.
With the NMoQ Metaverse Pilot Project, we are extending this mission into the digital realm, allowing audiences everywhere to walk through our galleries, engage with our collections, and encounter Qatar’s history in immersive and interactive new ways.
This initiative ensures that the National Museum of Qatar continues to be not only a guardian of heritage, but also a frontrunner in shaping how museums engage with the world.”
This project is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program in Qatar. Active in Qatar since 2019, CDA is Cisco’s strategic program designed to accelerate the nation’s digitalisation agenda and generate new value for its citizens, businesses, and the country as a whole.
Through public and private partnerships, the programme focuses on leveraging innovative digital solutions to address national challenges across key sectors such as national infrastructure, education, and smart communities.
Through the pilot, visitors can explore digital twins of three galleries: The Archaeology of Qatar, The People of Qatar, and Life in Al Barr (The Desert). Twenty-two curated objects are presented with interactive augmented reality features, detailed descriptions, and direct links to the museum’s online collection.
The experience is enhanced by Murjana, NMoQ’s customised digital mascot, who provides bilingual narration in Arabic and English with intelligent, personalised guidance.
Accessible on mobile devices, desktops, tablets, and VR headsets, the platform also introduces new opportunities for remote learning, allowing students and educators to engage with Qatar’s cultural heritage in new ways.
“Qatar Museums has consistently demonstrated strategic vision in leveraging technology to advance cultural preservation and global engagement, in alignment with Qatar’s national digital ambitions. This initiative is a direct testament to that forward-thinking approach,” commented Hasan Khan, General Manager at Cisco Qatar.”
Cisco is proud to be the foundational technology partner supporting this innovative pilot project with Qatar Museums.” To develop this project, Qatar Museums collaborated with Cisco, who engaged droppGroup. droppGroup utilised its AI-enabled Web3 platform to create the 3D immersive museum experience.
This allows users and researchers to access exhibitions via standard web browsers and the Cisco Webex platform, facilitating engagement with the digital galleries.
The NMoQ Metaverse Pilot Project showcases Qatar Museums’ leadership in cultural innovation, experimentation, and preservation. By blending immersive 3D environments with AI-driven personalisation and multi-device accessibility, the project introduces a future-ready approach that bridges tradition and advanced technology to deliver meaningful cultural experiences.
This year, Qatar Museums is celebrating its 20th anniversary. This milestone year is marked by Evolution Nation an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar. Curated by Qatar Creates (QC), the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation’s cultural milestones and its aspirations for the future.
