National Museum of Qatar launches ExxonMobil STEAM festival

The National Museum of Qatar, in partnership with ExxonMobil Qatar, has inaugurated the ExxonMobil STEAM Festival. Scheduled from 27 August to 28 November, the festival is housed in the museum's Temporary Exhibitions Gallery 2, where it employs a novel method of education by intertwining Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) with Qatar's heritage.

This multifaceted festival sprawls across various museum zones, offering a blend of hands-on experiments, interactive sessions, and inquiry-based activities that fuse contemporary learning with Qatari culture, environment, and history.

Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, CEO of Qatar Museums, remarked, "The festival introduces an innovative way to utilize museum spaces for learning and exploration, providing young audiences with opportunities to acquire new skills." The festival's director, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al-Thani, stated, "At the National Museum of Qatar, STEAM learning starts with the narratives, wisdom, and surroundings that have molded Qatar across generations.

The ExxonMobil STEAM Festival invites children and families to explore Qatar's restoration of natural heritage and delve into the science and ingenuity behind the vibrant maritime legacy of the Arab world." The festival's aim is to inspire young minds to become forward-thinking thinkers, inventive problem solvers, and actively engaged citizens.

Rashid Al Hajri, Vice President and Manager of Public and Government Affairs at ExxonMobil Qatar, emphasized, "We firmly believe that education is one of the most crucial investments we can make. Initiatives like this enhance children's and families' learning through exploration, connecting with Qatar's heritage and traditions."

The festival's core is The STEAM Lab, an area tailored to different age groups, including the DADU Light Atelier for toddlers, the ExxonMobil Research Qatar x DADU - Mangroves Lab for marine biology activities, and the NMoQ Roots of Routes zone, where visitors can construct traditional items like the kamal (a celestial navigation tool) and dhow boats.

The STEAM Festival extends beyond the main exhibition space, encompassing the museum's Digital and AI Centre, and Library. Planned activities comprise Evolution of Navigation workshops, a Teen Tech Takeover centered on crafting augmented reality filters, a Silk Road board game, storytelling sessions introducing navigation and traditional boats to younger audiences, and STEAM Storytelling Sessions.

For older visitors, the festival offers Café Scientifique: Careers in STEAM, an event where young adults aged 16 and above can interact with professionals to explore career pathways across multidisciplinary fields.