Why has Qatar dedicated 2026 to celebrating Mexico?

It was an extraordinarily acold and windy nighttime successful Doha — 6 degrees Celsius, yet the ambiance was lukewarm and lively astatine the 2026 Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF), wherever implicit 200 section and planetary vendors gathered to showcase cuisines from each implicit the world. 

Among each these vendors, 3 stalls proudly represented Mexican food, offering staples similar tacos, guacamole, salsas and churros. But taking halfway signifier was Mexican cook Lupita Vidal, who closed the 2026 QIFF with a masterclass connected Mexican cuisine.

Mexican civilization (and food) is the spirit of the twelvemonth successful Qatar, arsenic portion of a bid of planetary exchanges. (QIFF)

A yearlong taste exchange 

The lawsuit was portion of a year-long planetary taste speech programme led by the authorities of Qatar, dubbed the Years of Culture program (YoC). 

The inaugural seeks to foster taste dialog and collaboration betwixt nations with the purpose of gathering lasting partnerships betwixt Qatar and countries worldwide. Qatar’s spouse countries this twelvemonth are Mexico and Canada — who, similar Qatar successful 2022 — volition beryllium hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The programmes question to found Mexico arsenic a cardinal spouse successful a sustained taste collaboration that places creativity, cognition exchange, and people-to-people transportation astatine its core,” YoC said successful a connection past week announcing the programme successful Mexico.

During the year-long initiative, Qatar volition big influential personalities from Mexico’s culinary and originative arts scenes to present Qataris to Mexican culture. Meanwhile, taste events successful Mexico volition present Qatar’s civilization to audiences crossed the country.

Mohammed Al Kuwari, Qatar’s erstwhile ambassador to Mexico and the YoC advisor connected Latin America, described the programme arsenic a semipermanent taste investment.  

Mohammed Al Kuwari meets then-Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Barcenas during his clip arsenic Qatari ambassador to Mexico. (MOFA)

“Years of Culture is astir gathering relationships that endure,” said Al Kuwari, noting that the programme seeks to “form partnerships that widen good beyond the twelvemonth itself.” 

YoC was calved successful 2012 — an inaugural to physique planetary knowing of the Arab satellite successful the decade-long lead-up to the FIFA World Cup that would instrumentality spot successful Qatar successful 2022. This year’s chosen partners echo the program’s archetypal intent with a year-round calendar of tailored programs that showcase the unsocial quality of each participating country.

Which activities are planned for the 2026 YoC? 

The YoC programme works astir 4 pillars, including taste heritage, originative industries, societal and economical improvement and innovation. Landmark events successful some countries volition correspond film, arts, sports, education, gastronomy and societal development. 

The calendar of events kicked disconnected with the QIFF successful Qatar’s superior and Vidal’s participation, arsenic she represented Mexican nutrient done the flavors of her location authorities of Tabasco. There were besides retail stands featuring Mexican products. 

The adjacent lawsuit volition beryllium Design successful Dialogue, a Qatar-Mexico residency that volition culminate successful a nationalist accumulation astatine the creative hub G56 during Design Week Mexico (Feb. 4-8), earlier traveling to the Design Doha Biennial. The inaugural brings unneurotic designers, artisans, and materials to research practice crafts done modern practice.  

The QIFF, successful the Qatari superior of Doha. (Gaby Solís)

“We person been gathering partnerships successful Mexico for respective years, and we are excited to spot these relationships instrumentality signifier during Mexico Design Week — a pivotal infinitesimal successful Mexico’s taste calendar — with projects that volition proceed to resonate successful Qatar and beyond,” Fahad Al Obaidly, acting manager of the Design Doha Biennial, said.  

Art exhibitions crossed Qatar volition besides spotlight Mexican artists and designers, including a recently commissioned accumulation by Fernando Laposse astatine the Museum of Islamic Art successful Doha. The programme besides includes commissions to Mexican artists for large-scale, cardinal nationalist sites successful Qatar. 

Finally, Mal Lawal, a biennial accumulation that invites backstage collectors to show highlights from their collections astatine the National Museum of Qatar, volition bring unneurotic Qatari and Mexican collections to research covering and textiles arsenic surviving taste archives. 

QIFF served arsenic a glimpse of however the inaugural volition yet unfold – successful smaller, idiosyncratic interactions betwixt radical from antithetic countries and backgrounds. Perhaps a Mexican creator discovering the warmth of Qatari hospitality, oregon a Qatari uncovering joyousness successful mariachi euphony whitethorn spark curiosity and appreciation betwixt cultures. 

Everyday exchanges similar these whitethorn good beryllium the astir lasting bequest of a year-long programme dedicated to culture.

Gabriela Solis is simply a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was calved and raised successful Guadalajara and covers business, culture, manner and question for Mexico News Daily.