Museums today are no longer silent guardians of the past. Once defined by their walls, they are now reshaping themselves in the digital age — expanding their presence beyond the physical, and reimagining how audiences encounter culture. From passive archives, they are becoming living, breathing forums where history is experienced as much as it is observed, where technology becomes a lens through which heritage reveals new dimensions. Across the globe, cultural institutions are re-emerging as centers of creativity, innovation, and exchange.
Qatar stands at the vanguard of this transformation. With a forward-looking cultural vision and an insistence on accessibility, the nation is charting new standards for preservation and engagement in the digital era. Its strategy extends far beyond display, embracing digital representation, immersive storytelling, and platforms built on the most advanced technologies — from artificial intelligence to augmented and virtual reality, and the fast-emerging promise of digital twins. The result is a model of cultural engagement that is at once deeply local and unmistakably global.
At the heart of this vision is Asma Al-Jefairi, Director of Digital Experience at Qatar Museums. With a philosophy that places people at the center of technology, she is redefining how digital encounters can connect audiences to culture, art, heritage, and one another. Her work does not treat digital as an accessory but as an essential bridge — one that honours the weight of history while igniting new possibilities for the future.
A Passion for Innovation
Al-Jefairi embodies a new generation of visionary leaders. As the Director of Digital Experience at Qatar Museums, she transforms how people interact with art and heritage through innovative digital experiences. Her journey into digital innovation was driven by a desire to contribute to Qatar National Vision 2030 and to help shape a more digital, connected future for the nation.
“My career has always been about pushing boundaries,” Al-Jefairi reflects. “I’ve had the opportunity to work across diverse industries, and what drove me in each role was the chance to build and implement digital strategies that created real value.”
Her curiosity led her early on to explore different departments and functions, where she discovered digital product management and the potential of emerging technologies. “For me, innovation is not about chasing trends — it’s about using technology to solve meaningful problems, connect people, and design experiences that last,” she adds.
For Al-Jefairi, innovation is about more than technology. It is about possibility. She uses emerging tools as catalysts to design digital experiences while blending creativity with strong foundations. Her current role allows her to deliver public-facing digital initiatives that bring Qatar Museums’ vast offerings — museums, heritage programs, public art installations, and creative centers — closer to audiences worldwide.
Her philosophy reflects a broader truth in the digital age: transformation is not simply about introducing tools, but about reimagining how people connect with knowledge, stories, and one another. By weaving innovation into cultural storytelling, she has turned museums into living, breathing platforms for human connection.
Breaking Barriers in Technology
Throughout her career, Al-Jefairi has worked in industries often perceived as male-dominated, yet her perspective on gender dynamics is both refreshing and unexpected. “I didn’t encounter the kinds of challenges people might assume,” she reflects. “Because I was working in new divisions with emerging technologies, the environment was more open, and success was defined by innovation rather than stereotypes.”
Her experience in emerging fields created environments where mutual respect prevailed over gender distinctions. Rather than competition, she often encountered colleagues eager to see her succeed. “People want you to win and people want to support you,” she reflects. This collaborative spirit not only propelled her forward but also reinforced her confidence in pursuing ambitious goals.
Her perspective is particularly significant in Qatar, a nation that has prioritized women’s advancement in education and leadership as part of its development strategy. Al-Jefairi is part of a growing cohort of women executives shaping the country’s knowledge economy and cultural sector, proving that inclusion drives innovation.
She believes that today in arts and culture, there’s an even distribution of genders that fosters balanced, synergistic teams. Even in earlier roles where men were the majority, she experienced support and encouragement. This proves that inclusive environments are possible when value delivery outweighs stereotypes.
A Visionary Leadership Approach
These experiences shaped Al-Jefairi’s leadership philosophy, which blends strategic foresight with empathy. She believes vision is essential for uniting teams: “A clear vision gives people direction and purpose. It allows them to see not only where the organization is heading, but also the role they can play in shaping that journey.”
Her approach emphasizes giving people space to contribute meaningfully while guiding them toward the broader vision. She is equally committed to being present as a guide, trainer, and mentor, ensuring her teams grow alongside the work. She balances clear direction with emotional support, creating trust and encouraging innovation. Flexibility is central to her style. Al-Jefairi’s leadership adapts to different teams and contexts, yet one principle remains constant: cultivating an environment where people feel inspired to join, learn, and sustain the organizational journey.
Her philosophy echoes a larger shift in leadership worldwide, where traditional top-down approaches are giving way to collaborative, human-centered models. In creative industries like culture and art, this balance of vision and empathy is especially critical for inspiring teams to take risks and innovate.
Creating Transformative Digital Experiences
At Qatar Museums, Al-Jefairi leads the delivery of public-facing digital experiences designed to reflect the institution’s identity, its stories, and the many museums and cultural entities it represents. Her work is centered on creating innovative encounters that both honor Qatar’s past and engage audiences in new and meaningful ways.
A recent example is the launch of Qatar Museums’ AI-powered Art Tour — a first-of-its-kind initiative that personalizes each visitor’s journey. For Al-Jefairi, it represents far more than a digital milestone; it is a way of reimagining how culture can be accessed and experienced. “A digital experience becomes transformative when it resonates with people — when it deepens their understanding, sparks curiosity, and leaves them with something they carry forward,” she explains.
Much of this engagement takes place digitally, across online platforms, ensuring that Qatar’s cultural and creative stories are accessible to anyone, anywhere. By creating experiences that exist natively in the digital realm, Al-Jefairi is extending the reach of museums, art, heritage, public programs, and creative centers beyond borders — allowing audiences worldwide to connect, explore, and participate in new ways.
The work spans award-winning films, documentaries, creative animations, and enriched narratives — all conceived as part of a wider vision of immersive digital storytelling and cultural experiences. Together with initiatives like the AI Art Tour and interactive platforms, these creations form a holistic digital ecosystem that deepens emotional connection, inspires discovery, and brings audiences closer to Qatar’s art, culture, and creative voices.
This approach reflects a broader global movement toward immersive digital culture, but what distinguishes Al-Jefairi’s work is its balance of local identity with global reach. She envisions digital as a bridge — one that connects Doha to the world while ensuring Qatar’s cultural voice remains authentic and enduring.
Learning from Multiple Mentors
Al Jefairi’s leadership journey has been shaped by a wide network of mentors. She draws lessons not from one individual but from many. This includes industry leaders whose books, podcasts, and interviews inspire, as well as colleagues, peers, and executives across different organizations.
“So many people have influenced my leadership journey — mentors, colleagues, and even friends. I carry a part of each of them with me,” she reflects. This openness to learning extends to personal life too, where family, friends, and even casual encounters have offered new perspectives that she applies to her career.
This mosaic of mentorship has given Al Jefairi a flexible and resilient approach, enabling her to adapt practices from diverse settings into her own leadership style. It has also instilled in her the humility to remain a lifelong learner. She views this trait as an essential component for anyone working at the crossroads of culture and technology.
Delivering Digital Ecosystems with Impact
Al-Jefairi’s career reflects a consistent ability to deliver impact at scale — not through isolated projects, but through the design and implementation of interconnected digital ecosystems. Early in her career, she spearheaded Vodafone’s Internet of Things platform, designing it not as a single product but as a strategic foundation to enable diverse IoT use cases across industries and verticals. By aligning the platform and its applications into one cohesive strategy, she transformed what could have been fragmented solutions into a unified ecosystem — powering innovations from smart utilities to connected cities. The experience honed her ability to integrate technology, business needs, and stakeholder alignment into strategies built for scale and longevity.
More recently, she has led the creation of Qatar Museums’ online collection platform, part of a wider digital ecosystem that connects museums, heritage initiatives, public art, and creative centers under a single digital vision. For Al-Jefairi, digital delivery is never finished at launch. “A platform is a living entity — you build it, grow it, and continue to evolve it. Each delivery becomes part of a larger ecosystem, where experiences are interconnected and designed to last,” she explains.
This approach reflects her belief that digital strategies must be continuous, iterative, and holistic. Rather than treating initiatives as one-time deliverables, she views them as part of a living system — one that requires nurturing, renewal, and constant improvement. As these ecosystems expand, she emphasizes the need to simplify, always re-examining them from the audience’s perspective to ensure human-centered design and meaningful connection. This mindset allows her to frame challenges not as setbacks, but as opportunities for growth, evolution, and impact.
Empowering the Next Generation
Al-Jefairi views leadership as a responsibility to inspire others and create pathways for those who follow. Representation, in her view, matters deeply: when people see someone like themselves succeed, it sets in motion a cycle where each generation pushes the next to reach higher.
She invests time in mentoring women, youth, and startups, offering guidance that blends strategic advice with practical experience. Through her alumni networks and professional affiliations, she remains closely connected to young leaders, entrepreneurs, and students — making herself available not only in formal programs but also through conversations that often spark lasting impact. “Leaders have a duty to remain visible and approachable,” she notes, “because sometimes a simple exchange can change the course of someone’s journey.”
Her commitment extends to building diverse and inclusive teams, grounded in the belief that innovation thrives when different perspectives come together. As she puts it: “You don’t truly experience the full breadth of what a team can deliver until you bring in people with different voices, backgrounds, and ways of thinking.” By championing diversity and accessibility, she ensures that the next generation does not just inherit opportunities but feels empowered to create their own.
Maintaining Personal Balance
For Al-Jefairi, balance is less about strict separation and more about intentional choices. ” You can’t strike a perfect balance between different areas of your life because they are naturally interconnected,” she reflects.
She dedicates deep focus during work hours and full presence in personal time, while scheduling regular reflection periods to reassess her priorities. Balance, to her, is a continuous practice — one that evolves with circumstances while keeping her centered.
This intentional approach allows her to remain grounded even while leading complex, high-stakes initiatives. In her view, the key is not perfection, but awareness: consistently choosing what matters most.
A Legacy of Purpose and Impact
Al-Jefairi defines legacy as the ability to create work that outlives its moment. Her focus is on building initiatives that inspire, empower, and carry lasting meaning well beyond their launch.
Her goal is simple yet profound: to create ripple effects. Whether through digital innovation, leadership, or mentorship, she aims for her journey to inspire others to pursue their ambitions, embrace challenges, and lead with authenticity and courage.
She imagines cultural institutions becoming ever more immersive, inclusive, and connected, where digital not only preserve culture but also spark creativity and innovation. In her words, success is not only about initiatives delivered but about lives touched and futures inspired.
As institutions worldwide navigate transformation, Al-Jefairi shows that true success lies in balancing innovation with human connection, vision with empathy, and achievement with lasting impact. Her story demonstrates that digital transformation, when led with purpose, can reshape not only institutions but entire industries.
