Welcome to Matahef!
Matahef is the Arab world’s first bilingual digital magazine dedicated to museum practice.
Issue 2 explores a defining question: What does lasting museum impact look like? From Abu Dhabi opening three museums within weeks to ICOM Dubai 2025 bringing 4,500 professionals to the region, Arab institutions are providing answers.
Discover insights on creative leadership, fundraising, and digital innovation.
Read conversations with artists Mahi Binebine and Manal AlDowayan.
Explore how heritage creates livelihoods and communities of practice transform institutions.
Subscribe free to access the latest issue and join the renaissance of Arab museum discourse.
Features
Timekeepers
Built in 1869 to welcome pilgrims crossing the Red Sea, Jeddah’s Al Bunt has found a second life as the Red Sea Museum — where the act of arrival, then and now, remains the heart of the experience.
Beacons
From Dubai to the world: Read about ICOM’s historic first General Conference in the Arab world, where 4,500 museum professionals
Learning Lab
How do museums lead communities through change? It starts, says Dr. Dierking, with transforming the institution itself.
Guardians
Protecting Museum collections safeguards cultural identity and shared heritage
Arab Museums — Windows to our heritage, visions of our future
المتاحف العربية — نوافذ على تراثنا، ورؤى لمستقبلنا
Matahef offers a 360-degree approach to museum practices, innovation, and cultural leadership across the Arab world. Published quarterly in English with select Arabic features, it connects museum professionals and cultural enthusiasts while championing heritage preservation, igniting curiosity, sparking dialogue, and nurturing a passionate community committed to cultural collaboration.
Past issues
Issue 02 – January 2026
January 2, 2026
Issue 01 – October 2025
October 9, 2025