LAHORE: When one of Pakistan鈥檚 most renowned art directors Hashim Ali landed in the Qatari capital of Doha earlier this year, he wasn鈥檛 quite prepared for how much the city and its creative scene had transformed since he last visited around seven years ago.

Ali, who directed a Pakistani fashion and Sufi music show at Qatar鈥檚 Museum of Islamic Art in January, was mesmerized by the cultural transformation in the Gulf nation, balancing its traditional heritage with modernization and global influences. 

In recent years, Qatar has established numerous museums, art galleries, and heritage centers, including the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the National Museum of Qatar. The country has also emerged as a major player in the global art world, with significant investments in the arts and culture sector. 

Looking at the transformation, Ali said the time was ripe for Pakistani designers and artists to expand their reach to the Gulf, where cultural overlaps and a hunger for diverse aesthetics are reshaping creative industries.

鈥淓verybody who asks me that we want to expand our business, I say expand to the Middle East because the way that region is growing, it鈥檚 not just the buildings, it鈥檚 the mindset and the heart,鈥� Ali, who provides production design, art direction and styling services to various industries in Pakistan, told Arab News.

The 34-year-old art director, who graduated in Visual Communication Design from Lahore鈥檚 National College of Arts (NCA), said his experience in Doha was quite 鈥渆mpowering鈥� as he was able to present his hometown of Lahore to the world.

鈥淵ou had this showcase of Pakistan, and the entire space was turned into a Chahar Bagh [Persian quadrilateral garden] for the night with oil lamps and flowers, all the napkins were hand-done from Lahore, we got block printers involved who did the Mughal motifs on them,鈥� Ali said. 

鈥淭he entire experience was so almost empowering that you are bringing parts of Lahore to the world and you鈥檙e showing the world that we just not only do Sufi music, we do great fashion of different kinds.鈥�

Ali, known for creating intricate and stunning sets, said Middle Eastern creatives responded to Pakistani culture because of the cultural and religious similarities between the two regions.

鈥淪o, the collaboration, it鈥檚 set in stone that it鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� he added.