Qatar on the world art’s map

Paul Cézanne's painting The Card Players, has become the most valuable piece of art in the world. According to Russia Today, the Qatar royal family purchased it last week for the staggering sum of $250 million. The reason behind this investment is the royal’s family wish to turn Qatar into an intellectual center in the forthcoming years.

Edward Dolman, former chairmen at Christie’s and actual adviser to Qatar's museum authority declared in 2011 that “Qatar is looking to deliver a series of exciting cultural projects in time for the World Cup in 2022”.

In 2014 the Qatar National Museum will open its gates exhibiting a completely new look thanks to Jean Nouvel’s smart architecture. There is now doubt that the newly purchased Cézanne piece will turn the Qatar National Museum into the primal point of attraction for cultural tourists.

Over the last few years the Qataris have been associated with some very expensive purchases in the modern and contemporary artwork. In 2009 they bought 11 Rothko paintings from the J. Ezra Merkin collection for $310 million, followed one year later by the picked up of Andy Warhol's "The Men in Her Life".

Will Qatar be the next point of interest in the art world?