Qatar’s new gallery

If the Emir of Qatar has his way, the country's capital, Doha, will soon be "as much a hub for art lovers as Dubai is for the glitz 'n' tits brigade", says John Arlidge in the Times. Like "a latter-day Renaissance aristocrat", Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has collected voraciously over the past few years, introducing hyperinflation into the markets for Islamic and modern art. Now the first of his planned showcases has opened in the city – and it's an auspicious start.

The Doha Museum of Islamic Art, designed by IM Pei, the 91-year-old Chinese-American architect behind the Louvre's glass pyramid, is a "thrillingly original" construction of "vast, tiered limestone cubes", housing a "beautiful, diverse" collection.

Qatar Airways flies to Doha from £581. ·