From the studio to the street, from Doha to the diaspora, music travels faster than language. This conversation gathers voices from Qatar and beyond to ask how sound shapes who we are as people, as cities, and as a global audience. Drawing on perspectives from industry, leadership, and the arts, we examine how music takes root, fosters community, and transcends borders.
Panellists: Moza Al Is'haq, Dana Al Fardan, Dana Al Meer
Moderated by Mikey Muhanna (afikra | عفكرة)
Panellists: Moza Al Is'haq, Dana Al Fardan, Dana Al Meer
Moderated by Mikey Muhanna (afikra | عفكرة)
Dana Al Fardan is a Qatari composer, songwriter and symphonic artist whose work bridges Arab heritage and Western contemporary classical music. As Qatar's first female contemporary composer to gain international recognition, she acts as a cultural ambassador, connecting audiences across cultures. Her musicals 'Broken Wings' (West End, 2018) and 'Rumi: The Musical' (London Coliseum, 2021) introduced Middle Eastern narratives to global stages. She also scores film, including 'Orca' and 'The Necromancer', and collaborates across genres. Her latest orchestral album, 'Tempest', inspired by Qatar's maritime and pearl-diving legacy, premiered with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra at Katara Opera House.
Dana Al Meer is a Qatari singer, composer, and cultural ambassador known for performing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup ceremonies. She is the director of Music Lab Qatar, an institute that promotes cultural education and nurtures young talent. In September 2025, she won third place at the Intervision Song Contest in Russia for her song ‘Huwa Dha Anta’.
Mikey Muhanna is the Founder and Executive Director of afikra | عفكرة (afikra.com), a global movement reframing narratives about the Arab world through community events, academy courses, podcasts and its magazine ‘Daftar’. Muhanna advises and serves as a trustee for institutions across the Middle East. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley and PwC in New York, led the MENA-based Muhanna Group, is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, and holds a BS (2007) from Duke University in Economics and Jazz Piano.
Dana Al Meer is a Qatari singer, composer, and cultural ambassador known for performing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup ceremonies. She is the director of Music Lab Qatar, an institute that promotes cultural education and nurtures young talent. In September 2025, she won third place at the Intervision Song Contest in Russia for her song ‘Huwa Dha Anta’.
Mikey Muhanna is the Founder and Executive Director of afikra | عفكرة (afikra.com), a global movement reframing narratives about the Arab world through community events, academy courses, podcasts and its magazine ‘Daftar’. Muhanna advises and serves as a trustee for institutions across the Middle East. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley and PwC in New York, led the MENA-based Muhanna Group, is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, and holds a BS (2007) from Duke University in Economics and Jazz Piano.