Murals by Welsh and Qatari Artists in Katara

A 13-meter-high painting by two Welsh street painters has been unveiled in Katara, the heart of Doha's cultural area. In order to engage diverse communities and explore one another's values and cultures, they have worked with Qatari artists. In preparation for today's Wales vs. England match, Welsh Minister for the Economy H E Vaughan Gething visited the two enormous works of art while in Qatar.

Together with Qatari artist Muna AlBader, Welsh street artists Bryce Davies aka Peaceful Progress, and Hannah McGree created the striking wall art that mixes the colors of each country's national flower: the vivid yellow of the Welsh daffodil and the lilac shades of Qatar's Qataf flower.

According to Vaughan Gething, "the World Cup has given Wales a special opportunity to promote our principles of inclusivity and community as well as to demonstrate to the world that Wales is a distinct nation within the United Kingdom. The painting is an illustration of Wales' creativity and teamwork and is a component of our initiative to engage with and comprehend other cultures."

"I developed the mural to fit into the natural surroundings of Katara with two instantly recognizable icons of the two nations united in a way that has never been seen before, the artwork portrays football, the chance for the sport to accomplish good, and national identity", stated Bryce Davies.

The mural's message is to promote culture and tourism and to recognize the potential for tourism by inviting visitors. "We are proudly representing two different civilizations on one wall. 'Unity' is the message conveyed by the mural. Coming from Qatar, a country with a strong culture, and Wales, a small but very proud nation, it is exciting to work together and collaborate to find ways to equally reflect both of our cultures in a way that others can understand and enjoy."

In reference to the mural's main message and focus topic, Davies stated "We have used the national flowers of Wales, the daffodil, and Qatar, the Qataf, and put them in a bouquet together. The purpose of this mural, which is located next to the second participatory painting and shows the words for 'Unity' in Welsh, English, and Arabic, is to engage both locals and visitors in Qatar by encouraging them to pick up paintbrushes and contribute to an area of the work."

"We took part in the British Council's 'sport for good' campaign. Along with the connection to the World Cup, it has also been about transforming lives via sport," he continued.

"We did two walls," he added, "one wall took about three to four days and the second wall with a simpler design took a day. This wall depicts the national flowers of Wales and Qatar. It's lovely to see Welsh people walking and seeing their national flower, the Welsh giant daffodil, in Qatar since it helps them feel at home and welcome.

The murals were made for Qatar's 7th annual UK Festival, which will focus on the subject of "sport for good." In conjunction with the British Council, the Welsh Government, Street Child United, and Education Above All, the two murals were unveiled.

The murals are being made as part of the Gwyl Cymru Festival, a 10-day festival of creativity during the tournament that includes more than 200 events taking place in Cymru and around the globe.