According to recently released government figures, Qatar spent more than QR5bn (US$1.4bn, €1bn, £807m) on its cultural heritage in 2012 as the country strives to develop itself into a regional hub for things of historical importance.

Of the expenditure, around QR1bn (US$275m, €202m, £161m) was spent importing jewellery into the country, while another QR1.1bn was spent on importing “cultural goods”, though those purchases were not itemised in the government report.

The 2012 figures – released in the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP)’s Cultural Statistics Report 2014 – were more than triple the amount Qatar spent bringing in similar imported goods in 2009 (QR678m, US$186.2m, €136.7m, £109m).

The report noted that exhibitions of jewellery and watches are popular in the Gulf region, hence the heavy spend.

QR3bn (US$824m, €605m, £484m) was spent on supporting audio-visual and interactive multi-media equipment, signalling a move by Qatar’s culture sector to present traditional offerings to an increasingly tech-savvy population.

The report also indicated growing interest in Qatar’s cultural heritage as visits to museums and other cultural venues have been steadily increasing in recent years.

Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) appears to be the biggest museum draw, with visitor figures for the year at more than 264,000 people, with the Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani Museum and the Al Wakrah Museum also bringing in similar numbers.

Officials meet in Qatar to discuss heritage in the Arab Peninsula