As per the architect I. M. Pei's specifications, the museum is built on an island off an artificial projecting peninsula near the traditional dhow harbor.

[9] The museum has a park,[10] workshops for schools and the general public,[11] and a library that provides information about Islamic Arts in both English and Arabic.

It features cafes, a children's play area, and 7, a vertical steel sculpture by American sculptor Richard Serra.

[16] The Museum of Islamic Art has established partnerships with globally renowned institutions for the purpose of furthering its reach and developing cross-cultural dialogues.

Collaboration with the Louvre allowed the very possibility of artifact loans and joint exhibitions, adding to the global narrative of art and history.

This includes school partnerships; developing and providing bespoke educational tours, as well as creating curriculum-aligned resources with schools—both locally and internationally.

[27] Occupying an area of 45,000 m2 (480,000 sq ft), the museum is on an artificial peninsula overlooking the south end of Doha Bay.

[33] Declining all proposed sites for the museum, he suggested a stand-alone island for the structure to avoid encroachments by other buildings in the future.

The interior of the building is decorated by several Islamic arts, and the large metallic chandelier hung over the main staircase of the lobby.

[33] As preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Museum of Islamic Art announced in June 2021 that it would be closed for renovation works until autumn 2022, to upgrade its main entrance, galleries, lecture hall and further indoor spaces.

[40] In August 2022 the official reopening date was confirmed for 5 October 2022 with an increased number of more than 1,100 mostly newly acquired exhibits on display.

The renovations provided better accessibility and an improved educational environment[41] including digital presentations and subjects interesting to younger visitors.

[52] It is one of the world's most complete collections of Islamic artifacts, with items originating in Spain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, India, and Central Asia.

These items, recorded in the museum catalogs, are valued for their minute goldsmith work and use of semiprecious stones, testifying to the significance of personal adornment in Islamic cultures.

[56][57] The MIA hosted the 2019 Love Ball Arabia from the Naked Heart Foundation as part of the 2019 Qatar-Russia Year of Culture.

[61][62] During the 2021 Qatar-USA year of culture, the exhibition "Fashioning an Empire: Textiles from Safavid Iran" was shown as part of a collaboration at the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC.