She has coined and developed the concept of 'Gulf Futurism', a term intended to capture the Persian Gulf region's unique blend of rapid modernization, global influences, and socio-economic contrasts.
She then relocated to Qatar, where she worked towards opening the Mathaf contemporary art museum, alongside the curators Wassan Al-Khudhairi and Deena Chalabi.
Al Maria cites the experience as being a formative one, where she was "tasked with meeting and interviewing artists like Hassan Sharif or Zineb Sedira—that was my real art education.
[7] In the late-2000s, Al Maria coined the term 'Gulf Futurism' to refer to the rapid modernization of Persian Gulf cities like Dubai and Doha following the discovery of oil.
Al Maria portrays the Gulf as a focal point of global changes, characterized by rapid development, a petro-capitalist economy, and advanced air-conditioned environments with towering architecture reminiscent of the neon landscapes depicted in 1980s cyberpunk literature.
[13] Al Maria's works, which include videos and writings, often mix sci-fi elements with dystopian themes to critique the socio-environmental impact of rapid development.
Her exhibit Black Friday at the Whitney Museum in 2016 portrayed Doha's malls as sites of consumer entrapment and cultural dislocation, emphasizing the disorienting effects of hypermodernity.