Tareq Rajab was born in Kuwait in 1935. His grandfather Sayid Omar was an accomplished calligrapher and first headmaster of Kuwait’s first public school. In 1953 he went to England to study, where he met his wife Jehan. In 1969 the couple founded the New English School. In 1980, they opened their museum, “bringing together an extensive private collection of Islamic art.” In 2007, they opened a second museum, focused on Islamic calligraphy. In Kuwait: Arts and Architecture, A Collection of Essays, Tareq wrote, “to me and my wife, museums are first and foremost educational institutions to be enjoyed as well as centres of learning. Apart from affording the pleasure of looking at interesting and beautiful objects, museums should stimulate the imagination as well as inspire artists and artisans. Most museums have a useful educational purpose in serving to illustrate how our ancestors lived and worked and imparting to the visitor a sense of background and history.”

Both Tareq and Jehan were also prolific writers, some of the books they published are below