Nasser Khalili ناصر داوود خليلي

Professor Sir Nasser David Khalili is an Iranian-born British scholar, art collector, philanthropist, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Over the course of five decades, Sir Nasser assembled eight of the world's most significant art collections, comprising approximately 35,000 works that span Islamic art, Japanese art, Swedish textiles, and other fields. Many of these works have been exhibited at prestigious museums and institutions worldwide and have been meticulously conserved, researched, catalogued, and published as part of one of the most ambitious private art scholarship projects in modern history. Among his many honors are knighthoods conferred by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI in recognition of his contributions to peace, education, and culture. He was awarded the rank of Officier in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor by President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace. In 2020, he received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to interfaith relations. The Khalili Collections volume on Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage reflects his deep engagement with Islamic material culture.