Art Basel, the pre-eminent global platform for modern and contemporary art, is set to launch its newest and most ambitious fair yet: Art Basel Qatar, debuting in Doha from 5–7 February 2026 with Preview Days on 3–4 February. This first edition marks a pivotal expansion of Art Basel’s international footprint, reinforcing Doha as a dynamic hub of cultural exchange and contemporary art in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA).

More than just a commercial event, Art Basel Qatar represents a bold reimagining of what an art fair can be: embracing regional perspectives, artistic experimentation, and new modes of engagement while connecting local creativity to a global audience. With 87 participating galleries from 31 countries and an expansive roster of artists, the fair promises to be a landmark moment in the global art calendar.

A Fair with a Difference: Format, Theme & Vision

In contrast to the typical booth-based structure of most international fairs, Art Basel Qatar adopts an open-format exhibition. This innovative model places artist presentations at the center, enabling deeper narrative coherence and thematic resonance rather than simply showcasing individual gallery stands.

Under the curatorial direction of Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky, the fair unfolds around the central theme “Becoming”—a meditation on transformation, identity, and the systems that shape cultural meaning. Shawky’s vision reframes the fair as a living, evolving dialogue between artists, audiences, and environments.

Shawky explains that Becoming reflects ongoing human and cultural evolution, where “art is not only a witness to history but a force that shapes how we imagine and reimagine identity.” His ambition for the fair—the first of its kind in the region—is to provide a platform where diverse stories, voices, and artistic languages surface and resonate beyond geographical boundaries.

Venues & Urban Context: Art in the City

Art Basel Qatar will animate two main cultural hubs within downtown Doha’s Msheireb district:

• M7, a state-of-the-art cultural complex that has swiftly become a beacon for contemporary art and interdisciplinary programs,

and

• Doha Design District (D3), known for its vibrant creative industries and design communities.

In addition to the indoor exhibition spaces, selected public sites in Msheireb Downtown Doha will host commissioned projects, extending the fair’s presence into the urban landscape and inviting broader participation from residents and international visitors a like.

Global Galleries & Regional Voices

The scale of participation in the inaugural edition is significant: 87 galleries representing 84 artist presentations from 31 countries and territories. Among them, 16 galleries are showing at an Art Basel fair for the first time, bringing fresh perspectives to the global stage.

What distinguishes this edition is its deep regional representation. More than half the artists hail from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, affirming the MENASA region’s creative vitality. Notable regional figures include Etel Adnan, Simone Fattal, Ali Banisadr, Ali Cherri, Meriem Bennani, and Iman Issa.

Participating galleries range from established global powerhouses to emergent regional leaders:

International gallery highlights

• Acquavella Galleries (New York, Palm Beach)

• Gagosian (multiple global locations)

• Hauser & Wirth (Zurich, New York, Paris)

• Pace Gallery (New York, London, Berlin)

• David Zwirner (New York, London, Hong Kong)

• White Cube (London, Hong Kong, Paris)

Regional gallery participants making their Art Basel debut

• Hafez Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh)

• Gallery Misr (Cairo)

• Le Violon Bleu (Tunis)

• Saleh Barakat Gallery (Beirut)

• Tabari Artspace (Dubai) 

• Pilot Gallery (Istanbul)

Alongside these, several Middle Eastern galleries present key regional voices—including al markhiya gallery (Doha), Athr Gallery (Jeddah/Riyadh/AlUla), Green Art Gallery (Dubai), and Marfa’ Projects (Beirut).

This blend of local nuance and international prestige positions Art Basel Qatar as a truly transnational platform that champions plural artistic narratives.

Special Projects & Artistic Highlights

Complementing gallery presentations, Art Basel Qatar’s Special Projects programme has been curated in close collaboration between Wael Shawky and Art Basel’s Chief Artistic Officer Vincenzo de Bellis. This initiative showcases nine major works by internationally renowned artists, each responding to the theme Becoming through immersive, performative, architectural, and spatial explorations.

Some of the standout contributions include:

• Bruce Nauman, whose monumental Beckett’s Chair Portrait Rotated transforms M7’s grand theatre with a large-scale 3D video projection.

• Abraham Cruzvillegas, presenting a large-scale iteration of his autoconstrucciónseries, interpreting self-creation and identity through material ingenuity.

• Nalini Malani, whose large outdoor projection animates the M7 facade with her hand-drawn animation Ballad of a Woman.

• Sumayya Vally, exploring collective space with In the Assembly of Lovers, a continuously reconfiguring majlis.

Additionally, innovative installations by artists such as Hasan Khan, Khalil Rabah, and Rayyane Tabet span sound, architecture, performance, and spatial interventions—each probing facets of transformation, memory, and cultural narrative.

A New Chapter for Doha and the Global Art Calendar

Art Basel Qatar’s 2026 edition arrives at a moment of intense transformation in the international art ecosystem. By situating the fair within Doha’s rapidly maturing cultural landscape—alongside burgeoning institutions, museums, and design hubs—the event amplifies Qatar’s long-term investment in art and cultural diplomacy.

For collectors, curators, artists, and art lovers around the world, February 2026 will mark Doha as a destination where stories of transformation—cultural, creative, and human—are made visible.

Kapak Görseli: Courtesy of Art Basel, Courtesy of Art Basel