Art Basel has announced details for the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar, set to take place in Doha from February 3rd to February 7th, 2026.
A total of 87 galleries from 31 countries will present 84 artist projects, with 16 galleries participating in an Art Basel fair for the first time. The fair will unfold across M7 and the Doha Design District, with additional public installations throughout Msheireb Downtown Doha. The fair is Art Basel’s fifth worldwide, adding to events in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris.
“With Art Basel Qatar, we are furthering our mission to be a catalyst for cultural exchange and market growth,” Noah Horowitz, CEO of Art Basel, said in a statement. “Our gallery line-up for year one is thrilling—welcoming diverse new voices to our platform and deepening our engagement with new geographies.”
Under the curatorial direction of Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, the fair will depart from the traditional booth model, instead featuring what organizers call “open-format exhibition.” The fair will be structured around the theme “Becoming,” where galleries are encouraged to meditate “on change, on how humanity reshapes the ways we live, believe, and create meaning,” according to the artist.
“The Gulf lies at the heart of this story, where oral traditions flow into digital networks and ancient trade routes return as new pathways of culture and exchange,” Shawky said. “Here, art is not only a witness to history but a force that shapes how we imagine and reimagine identity. My hope is that the first edition of Art Basel Qatar becomes a space for these stories to surface.
Art Basel Qatar will also champion global representation, with more than half of the artists hailing from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Notable presentations include Lebanese artist Etel Adnan with Anthony Meier Fine Arts and Waddington Custot, Iranian painter Ali Banisadr with Perrotin, Lebanese artist Ali Cherri with Almine Rech, and Qatari American artist Sophia Al-Maria with The Third Line, among many others.
Regional galleries, such as Tunis’s Le Violon Bleu, Morocco’s Loft Art Gallery, Beirut’s Saleh Barakat Gallery (Beirut), and Dubai’s Tabari Artspace and Lawrie Shabibi, are among those participating in an Art Basel fair for the first time. They will be shown alongside major international galleries, including Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, and White Cube. Other typical Basel presenters, including Lisson Gallery, Sean Kelly Gallery, and Sprüth Magers, will be in attendance.
“The breadth and quality of participation speaks to the strength of the project and the excitement it has generated both regionally and internationally,” Vincenzo de Bellis, chief artistic officer and global director of fairs for Art Basel, said in a statement. “Working with Wael Shawky has been deeply energizing and rewarding: his vision has inspired outstanding presentations shaped around the theme of Becoming.”
Check out the full list of confirmed exhibitors at Art Basel Qatar here.
