Art Basel, MCH Group, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+, have announced the upcoming launch of Art Basel Qatar in Doha.
The joint initiative will debut in February 2026, and will be held at the creative hub M7 and Doha Design District in downtown Msheireb.
Art Basel Qatar will focus on modern and contemporary art in Doha, providing a new platform from which to showcase the best of the MENASA region’s art scene.
This inaugural edition sees Doha join the cities of Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris as global cultural hubs for art with their participation in Art Basel, which will further creative opportunities and engagement for the city during the fair but also through the many touchpoints throughout the year created by Art Basel’s worldwide reach. The new fair will further cement Qatar as a leading cultural hub in the region, which provides an access point to the arts and culture of the region and space for exchange for art world professionals including galleries, artists, collectors, and cultural leaders of the region and beyond.
Featuring a carefully curated group of galleries and artists, the fair will also host educational programmes, market development strategies and public art initiatives which will integrate into the already existing cultural network in Qatar, which has seen a vast series of large-scale cultural initiatives and centres develop under the supervision of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), with more slated to debut in the near future including the Art Mill Museum, the future Lusail Museum and a permanent Qatar Pavilion in Venice in the Giardini de la Biennale di Venezia.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani shared, “As part of His Highness the Amir’s National Vision 2030, Qatar has been transforming itself into a knowledge-based economy, with culture and the creative industries helping to lead the way. We have built a thriving ecosystem of culture and sports, harnessing the capacity of both to break down barriers, create shared experiences, increase understanding and drive positive change… As Qatar Museums marks its twentieth anniversary, we are pleased to welcome the Art Basel organisation as our partner to further elevate Qatar’s initiatives to support the creative industries of our region, offering exceptional new artistic experiences and opportunities to our talent.”
His Excellency Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of QSI, said, “As a leading investor in sports, culture, entertainment and lifestyle, QSI is very proud and excited to play a role in bringing the world-renowned Art Basel fair to Qatar and our region as part of the legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. As that event demonstrated so unforgettably, sports and culture are closely linked in their capacity to unite people and bring the world together, which is at the heart of QSI’s mission. We are delighted to work with QC+ and to welcome Art Basel to Qatar—a partnership that will inspire the region and bring further investment to a great cultural organisation.”
