Art Basel is heading to Qatar for the first time next February, bringing together 84 artist presentations from 87 galleries around the world. The fair, created in partnership with Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) and QC+, marks Art Basel’s fifth global edition and will take place from February 5–7, 2026, with exclusive preview days on February 3–4. Galleries from 31 countries will be part of the debut, including 16 showing with Art Basel for the first time – adding fresh voices and perspectives to the lineup.
Led by Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky, the first edition of Art Basel Qatar takes a bold step away from the usual booth setup. Instead, it will unfold as an open-format exhibition built around the theme Becoming – a reflection on humanity’s constant evolution and the systems that shape how we live, believe, and create meaning. The show will span two main venues, M7 and the Doha Design District, as well as select public spaces in Msheireb Downtown Doha – the city’s creative and cultural core. Shawky’s vision centers on storytelling and dialogue, encouraging new ways for galleries, artists, and collectors to connect while keeping strong market appeal.
With Visit Qatar as the Lead Partner, the fair will spotlight the growing art scene across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. The strong regional lineup reinforces Doha’s status as a major hub for cultural exchange, linking local creativity with Art Basel’s global network of artists, galleries, and collectors.
More than half of the artists featured will be from the region, including names like Etel Adnan, Ali Banisadr, Simone Fattal, Ali Cherri, Meriem Bennani, and Iman Issa. Regional galleries taking part include those based in the Gulf (Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia), the wider Middle East (Lebanon, Turkey), North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia), and South Asia (India). Among the homegrown participants making their Art Basel debut are Hafez Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh), Gallery Misr (Cairo), Le Violon Bleu (Tunis), Saleh Barakat Gallery (Beirut), and Tabari Artspace (Dubai).
Joining them will be some of the world’s biggest names in contemporary art, including Acquavella Galleries, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, and White Cube.
They will sit in dialogue with international galleries from across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. These include: Acquavella Galleries (New York, Palm Beach), showing Jean-Michel Basquiat; Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, São Paulo, Beijing, Havana, Boissy-le-Châtel, Paris, Rome), showing Pascale Marthine Tayou; Gagosian (New York, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Le Bourget, Basel, Gstaad, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong), showing Christo; Gladstone Gallery (New York, Brussels, Seoul), showing Alex Katz; Gray (Chicago, New York), showing Torkwase Dyson; Hauser & Wirth (Zurich, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Monaco, Ciutadella de Menorca, Basel, Gstaad, St. Moritz, London, Somerset, Los Angeles, West Hollywood), showing Philip Guston; Sean Kelly (New York, Los Angeles), showing Hugo McCloud; kurimanzutto (Mexico City, New York), showing Gabriel Orozco; Lisson Gallery (London, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai), showing Olga de Amaral; Luxembourg + Co. (London, New York), showing Katsumi Nakai; Pace Gallery (New York, Los Angeles, London, Geneva, Berlin, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo), showing Lynda Benglis; Sprüth Magers (Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York), showing Otto Piene; Tornabuoni Art (Florence, Milan, Forte dei Marmi, Crans Montana, Paris, Rome), showing Alighiero Boetti; Michael Werner Gallery (New York, London, Beverly Hills, Berlin), showing Issy Wood; White Cube (London, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Seoul), showing Georg Baselitz; and David Zwirner (New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Paris), showing Marlene Dumas.
