Art Basel Qatar will feature 84 artist presentations by 87 galleries when the fair debuts in Doha next year.


Presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) and QC+, the fair – Art Basel’s fifth globally – will be held from February 5-7, 2026 (with Preview Days 3-4 February). The 87 participants span 31 countries and territories, and 16 galleries will be showing with Art Basel for the first time – bringing new voices and perspectives onto its global platform.


Conceived under the curatorial direction of Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky, Art Basel Qatar’s first edition departs from the traditional booth model to present an open-format exhibition in which artist presentations respond to a central curatorial theme of Becoming.


The event will unfold across two key venues, M7 and the Doha Design District, as well as selected public sites at Msheireb Downtown Doha. Both the format and curatorial direction will foreground storytelling and dialogue, offering new ways for galleries, artists, and collectors to engage while maintaining strong market relevance.


Art Basel Qatar, with Visit Qatar as the fair’s Lead Partner, will highlight the vitality of artistic production and the expanding gallery landscape across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.


Galleries from across the region will participate, including those with locations in the Gulf (Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia), the wider Middle East (Lebanon, Turkey), North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia), and South Asia (India).


Homegrown galleries from the region that are participating in their first Art Basel fair include Hafez Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh), Gallery Misr (Cairo), Le Violon Bleu (Tunis), Saleh Barakat Gallery (Beirut), and Tabari Artspace (Dubai).


International galleries from across Europe, the Americas, and Asia will participate, including Acquavella Galleries, Gagosian, Hauser and Wirth, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner and White Cube.