Art Basel Qatar is a joint initiative between Art Basel, MCH Group, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+

Art Basel has revealed the first details of its newly launched fair in Qatar, set to take place in M7 creative hub in the heart of Doha’s Design District from February 5 to 7, 2026, with Preview Days on February 3 and 4.

For its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will depart from the traditional booth model to introduce a new fair format grounded in artistic vision and conceptual rigour. Internationally acclaimed Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky will be the Artistic Director.

Art Basel Qatar will embrace an open-format exhibition, with solo presentations by galleries responding to a central thematic framework, defined and developed by Art Basel’s artistic leadership to serve as both anchor and catalyst for the show.

“This format allows us to support galleries in presenting artists’ work with greater depth and resonance,” said Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs for Art Basel.

“With Art Basel Qatar, we are pushing the boundaries of the art fair model – placing artistic intention at its core while responding to today’s market.”

The exhibition will unfold across two key venues – M7 and the Doha Design District – as well as selected public sites in Msheireb, Doha’s creative and cultural heart.

Conceived by Art Basel as a platform to foster deeper engagement with leading galleries and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and further afield, the show will prioritize an engaging experience that maintains strong market relevance.

In its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will explore the theme ‘Becoming’ – a meditation on humanity’s ongoing transformation and the evolving systems that shape how we live, believe, and create meaning.

Together with de Bellis, artist Shawky will lead the curatorial vision of the 2026 edition and guide the gallery selection process, in consultation with the fair’s dedicated Selection Committee.

“It is a privilege to work with Art Basel on this groundbreaking new format,” Shawky, currently based in Doha, said.

“The opportunity to explore artistic practices from across the MENA region and beyond, within a framework that values research, narrative, and experimentation, is extremely meaningful to me.

“I look forward to collaborating with galleries and artists to help shape a platform that speaks to the complexity and richness of the region while remaining globally relevant.”

Shawky most recently won acclaim for his video work Drama 1882, representing Egypt at the 60th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2024). His work, which ranges widely among film, performance, and storytelling, has been the subject of several solo exhibitions.

He also founded MASS Alexandria, an independent studio program for young artists, in 2010.

Shawky was appointed Artistic Director of the Doha Fire Station in October 2024, where he has launched the Arts Intensive Study Program (AISP) designed to foster critical thinking, hands-on learning, and professional development for a cohort of 20 emerging international and Qatari artists.

Working closely with Shawky will be the fair’s dedicated Selection Committee, comprising of leading gallery representatives from the region and beyond: Lorenzo Fiaschi, Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Havana, Boissy-le-Châtel, Paris, Rome, Dubai, São Paulo); Shireen Gandhy, Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai); Daniela Gareh, White Cube (London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Seoul); Mohammed Hafiz, Athr Gallery (Jeddah, Al Ula, Riyadh); Sunny Rahbar, The Third Line (Dubai), and Gordon VeneKlasen, Michael Werner Gallery (New York, Athens, Berlin, Los Angeles, London).

The inaugural fair aims to pit the Gulf as a living palimpsest – a region where oral traditions intersect with digital networks, and ancient trade routes are reimagined as contemporary flows of culture and capital, using art as a vital conduit, translating systemic shifts into form.

“Doha is an ideal context for this evolution,” de Bellis added. “It is a place where cultural ambition meets a rich and layered history, and where experimentation is both welcomed and supported.”