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-Editorial
Art Basel Qatar has announced 87 participating galleries for its inaugural edition, scheduled for Feb. 5–7, 2026, in Doha, with preview days on Feb. 3–4. The fair will feature 84 artist presentations and will become Art Basel’s fifth global fair, joining its established events in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris.
The fair is presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, with Visit Qatar serving as lead partner. It will take place across two main venues—M7 and the Doha Design District—and will extend into selected public sites in Msheireb Downtown Doha, a central cultural and creative district in the city. The inaugural edition is being developed under the artistic direction of Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky.
Art Basel Qatar’s first edition will depart from the traditional booth-based art fair format. Instead, it will present an open-format exhibition structure in which gallery presentations respond to a central curatorial theme, “Becoming.” According to organizers, the theme explores humanity’s ongoing transformation and the social, political, and cultural systems that shape the creation of meaning. The curatorial approach is intended to foreground storytelling and dialogue while maintaining a strong commercial dimension for galleries and collectors.
The 87 participating galleries represent 31 countries and territories. Fifteen of the galleries will be exhibiting at an Art Basel fair for the first time, introducing new participants and perspectives to the organization’s global network. More than half of the 84 artists featured in the inaugural edition hail from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, underscoring the fair’s regional emphasis.
Galleries from across the Gulf region, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, will be joined by participants from the wider Middle East, such as Lebanon and Turkey, as well as North Africa and South Asia, including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and India. Regional galleries participating in their first Art Basel fair include Hafez Gallery in Jeddah and Riyadh, Gallery Misr in Cairo, Le Violon Bleu in Tunis, Saleh Barakat Gallery in Beirut, and Tabari Artspace in Dubai.
The fair will also include a significant international presence, with galleries from Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Among the participating international galleries are Acquavella Galleries, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, and White Cube, alongside a broad range of other established dealers.
Art Basel Chief Executive Officer Noah Horowitz said the inaugural gallery lineup reflects the organization’s goal of expanding cultural exchange and strengthening market connections across new regions while supporting long-standing partners. Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s chief artistic officer and global director of fairs, said the response from galleries demonstrates strong regional and international interest in the new fair and highlighted the collaborative process with Shawky in shaping the curatorial framework.
Shawky said the theme “Becoming” reflects the Gulf region’s historical role as a crossroads of cultural exchange and aims to position art as both a witness to history and an active force in shaping identity. Additional commissioned public projects are expected to be announced in the weeks leading up to the fair.
