Art Basel Expands to the Middle East with Qatar Fair
By ANNETTE MEIER
Exterior view of M7 in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Julius Hirtzberger. Courtesy Art Basel.
Swiss flagship fair Art Basel is continuing its expansion with a new fair in Doha, Qatar. Set to launch in February 2026, the event will be the first of its kind in the Middle East.
With around 50 participating galleries, Art Basel Qatar will take place in M7, a creative hub in the Qatari capital, as well as the Doha Design District, which is located in Msheireb Downtown Doha. According to a press release, the inaugural Qatar edition will serve as “an unparalleled platform [for] leading galleries and artistic talent from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and further afield.”
Founded in 1970 in Basel, the international art fair is also staged in Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris, with Doha now being its fifth host city. This latest addition to Art Basel’s global network is a collaboration with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, a government-operated organization based in Doha that specializes in cultural commerce.
In a statement, Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz noted: “Qatar’s depth of collections, history of building great cultural institutions, and unique role as an incubator and supporter of talent position the new Art Basel Qatar for success on the world stage.”
Annette Meier is an editorial assistant at ArtAsiaPacific.
