Hot on the heels of the momentous Gaza ceasefire announcement came the release of the exhibitor list for the inaugural edition of Art Basel in Doha, Qatar. There was some uncertainty about the fate of the fair after an Israeli airstrike on Doha in early September threatened Qatar’s claimed neutrality and led many to wonder if it would be safe or reasonable to host a major international art event in the region. But as was just announced, eighty-seven galleries will each present one artist in the inaugural Qatar edition of Art Basel led by artistic director and artist Wael Shawky and scheduled for February 5-7, 2026 (with preview days on February 3-4).
The number of participants—and the range of their countries of origin—exceeded expectations, according to Vincenzo de Bellis, chief artistic officer and global director of fairs for Art Basel. There’s strong interest from international dealers eager to engage with the opportunities emerging in the Gulf’s growing cultural scene. “We set out to connect talent from across the region with our global network and create new opportunities for the international market at all levels, and the strong interest we received from a diversity of galleries helped us to achieve this,” De Bellis said when Observer reached out for comment. “With more than half of all artists hailing from the region and 16 galleries showing with us for the first time, Art Basel Qatar promises to be an energizing new event for the market.”
Unfolding across two key cultural venues—M7 and the Doha Design District—as well as selected public sites in Msheireb Downtown Doha, the city’s creative and cultural hub, Art Basel Qatar will depart from the traditional fair model to embrace a more fluid, artist-led and curatorial-centered format where artists’ works will be in dialogue, resonating with and responding to the central theme of “Becoming.”
From the list of artists we can anticipate already a clear emphasis on materiality and tactility, along with practices that elevate materials into channels for spiritual connection or energetic fields that help us reconnect with our senses and surroundings. The transformation and interaction with materials in “Becoming” serves as a means of exploring humanity’s constant evolution and the systems of meaning and production that shape how we live, believe and create. “The Gulf lies at the heart of this story, where oral traditions flow into digital networks and ancient trade routes return as new pathways of culture and exchange,” Wael Shawky said in a statement. “Here, art is not only a witness to history but a force that shapes how we imagine and reimagine identity.”
Shawky hopes the first edition of Art Basel Qatar will become a platform for these stories to emerge. He also teased that the commissioned public projects will expand this spirit, giving greater voice to artists from the region and amplifying their perspectives far beyond it. “Their full scope will be unveiled in the weeks ahead, inviting audiences to anticipate what is still becoming.”
Among the artists participating in the inaugural Gulf edition are internationally recognized names such as Alvaro Barrington, presented by Sadie Coles HQ; Meriem Bennani with François Ghebaly in collaboration with Lodovico Corsini; Mona Hatoum with Chantal Crousel; Matthew Wong presented by Massimodecarlo; Lucy Bull with David Kordansky Gallery; Claire Fontaine with Mennour; Gabriel Orozco with kurimanzutto; Pascale Marthine Tayou with Galleria Continua; and Nari Ward presented by Lehmann Maupin. David Zwirner is bringing Marlene Dumas and Michael Werner will present Issy Wood, among many other notable names.
At least half of the artists being spotlighted at the fair are from the MENA region, including Etel Adnan with Anthony Meier; Turkish artist Nil Yalter with 1 Mira Madrid / 2 Mira Archiv; Qatari artist Bouthayna Al Muftah presented by al markhiya gallery; Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan with Sabrina Amrani; Lebanese artist Walid Sadek presented by Saleh Barakat Gallery; and Saudi artist Lina Gazzaz with Hafez Gallery. Perrotin will present internationally acclaimed Iranian painter Ali Banisadr.
Under Shawky’s curation, several Egyptian artists will gain long-overdue recognition. Leila Heller Gallery will spotlight modernist Egyptian painter Wassef Boutros-Ghali; Alexandria-based painter Farida El Gazzar will exhibit with Kalfayan Galleries; and ArtTalks | Kanafani Gallery will showcase the enigmatic paintings of Egyptian artist Ahmed Morsi. Thaddaeus Ropac is bringing the institutionally acclaimed work of Raqib Shaw; Berlin-based carlier | gebauer is presenting American video artist of Palestinian descent Nida Sinnokrot; Saudi Arabia’s leading Athr Gallery will highlight the work of Ahmed Mater; Dubai’s leading gallery The Third Line will present Qatari-American artist Sophia Al Maria; and Marfa’ Projects will present multimedia Lebanese conceptual artist Caline Aoun.
Notable works by blue-chip and historical artists will also be shown, including work by Jean-Michel Basquiat brought by Acquavella Galleries and Picassos presented by Van de Weghe. On the postwar front, Tornabuoni Arte will present works by Alighiero Boetti, Cardi Gallery will present Jannis Kounellis, and Galerie EIGEN + ART will shine a spotlight on works by German expressionist Neo Rauch. Vibrant paintings by Milton Avery will come to Doha with Karma. The luminous gold-woven surfaces of Olga de Amaral will be shown by Lisson Gallery and October Gallery is bringing El Anatsui’s intricate textiles made of repurposed materials. Among the heavy hitters, Gagosian will bring works by Christo, Hauser & Wirth will foreground the work of Philip Guston, Pace will present the work of Lynda Benglis and Gladstone is bringing paintings by Alex Katz, while Mignoni will bring Donald Judd and White Cube will focus on Georg Baselitz. Notably, this marks the first time work by many of these artists—even the blue-chip names—will be shown in Qatar or in the Gulf more broadly. The full list of galleries and artists can be found here.
“With Art Basel Qatar, we are furthering our mission to be a catalyst for cultural exchange and market growth,” Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz said in a statement. “Our gallery line-up for year one is thrilling—welcoming diverse new voices to our platform and deepening our engagement with new geographies, while also creating opportunities across our network of existing clients and established partners.”
Art Basel Qatar comes from a direct partnership between Art Basel’s parent company, MCH Group, the creative collective QC+ and Qatar Sports Investments (QSI, one of the country’s leading cultural organizations), marking a unicum within the global art fair brand’s portfolio. While the fair has always collaborated closely with the cultural and tourism departments of its host cities, this is the first time the launch of a fair ties directly into national cultural policy. For the inaugural edition, Art Basel’s Lead Partner is Visit Qatar, the main arm of Qatar Tourism, whose mission is to promote and expand tourism in Qatar by cultivating its culture, developing new attractions and enriching its events calendar. Taken together, the details emerging underscore both Art Basel’s role as a global catalyst for art ecosystems and Qatar’s serious ambition to become a major international hub for art and culture.
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