Art Basel will make its Middle East debut with a new art fair in Doha in February 2026.
The fair is being developed in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments and the cultural agency QC Plus. It will take place at the cultural hub M7 and the Doha Design District in Msheireb, near the National Museum of Qatar.
Staying true to Art Basel’s aesthetic, the Doha version will focus on modern and contemporary art, featuring galleries from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and beyond.
It is Art Basel’s first foray into the Mena region and joins its established fairs in Switzerland, Hong Kong and Miami.
“Growing the global art market, supporting artists and galleries and developing new collecting audiences is core to Art Basel’s mission,” said the art fair organiser's chief executive Noah Horowitz.
“The art scene across the Mena region has undergone exponential growth in recent decades, with the establishment of world-class institutions, the launch of leading cultural events and the growth of a vibrant community of artists, galleries and professionals,” Horowitz added.
“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.”
Art Basel joins a growing number of major arts events in the country, including the Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar, Qatar Creates and the Doha Film Institute’s Ajyal Film Festival.
Further details on programming, participating galleries and public initiatives will be announced before the inaugural Mena event.
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
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Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
The Light of the Moon
Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Company name: baraka
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Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
