Art Basel moving to Qatar next year as country aims to grow beyond oil

Art Basel will debut in Doha, Qatar, in February 2026, expanding to five host cities, featuring around 50 galleries as part of a strategic growth approach.

The M7, a multidisciplinary creative hub, where the inaugural Art Basel Qatar is set to take place in 2026 [ART BASEL]

A new edition of Art Basel, the world’s largest art fair, will take place in Doha, Qatar, in February 2026, the organization announced in a recent press release.

The iteration will bring the fair's host cities to five, adding to the existing list of Basel, Switzerland; Hong Kong; Miami Beach; and Paris. Art Basel Qatar will be a joint project of the fair’s parent company MCH Group AG, Qatar Museums’ commercial arm, QC+, and Qatar Sports Investments.

The inaugural fair is scheduled to take place at M7, a multidisciplinary creative hub located near the National Museum of Qatar.

Around 50 galleries are expected to participate in the first edition — a modest scale compared to Art Basel's flagship fairs in Basel and Paris, which hosted 291 and 195 galleries, respectively, in their most recent editions.

The organizers emphasized in a statement that this smaller scale is part of a strategic approach “designed to respond to today’s market while laying the foundation for growth.”

Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums and a key figure in the Middle Eastern art scene, said Doha is now home to numerous commercial galleries and private museums.

Doha, Qatar [ART BASEL]

Sheikha Al Mayassa has led Qatar’s cultural initiatives since 2006, using the country’s wealth and stability to develop museums, major art collections and cultural education programs.

“The art scene across the [Middle East and North American] 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,” Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz said.

“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.”

The move into the Middle Eastern market reflects changes in the global art landscape. According to the Art Basel & UBS Global Art Market Report, the international art market contracted by 12 percent last year. By contrast, the Middle East — buoyed by oil wealth — continues to be viewed as a market with strong growth potential.

Qatar, in particular, has long been preparing to become a “cultural powerhouse,” investing heavily in museums and cultural programming as part of its post oil strategy.

The New York Times reported that Qatar already has four museums and plans to open four more.

“It’s all part of our long-term vision for the diversification of our economy,” Sheikha Al Mayassa told the Times.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY LEE EUN-JU [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]