After Basel, Paris, the USA and Hong Kong, the first edition of Art Basel, a major contemporary art fair, was held in the Middle East, in Doha (Qatar) in early February 2026. Art Basel tested a new format, the “boutique fairs”. 87 galleries presented international artists, as well as artists from the region such as Mona Hatoum, Ali Cherri and Almine Rech.
Sheikha al-Mayassa al-Thani, sister of the Emir, organized this contemporary art fair. Relationships between collectors, institutions and gallery owners were numerous and promising. Galerie Gagosian presented a mini-museum featuring nine works by Christo produced between 1958 and 1961. Christo is well known in the region for his “Mastaba” project in the Abu Dhabi desert.
In any case, we know that the Middle East has been very dynamic in recent years, with the opening of the National Museum of Qatar ” La Rose des Sables “, and that there is a strong tradition in the Middle East of collectors from the great fortunes of Asia, Europe and Africa moving to the Gulf.
Photo copyrights: Adriane de Souza
