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The first edition of Art Basel Qatar was very different from other editions of the esteemed Swiss fair, both for its booth-less, single-artist presentations and for the pace of sales. Many dealers said that their priority for the debut was making new connections, but what’s an art fair without sales?
Rest assured, some deals were confirmed during the first two VIP days, on Tuesday and Wednesday, though they took a while. “I’m really happy with this fair,” said London dealer Niru Ratnam, who placed Kutlug Ataman‘s 22-screen video installation Mesopotamian Dramaturgies / The Stream (2022) with an institution on Wednesday for $250,000.
Hauser and Wirth, which offered some of the fair’s most expensive works (three paintings by Philip Guston priced from $9.5 million to $14 million, confirmed at least one hold on Thursday morning.
Sales looked a little different for a few reasons.
1. The Royal Factor
Up to this point, the Gulf has been known for a few big (mostly royal) collectors, like Qatar’s ruling family, the Al Thanis, who have been filling ambitious state-led museums for the last two decades. The inimitable art impresario Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), was extremely visible during the fair’s VIP days. (QC+, the commercial arm of QM, was a partner of the fair.)
Exhibitors reported receiving white slips of paper if QM was interested in acquiring a work. Formal acquisitions have yet to be announced, but many works will be added to the collection of its contemporary-focused Art Mill Museum, which is due to open in 2030. Some surmised that regional buyers may have been waiting to make offers until the Sheikha had made her selections, out of deference.
Other institutions were buying, too. An Asian museum picked up a $50,000 edition of an Imran Qureshi weaving installation, brought by Indian gallery Nature Morte. Mendes Wood DM sold two paintings by Solange Pessoa, one to a U.S. museum and the other to a Dubai-based foundation.
2. The Discretion Factor
Dealers were limited to displaying one artist on their stands, but in their private viewing rooms, they could present whatever they wanted. That included a Pablo Picasso painting, priced around $42 million, and a rare Henri Rousseau at Acquavella and a Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture at Victoria Miro. Sales in these rooms weren’t reported.
Aiza Ahmed at Sargent’s Daughters, Art Basel Qatar 2026. Courtesy of Art Basel.
Gurr Johns advisor Diane Abela said that the collecting culture in the Middle East is very “mindful” and that many clients prefer to transact discreetly. One collector told me that they had only come to the fair to see two works in private rooms.
3. The Regional Factor
Basel fairs are usually known for their high-priced blue-chip sales, but lower-priced works by regional artists were front and center in Doha. Thanks in part to curation from Egyptian artist Wael Shawky—the first recipient of Qatar’s new creative visa—more than half of the galleries showing this year are from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region, and many dealers brought works by artists from or with ties to the Middle East. They fared well.
Ahmed Mater at ATHR Gallery, Art Basel Qatar 2026. Courtesy of Art Basel.
Saudi gallery ATHR sold nine works by the well-known doctor-turned-artist Ahmed Mater that were priced between $45,000 and $220,000. Almine Rech said it sold the majority of its works by Lebanese artist and filmmaker Ali Cherri, including watercolors for $35,000 each and new sculptures for up to $153,000. Sargent’s Daughters sold up-and-coming-artist Aiza Ahmed‘s largest painting to an institution, as well as various smaller works to other collectors, all priced between $3,500 and $25,000; Ahmed created the works while in residence at Doha’s QM-run Fire Station (also helmed by Shawky). Perrotin reported “numerous sales inquiries” for Iran-born American artist Ali Banisadr’s paintings, at around $600,000 apiece, and sculptures priced between $45,000 and $120,000.
The regional heat continues: Many advisors and collectors were headed next to the India Art Fair, which opened to VIPs Thursday and runs through Sunday.
A performance in Al Barahat Square. Courtesy of Art Basel Qatar.
The Bottom Line
Even if it wasn’t your typical art fair, Art Basel’s Doha debut was as well polished as the constantly swept tiles of Al Barahat Square, which connects the two main exhibition venues. As with any new event, there were a few hiccups—namely a sprawling seated dinner at the Fire Station on Wednesday night that had too few seats. (Veterans of the fair circuit know that seated dinners are the way madness lies.)
After a few days on the ground, many in the art industry have questions about the future of the fair. For one: Will David Beckham always be here? The footballer has been an ambassador for Visit Qatar since the 2022 FIFA World Cup—a deal reportedly worth more than $150 million—and he was at nearly every official Art Basel event. He was also part of the fair’s promotional campaign on social media and is rumored to get around $300,000 per post.
More pressingly: Will relatively modest sales ultimately be worth the squeeze, especially if hotels, accommodation, and exhibitor expenses aren’t as heavily underwritten by Qatari entities as they were this time around? And with Art Dubai in April and a new Frieze Abu Dhabi in November, can the Gulf region sustain so many fairs every year?
I think plenty of people will be back next year to find out.