Qatar Museums has announced the programme for the second edition of Design Doha, the biennial of design from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Unveiled on 31 August, the 2026 edition runs from 5 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, with more than 15 exhibitions and work by over 100 designers and studios from the region, known as MENASA, and from its diasporas.
The main hub is Fereej Al Asmakh, a heritage district in central Doha, with further exhibitions in Qatar Museums institutions, heritage sites and public spaces across the city. For three months, a heritage district in the centre of Doha becomes a meeting point for design from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. That makes Design Doha less a single show than a winter programme, and one worth planning around.
The biennial was established under Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and its first edition was held in 2024. As a biennial, it returns every two years, and this second edition is the first chance to see how the format has grown since then. Its director is Fahad Al Obaidly and its artistic director is Glenn Adamson, the American curator and craft historian who formerly led the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. "Design Doha 2026 marks the next chapter in the biennial's evolution," Al Obaidly said in the announcement, as reported by the Qatar News Agency. Adamson added: "Design Doha 2026 expands both the biennial's scope and international reach."
Key dates
- 5 November 2026: the biennial opens
- 5 to 7 November: opening days, as listed in IFDM's Gulf design calendar
- 7 November: winners of the Design Doha Prize announced
- 31 January 2027: the biennial closes
One listing gives the closing date as 31 December, but the official announcement carried by the Qatar News Agency says 31 January 2027.
Where it happens
Fereej Al Asmakh is one of central Doha's old neighbourhoods, beside the Msheireb downtown regeneration. Placing the biennial there sets new design within the older fabric of the city.
Beyond the hub, exhibitions run across Qatar Museums' institutions, heritage sites and public spaces, so a full visit will take in several parts of the city. Check designdoha.org.qa for the venue of each exhibition before setting out, since the programme is spread widely.
The headline show
The biennial's headline exhibition is Arab Design Now 2026, with Noura Al Sayeh as curator. IFDM's calendar places it at M7 in Doha, from 5 November. It is the survey at the heart of the programme, and the subject of one of two bilingual publications planned for the biennial; the other covers Design Doha as a whole.
Design in the streets
New this year is a Public Design Commissions programme, whose curator is Javier Peña Ibáñez, director of Concéntrico, the design and architecture festival in Logroño, Spain. Ten designers, architects and urban practitioners were selected through an open call across the MENASA region. In the first stage, five winning proposals will become installations in public spaces across Doha, so part of the biennial will be found outside gallery walls.
The programme also looks beyond the region. Fernando Laposse, a designer based in Mexico, is due to present a major exhibition as part of Qatar's 2026 Years of Culture, in partnership with Mexican institutions.
The Design Doha Prize
The prize has four categories: Craft, Product Design, Furniture Design and Emerging Talent. It is chaired by Sheikha Al Mayassa, and its 24-member international jury is headed by India Mahdavi, the Iranian-French architect and designer based in Paris and known for her richly coloured interiors. The winners, due to be announced on 7 November, will share a support package of QAR 800,000, together with mentorship. The categories give equal room to the handmade and the manufactured, from craft to furniture and product design, while the Emerging Talent award looks to the next generation.
The biennial's partners include Turquoise Mountain, the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, Ithra, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs, which ties Design Doha to craft and design organisations across the region, from Irthi in Sharjah to Ithra in Saudi Arabia. Talks, workshops and networking events run alongside the exhibitions.
Plan your visit
- Dates: 5 November 2026 to 31 January 2027
- Opening days: 5 to 7 November
- Main hub: Fereej Al Asmakh, central Doha
- Also: Qatar Museums institutions, heritage sites and public spaces
- Prize: winners named on 7 November
- Tickets: early-bird tickets are available via designdoha.org.qa
For most readers in the Gulf, Doha is a short flight away, and the biennial's long run leaves room for more than one trip. Those who want to be in the city when the prize winners are named should aim for the opening days, from 5 to 7 November. Those who prefer a slower visit, with time for the heritage district, the museums and the public commissions on separate days, have until the end of January.
Sources: Qatar News Agency, Gulf Times, IFDM, Marhaba