Qatar, a gas-powered Gulf state, has long punched well above its weight.
The Islamic country is a major diplomatic player on the world stage, mediating conflicts ranging from
Gaza ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas to peace negotiations between the Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
The Gulf nation’s state-funded broadcaster, Al Jazeera, has wielded huge international influence through its reporting, while its recent hosting of mega-sporting events – headlined by the 2022 Fifa World Cup – has cemented its place in the global consciousness.
Now, Doha – its capital city – has added a new ambition to its strategic road map: becoming the leading art hub of the Middle East.
On February 3, the Swiss art fair giant Art Basel unveiled the inaugural edition of its flagship art fair in Doha for preview – and officially on February 5 – making the Qatari capital the first Middle Eastern city to host the elite international event. The fair, which ended on February 7, hosted more than 85 galleries, including some of the biggest dealers in the world, and drew some 17,000 visitors.
Over the past decade, states across the Gulf have built mega museums and started new biennales and cultural collaborations as instruments of soft power and to diversify their economies away from oil and gas.