Venue
Doha, Qatar
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Design Doha Biennial guide
Regional design across Doha's old quarter.
In short
Design and architecture lovers can catch the second Design Doha Biennial from 5 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, with more than 15 exhibitions based around Fereej Al Asmakh. Opening week brings talks, launches and the Design Doha Prize on 7 November; later in the run, galleries are quieter. The headline show is Arab Design Now 2026.
Qatar Museums' design biennial returns for its second edition from 5 November 2026 to 31 January 2027. Design Doha looks at designers from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, and spreads more than 15 exhibitions across museums, heritage buildings and public spaces, with its hub in the old Fereej Al Asmakh quarter.
Almost three months is a generous run, so anyone passing through Qatar over the winter can fit it in. The headline show, Arab Design Now 2026, gathers 81 designers from 27 countries.
Opening week is the time to go if you want the talks and launches. Later on, the exhibitions are quieter and easier to see properly.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Doha, Qatar
Venue: Fereej Al Asmakh
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Arts Festivals, Exhibition
Nearest airport: Doha (DOH) · 2 flight routes
Currency: Qatari riyal (QAR, QR)
Time zone: Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3
Language: Arabic
Map
Close to the venue
- Al Koot Fort (Doha Fort) Attraction · 210 m
- Souq Waqif Attraction · 470 m
- Doha Corniche Attraction · 1 km
- Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Attraction · 1.5 km
- Alwadi Hotel Doha - MGallery Hotel · 170 m
- Mandarin Oriental, Doha Hotel · 310 m
- Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli Hotel · 490 m
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Opening and closing dates and the prize announcement
Doors open on 5 November 2026 and the biennial closes on 31 January 2027. The Design Doha Prize winners are announced on 7 November, in the middle of a packed opening week. Opening hours and ticketing were left out of the programme announcement; Qatar Museums' own channels should have them nearer the time.
Arab Design Now and the other main exhibitions
- Arab Design Now 2026
- the headline exhibition, put together by the Bahraini architect Noura Al Sayeh, with 78 new commissions and 15 films.
- A major show by the Mexico-based designer Fernando Laposse, part of the Qatar 2026 Years of Culture programme.
- Public Design Commissions
- led by Javier Peña Ibáñez of Concéntrico in Logroño, Spain. Ten designers, architects and urban practitioners made the shortlist, and five winning ideas are being built as installations around the city.
Arab Design Now runs on five themes: narration and ornamentation; land and agrarian practices; landscapes of production and extraction; crafts, technology and community; and belonging and migrating. Across the whole programme the biennial covers more than 15 disciplines, from architecture and furniture to sound and social design.
The Design Doha Prize categories and awards
Four categories: craft, product design, furniture design and emerging talent. Winners share QAR 800,000 in support, along with mentoring and chances to exhibit. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani chairs the prize, and the designer India Mahdavi leads a 24-member jury. Fahad Al Obaidly directs the biennial, with Glenn Adamson as artistic director.
How the second edition differs from the first
Design Doha began in 2024 as a regular showcase for designers from the wider region. This second edition is bigger, with a fuller public programme and new work commissioned for Doha itself.
Starting at Fereej Al Asmakh and walking the old centre
- Start at Fereej Al Asmakh. Msheireb Downtown Doha and Souq Waqif are both a short walk away in the old centre.
- November to January is Doha's mildest season, comfortable for walking between outdoor installations.
- Pair the biennial with the city's museums and buildings; our guide to architectural landmarks in Qatar picks out the ones worth the detour.
- Cover shoulders and knees in heritage districts and at cultural sites.
What happens on the day
- Opening week
Talks, launches and the Prize
The busiest stretch; the Design Doha Prize is announced on 7 November.
- Through the winter
Quieter weeks
Pick a later week to see the exhibitions at a slower pace.
Fitting the biennial into a winter trip to Qatar
With a run of almost three months, the biennial is easy to fit into a winter trip to Qatar. Hours and ticket details had not been released with the programme, so look at Qatar Museums' own channels before setting out. Opening week is the busiest stretch, with talks and launches.
Begin at Fereej Al Asmakh, the main hub, then walk on to Msheireb Downtown Doha and Souq Waqif nearby. Dress modestly in heritage districts and at cultural sites, keeping shoulders and knees covered.
Qatar Museums and the biennial's first edition in 2024
Qatar Museums organises Design Doha, which looks at contemporary design from the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa. It is young. The first edition was in 2024. This second one has more than 15 exhibitions, in museums and heritage buildings as well as public spaces.
Arab Design Now 2026 is the centrepiece. Its curator is Noura Al Sayeh, an architect from Bahrain, and the show brings together 81 designers from 27 countries, and 78 of the works are new commissions, alongside 15 films built around themes from land and craft to migration. The Design Doha Prize has categories for emerging talent and for craft, among others, and QAR 800,000 is split among the winners.
Getting there
Flying in
International arrivals land at Hamad International Airport; compare Dhaka to Doha flights.
In the centre
Fereej Al Asmakh and Msheireb Downtown Doha can be covered on foot.
Other venues
Museums and installations elsewhere in the city are a short taxi or metro ride away.
Where to stay during the festival
Doha's central districts around Msheireb keep the main hub within walking distance. The long run means rooms are only tight in the opening week.
Doha
Mandarin Oriental, Doha5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$307.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Doha
Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$69.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
10 Rooms available
Book Now
Doha
Alwadi Hotel Doha - MGallery5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$125.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
6 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
November to January is the mildest part of the year in Doha, ideal for walking between outdoor installations. Average highs fall from about 30°C in November to 23°C in January, with nights of about 15-22°C and very little rain.
Worth packing
- Modest clothes covering shoulders and knees
- A light layer for evenings
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sunglasses
Flights to Doha for Design Doha Biennial
The busiest routes into Doha (DOH).
FromTo DAC DOH DhakaDoha FromTo CGP DOH ChattogramDoha Available airlines2 airlines- Biman Bangladesh Airlines
- US-Bangla Airlines
Car hire in Doha
Airport transfer to Design Doha Biennial
Met at arrivals at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and driven door to door to Fereej Al Asmakh.
- Hamad International Airport (DOH) → Fereej Al Asmakh
- 9.6 km · 15 min
Restaurants and food in Qatar
Places to eat in Qatar before or after the celebrations.
Argan
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel, Al Jasra Street, Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:MoroccanNorth African
- Dine-in
Bayt Sharq
Al Doha Gardens, Al Sharq Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Private room
Jiwan
4th Floor, National Museum of Qatar, Museum Park Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
IDAM by Alain Ducasse
5th Floor, Museum of Islamic Art, Corniche Promenade, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:Contemporary FrenchMediterranean
- Dine-in
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Nearby things to see
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Museum of Islamic Art, Doha
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Al Koot Fort (Doha Fort)
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Booking
Many Design Doha exhibitions and public installations are free to visit. Some venues inside Qatar Museums buildings may charge their usual museum entry, and talks or workshops can need advance registration. Check each listing on the Qatar Museums website before you go.
General
Give the main hub at Fereej Al Asmakh at least half a day, as the exhibitions are spread across several restored houses. Seeing the wider programme across other venues takes two or three days at a comfortable pace. Many visitors split it over a few afternoons.
Personal photography without flash is usually allowed in Qatar Museums exhibitions, though some works carry a no-photography sign. Tripods and commercial shoots need permission. In the residential lanes around the hub, ask before photographing people.
Design Doha is run by Qatar Museums, the state body that also manages the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar. The first edition was held in early 2024. The biennial focuses on design from the Arab world and its neighbours. It is not a trade fair.
No, it is a curated exhibition programme. Some designers sell work separately through their own studios or through the museum shops. If you are interested in a piece, the exhibition labels or staff can usually point you to the designer.
Msheireb Downtown Doha, next to Fereej Al Asmakh, has cafés and restaurants within a few minutes' walk. Souq Waqif is a short walk further and suits an evening meal of Qatari or Levantine food. Both are busy after sunset, so lunch is the easier time to find a table.
The Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar are the obvious additions, and both are close to the centre. The Doha Film Festival runs in late November, during the biennial's first month. The nearby attractions and events on this page cover more options.
Yes, a public programme of talks, panels and workshops runs during the biennial, with the most activity in the opening week. Places at workshops are limited and often need booking. The programme is published on the Qatar Museums website and social channels.
Timing & weather
Qatar Museums usually opens its venues from morning to evening, with later openings on some days and shorter hours on Friday mornings. Hours differ between venues and change during public holidays. Confirm the times on the official page for the venue you plan to visit.
Families & accessibility
Yes, especially the outdoor installations, which children can walk around and often interact with. Qatar Museums often runs family workshops alongside its major exhibitions. Older children with an interest in art, architecture or making things get the most out of it.
The newer museum venues have lifts and step-free access. The old houses of Fereej Al Asmakh have been restored but some have uneven floors, narrow doorways or thresholds. Contact Qatar Museums ahead of your visit to check access for specific venues.