AGP Executive Report

Doha Film Festival: The 2026 festival has unveiled a music programme for November 19–27, spanning regional and international artists, with a headline performance by RY X and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Ceramics Residency: Liwan is partnering with Uzbekistan’s ACDF and Qatar Fashion & Crafts Council to bring Uzbek clay masters to Doha for workshops and a collaborative residency. Heritage on Display: Katara’s “Mark and Memory” exhibition showcases stamps as records of Gulf life, from traditional crafts and music to pearl diving; it runs until December 3. Fashion and Art: Qatar Museums has opened “Fables in Fashion 2026” at the National Museum of Qatar, reimagining Wahy Al-Qalam through fashion and art. Qatari Cinema: Short film “SANAD” has earned 25 awards across 50 international film festivals.

Fashion & Literature: “Fables in Fashion 2026” has opened at the National Museum of Qatar, bringing seven designers and 30 visual artists into conversation with Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi’i’s Wahy Al-Qalam. The exhibition runs through November 28. Arts & Activities: Qatar Museums’ November programme invites the public to sketch, build and play, while Doha Design District has opened “Designed to Last,” featuring Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah. Music: Qatar Foundation and Madrid’s Reina Sofía School of Music are celebrating Arab-Iberian musical heritage with a joint programme. Film: Doha Film Festival’s Cinema Alkhaleej programme will spotlight regional stories, and Qatari short film SANAD has earned 25 awards at international festivals.

MotoGP: Yamaha has withdrawn from the Qatar Grand Prix over regional safety concerns. MotoGP says the race remains on the calendar and warned the team could face sporting penalties. Qatar Museums: November’s programme brings workshops in art, calligraphy, fashion, jewellery and film to museums and cultural spaces across the country. Fashion and Art: At the National Museum of Qatar, Fables in Fashion turns a classic work of Arabic literature into designs by seven fashion designers and 30 visual artists; it runs until November 28. Design: Doha Design District’s Designed to Last exhibition explores slow fashion, upcycling and regional crafts through displays and live demonstrations, through November 5. Film: Doha Film Festival’s Cinema Alkhaleej programme will spotlight seven films and regional stories, while Qatari short film SANAD has collected 25 awards at international festivals. Music: Qatar Foundation and Madrid’s Reina Sofía School of Music brought Arab–Iberian musical heritage to life with performances, research and workshops.

Museum Highlights: Qatar Museums’ November programme brings workshops in calligraphy, fashion, jewellery and architecture to venues across the country, alongside family activities and sport. Fashion & Design: Two exhibitions put craft and storytelling in focus: Fables in Fashion at the National Museum of Qatar transforms a classic work of Arabic literature through fashion and visual art, while Doha Design District’s Designed to Last champions upcycling and regional heritage crafts through November 5. Qatar on Screen: Qatari short film SANAD has collected 25 awards across 50 international festivals, while the Doha Film Festival’s seven-film Cinema Alkhaleej programme will spotlight regional stories. Creative Exchange: Qatari artist Hissa Al-Khuzaei designed Pierre Gasly’s Mexico City Grand Prix helmet, blending influences from Qatari weaving and dunes with Mexican dance and textiles.

Qatari Cinema: Noor Al-Nasr’s short film SANAD has won 25 awards across 50 international festivals, including top short-film prizes in London and Sweden, and earned a place at Ajyal. At the Port: Qatar Boat Show opens November 4 at Old Doha Port, pairing yachts and marine displays with nightly live music, fireworks, drone shows and film screenings. Art on the F1 Grid: Doha-based artist Hissa Al-Khuzaei is designing Pierre Gasly’s Mexico Grand Prix helmet, blending Qatari Al Sadu patterns and desert dunes with Mexican dance and textiles. Design Doha: Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah’s Designed to Last exhibition, featuring 13 creations and photographs, runs in Msheireb through November 5. Festival Preview: Doha Film Festival’s seven-film Cinema Alkhaleej programme will spotlight regional stories and voices.

Design in Doha: Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah’s “Designed to Last” exhibition is showing 13 one-of-a-kind works at Doha Design District through November 5, with talks exploring craft, heritage and beauty. New Gallery: MIHAD opens in the district on November 4, with three exhibitions from November 5 featuring work on landscape, belonging, Arabic and Persian typography, and traditional craft. Arts and Entertainment: The Qatar Boat Show runs November 4–7 at Old Doha Port, pairing yacht displays with Doha Film Institute screenings, live music and drone shows. Film: Doha Film Festival’s November Cinema Alkhaleej programme will present seven films focused on regional stories and voices. Art Basel Qatar: The 2027 edition has announced 82 exhibitors and a year-round collector programme, extending the fair’s presence beyond its main event. Fashion: Fashion Trust Arabia has unveiled finalists for its 2026 awards.

Regional Cinema: Qatar-backed “9 Temples to Heaven” won Best Director at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, while the screenplay prize went to a film co-produced by Qatar and four other countries. Doha Film Festival: Its seven-film Cinema Alkhaleej programme will showcase Gulf stories, with Saudi Arabia contributing three titles, when the festival opens Nov. 19. Art Basel Qatar: The 2027 edition has named 82 exhibitors and launched a year-round programme for collectors. Fashion and Crafts: Qatar Museums has established a new council for the sector, while Fashion Trust Arabia has revealed finalists for its 2026 awards.

Culture and Dialogue: Sheikha Al Mayassa said Qatar will continue supporting cultural programmes despite global crises, calling culture a force for resilience, diplomacy and dialogue at CNN’s Global Perspectives event in Doha. Film: Doha Film Festival’s Cinema Alkhaleej will present seven films, while Japanese director Naomi Kawase will head the jury for its international feature competition. Visual Arts: Gerhard Richter’s permanent pavilion at MIA Park is set to open ahead of Qatar’s new contemporary art quadrennial. Fire Station will showcase work from its Artists Intensive Study Programme, and Mathaf has invited residents to join a sculpture-building world-record attempt. Art and Design: Art Basel Qatar has named 82 exhibitors for its 2027 edition and launched a year-round collector programme. Fashion Trust Arabia has also unveiled finalists for its 2026 awards, while M7 has opened three exhibitions focused on jewellery, fashion and contemporary craft.

Doha Film Festival: Cinema Alkhaleej will bring seven Gulf films—two features and five shorts—to the November 19–27 festival, showcasing stories from across the region. Contemporary Art: Fire Station’s first Artists Intensive Study Programme exhibition opens November 8, presenting new work by 22 artists from Qatar and 14 other countries. Community Art: Mathaf is inviting 20,000 people to help build a papier-mâché sculpture from reclaimed palm material in a Guinness World Records attempt. Live Music: Bollywood singers Anuradha Paudwal and Vinod Rathod perform Hindi film favourites at Aspire Zone Ladies Hall tonight. New Gallery: MIHAD opens at Doha Design District on November 4, with exhibitions exploring landscape, calligraphy and traditional craft.

Gulf Cinema: Doha Film Festival will screen seven films from across the region in its new Cinema Alkhaleej programme, running November 19–27. Community Art: Mathaf is inviting 20,000 people to help create a paper-mâché sculpture from reclaimed palm material and old exhibition catalogues, in a Guinness World Records attempt. Live Music: Bollywood singers Anuradha Paudwal and Vinod Rathod bring Hindi film classics to Aspire Zone Ladies Hall on October 30. Fashion: Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah’s “Designed to Last” exhibition is open at Doha Design District through November 5, featuring 13 one-of-a-kind looks. Photography: Tasweer’s “The Language of Athar” brings together work on memory, family and identity at Bayt Al Wakrah until December 15.

Qatar International Baja: The desert race gets under way today with a Lusail prologue before two days of action across Qatar. Fashion & Craft: Doha Design District’s “Designed to Last” exhibition showcases 13 creations by Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah at Msheireb Downtown until November 5. Art Basel Qatar: The 2027 edition has named 82 galleries and launched a year-round collector programme, with Wassan Al-Khudhairi as artistic director. Film: Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase will lead the Doha Film Festival’s international feature jury. Design Doha: Twenty finalists have been selected from more than 500 entries for the 2026 Prize; winners will be announced November 7. Cultural Vision: Sheikha Al Mayassa has announced a new Qatar Fashion and Crafts Council. Youth Sport: Four Qatari athletes will compete in athletics, swimming and fencing at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, opening October 31.

Design Doha: Twenty finalists have been named for the 2026 Design Doha Prize, selected from more than 500 entries. Winners will be announced November 7, with each receiving QAR 200,000 and a year of studio space in Doha. Art Basel Qatar: The 2027 fair will bring 82 galleries from 37 countries to Doha from January 28–30, with more than a third based in the MENASA region. Sheikha Al Mayassa says Qatar is pressing ahead with cultural events to foster dialogue despite regional tensions. Film: Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase will lead the Doha Film Festival’s international feature jury, which will select winners from 15 films. Fashion and craft: M7 has opened three exhibitions spanning jewellery, fashion and contemporary craft, on view through December 26. At the museums: The National Museum of Qatar has opened an exhibition exploring Italian artist Giuseppe Penone’s work with natural materials and the passage of time. Animation: Grendizer Xperienz opens in Doha on December 10, inviting longtime fans and younger visitors to explore the beloved series and its hand-drawn animation heritage.

Art Basel Qatar: The fair has named 82 galleries for its second edition, returning to Doha January 28–30, 2027, under curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi’s theme “between.” A new year-round Collectors Majlis will offer workshops, collection visits and cultural events to build connections between regional and international art communities. Film: Japanese director Naomi Kawase will lead the Doha Film Festival’s 2026 feature competition jury. The festival is also introducing its first accreditation programme for film lovers. Fashion and Crafts: Qatar Museums has announced the Qatar Fashion and Crafts Council, while Doha Design District’s “Designed to Last” exhibition spotlights Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah. Museum Exhibitions: Qatar Museums has opened “Beyti Beytak” at Fahad Bin Ali Palace, and Mathaf is presenting “What Lingers in the Artist’s Mind,” bringing Iraqi modernism into focus.

Art Basel Qatar: The fair has named 82 galleries from 37 countries for its second Doha edition, Jan. 28–30, 2027. Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi’s theme, “between,” will shape solo presentations across Msheireb Downtown; a new year-round Collectors Majlis will offer workshops, collection visits and cultural events. Doha Film Festival: Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase will lead the feature-film jury for the Nov. 19–27 festival, alongside filmmakers and artists from across the region and beyond. Fashion and Crafts: Qatar Museums has announced a new council focused on the country’s fashion and crafts sectors. Exhibitions: Doha Design District is presenting Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah’s “Designed to Last,” while Mathaf’s exhibition brings seven decades of Iraqi modern art into focus. Qatar Museums has also opened “Beyti Beytak” at Fahad Bin Ali Palace.

Creative Industries: Qatar Museums chair Sheikha Al Mayassa announced a new Fashion and Crafts Council to guide investment and help local talent reach global markets. Museum Shows: The National Museum of Qatar’s “Boats Floating Afar” traces a thousand years of Chinese ceramic trade through more than 100 objects, with the exhibition running until February 15. “Beyti Beytak” has also opened at Fahad Bin Ali Palace. Film: Doha Film Festival named Japanese director Naomi Kawase to lead its 2026 international feature jury, alongside filmmaker Kamal Aljafari, actor Adam Bessa and others. Design: Doha Design District’s “Designed to Last” exhibition spotlights Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah. Family Events: The FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy tour starts at Doha Festival City on October 29, with further stops at West Walk and Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Creative Industries: Qatar Museums chair Sheikha Al Mayassa has announced a new Qatar Fashion and Crafts Council to support investment, partnerships and local talent. Fashion & Design: Doha Design District’s “Designed to Last” opens on October 28, showcasing 13 looks by Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah, with talks and activities through November 3. Film: Japanese director Naomi Kawase will lead the Doha Film Festival jury when the festival runs November 19–27. Heritage & Art: Qatar Museums has opened two exhibitions at Fahad Bin Ali Palace, including “Beyti Beytak: My Home is Your Home”; Mathaf’s “What Lingers in the Artist’s Mind” explores seven decades of Iraqi modernism. On the Calendar: Tickets are on sale for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, running November 19–December 13, and its trophy tour begins at Doha Festival City on October 29.