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ArtMuseums

by Alexandra Mansilla

Inside Doha’s Top Art Galleries: A Visual Guide

14 Jul 2025

KAWS, CHUM, 2008. © KAWS. Private Collection. Photo: Ali Faisal Al Anssari

Planning a trip to Doha and want to dive into the city’s art galleries? If you are looking to get a real sense of the Doha art scene in 2025, these are the must-visit art spaces in Qatar. Each gallery has its own unique story and plays a key role in shaping where to see contemporary art in Doha right now.

Doha Fire Station

One of the most iconic modern art galleries in Doha, the Doha Fire Station has a fascinating history. Originally built in 1982, it served as a fire station for three decades. In December 2012, the last fire engine was removed, and the building became part of the Qatar Museums network. By 2015, it had been transformed into a creative hub and exhibition space dedicated to supporting local artists in Doha. The building has kept much of its industrial charm (yes, the fireman’s pole is still there!), and is now home to the Fire Station’s celebrated Artist in Residence (AIR) programme — a nine-month journey for Qatar-based artists that gives them studios, mentorship, critiques, and access to some very cool workshops and fabrication labs. It is one of those rare places where you can literally watch the next wave of Qatari creativity come to life.
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There is also the Ruwad in Residence Programme, launched in 2021, which supports established Qatari artists and encourages a genuine exchange between early-career and more experienced creatives. Add to that the Visiting Artist & Curator Residencies (including international opportunities in Paris and New York), and you start to see why the Fire Station is such a cornerstone of the Doha art scene 2025.
The fire station is now home to several different gallery spaces: the Garage Gallery for major shows, Gallery 3 & 4 for exhibitions by alumni of their residency programmes, and even the Al Markhiya gallery out in the plaza.
The Fire Station is a full ecosystem, offering a cinema for talks and screenings, an education studio for hands-on workshops, and even Cass Art (yes, you can pick up art supplies on your visit). There is Café #999 and a bookshop for when you want to just hang out and soak up the vibe — a huge part of why it is one of the best cultural spots in Doha for locals and visitors alike.
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“Neighbours of the Sea” by Wafika Sultan Al-Essa and Hassan Al-Mulla. Instagram: @dohafirestation

Recent years have brought some amazing exhibitions: “Neighbours of the Sea” and “Etheralscape” (showcasing artists from the AIR and Ruwad in Residence Programmes), not to mention big international blockbusters like “Kaws: He Eats Alone” and a Picasso show. It is an essential destination for anyone wondering where to see contemporary art in Doha, or looking to tap into the local energy of Qatar’s creative scene.
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KAWS, HE EATS ALONE, 2014; KAWS, DAYS FEEL LIKE MINUTES, 2013. © KAWS. Private Collection. Photo: Ali Faisal Al Anssari

So whether you are an art world insider, a fan of visual arts Qatar, or just someone looking for hidden gem art galleries in Qatar, the Fire Station is one spot that should be at the top of your list. You don’t just visi — you experience it, alongside the artists who are shaping the future of Qatari art.

ALHosh Gallery

ALhosh is one of those hidden gem art galleries in Qatar that really feels local. Founded in 2008, Alhosh began as an independent project to support and promote visual arts in Qatar, especially young and emerging artists. The gallery is known for staging exhibitions that push boundaries, champion experimental work, and sometimes even pop up in new venues around Doha. ALhosh is also a real gathering place for creative discussions and artist talks, making it the perfect entry point if you are curious about where to see contemporary art in Doha or want to meet the people shaping its future.
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“Deen: Art and Islam – A Journey of Faith”. Source: alhosh.qa

Over the years, ALhosh has hosted some standout gallery exhibitions in Doha — from the recent “Deen: Art and Islam – A Journey of Faith,” which explored Islamic spirituality through calligraphy and installations, to its current international summer exhibition “Sensory Summer,” featuring over 120 artists from Qatar, the GCC, the Arab world, and Europe. The gallery also served as the Doha launch venue for "African Art: The ARAK Collection" — a major celebration of contemporary African creativity.
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“Sensory Summer”. Instagram: @alhoshgallery

What makes ALhosh special is just how close you get to the creative process. This isn’t just a place to look at finished works — it is where you might meet the artist at an opening, catch a casual talk, or stumble into a pop-up market selling everything from zines to handmade jewelry. If you are into visual arts Qatar, want to discover up-and-coming talent, or just love spaces with real community vibes, ALhosh should definitely be on your list of the best cultural spots in Doha.

Al Markhiya Gallery

We already mentioned this spot earlier, but it is worth a closer look: Al Markhiya Gallery (one of them) sits right on the grounds of the Fire Station and is truly one of the must-visit art spaces in Qatar if you want to understand the real contemporary art scene in Doha.
Al Markhiya Gallery is actually the oldest privately owned gallery in Qatar. Founded back in 2008 at Souq Waqif, it quickly became a central hub for local artists in Doha. In 2017, Al Markhiya opened its second location at the Fire Station, expanding its reach within the city’s vibrant art scene.
What makes Al Markhiya stand out among the top art galleries in Doha is its unique approach to programming. The gallery brings together emerging local talent and celebrated names from across the Arab world, creating shows that always feel fresh, relevant, and deeply connected to what is happening right now in visual arts in Qatar.
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“Traces of Her, Traces of Words”. Instagram: @almarkhiyagallery

At the moment, Al Markhiya’s Fire Station space is hosting “Traces of Her, Traces of Words,” a solo show by Jordanian artist Hayan Maani and Iraqi artist Omar Al Shehabi. Together, they explore the subtle spaces where language, memory, and emotion blur, tracing what is felt rather than spoken. Meanwhile, the Katara Cultural Village space is showing “Between Past and Present,” a group exhibition showcasing the work of artists based in Qatar who explore the expressive potential of pastel as a medium.
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“Traces of Her, Traces of Words”. Instagram: @almarkhiyagallery

Whether you are just looking to see contemporary art in Doha or hoping to meet the artists and curators shaping the scene, Al Markhiya is always a top pick. It is a place where you can really feel the city’s creative energy — and it offers a genuine window into both the heritage and the future of art in Qatar.

Katara Art Center

This one is tucked away inside Katara Cultural Village — a spot you won’t want to miss if you are exploring art galleries in Doha or looking for something off the beaten path. Katara Art Center (KAC) has been a real catalyst for the Doha art scene 2025 ever since architect Tariq Al Jaidah opened its doors in 2012. He wanted to give artists a proper playground to experiment, collaborate, and show their work — and it really shows. KAC never feels stuffy or overly polished; the vibe is relaxed, creative, and sometimes even a little wild.
The centre itself is split into eight different spaces, making it feel more like a little arts village than a single gallery. You have got the Concept Space for headline exhibitions, a Pink Room, a dedicated Book Shop, and even a Blue Ribbon Design Atelier for those into design. Plus, Al Markhiya Gallery has its own corner here, there is the Courtyard for events, and of course, the main Exhibition Space where you will find rotating gallery exhibitions Doha.
Right now, we are especially into “In Depth .. No Place” by Wasfi Al Hadidi — a solo show running until July 31, 2025. Through intricate forms and textured surfaces, Al Hadidi manipulates clay into vessels of psychological weight. These ceramic pieces — at once sculptural and organic — feel like silent witnesses to the tension between presence and absence, belonging and exile, earth and ether.

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

You can’t put together a list of art museums in Doha without mentioning Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. Opened in 2010 in Education City, Mathaf was the first museum in the region entirely dedicated to modern and contemporary art from the Arab world. With a collection of over 9,000 works, it has become one of the largest hubs for contemporary art Doha has to offer. Mathaf is where you get a real sense of the depth and evolution of Arab creativity, and it is constantly hosting exhibitions and events that make it a true anchor in the Doha art scene 2025.
Mathaf stands out in the Doha art scene 2025 because it is dedicated to showing how Arab artists have responded to massive changes — war, migration, identity, and everything in between. The museum isn’t just about paintings, either: you will find sculpture, photography, film, and experimental new media from all across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond.
What is cool about Mathaf is the mix: you will see historic works from the 19th and early 20th centuries right alongside bold, experimental pieces by younger local artists in Doha and the wider region.
Currently, there is a ton happening at Mathaf. One highlight is “Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices,” running through August 9, 2025 — a multi-screen show featuring over 40 filmmakers and artists from the Arab, African, and Southeast Asian worlds, using everything from documentary to animation to explore memory, exile, and belonging.
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“Wafa al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination”. Instagram: @mathafmodern

You will also find “Qatar: Close to My Soul,” which shines a spotlight on Qatari art in all its forms, from dreamy architectural landscapes to experimental abstraction and Arabic script. For those interested in influential local artists, the “Wafa al‑Hamad: Sites of Imagination” retrospective is running now too, celebrating the legacy of one of Qatar’s most important artist-educators.

Art Mill Museum (coming in 2030)

Here is the one everyone in Doha is buzzing about — and it is not even open yet. The Art Mill Museum is set to be the next big thing for art museums in Doha, and honestly, we can’t wait.
The museum is taking over a huge former flour mill right on the Corniche, just next to the Museum of Islamic Art. The building itself is being transformed by the award-winning Chilean architects ELEMENTAL (that is Alejandro Aravena’s team), who are keeping some of that industrial, raw vibe but turning it into an ultra-modern space for contemporary art, creativity, and culture. There will be gardens, public spaces, even an arts village — all designed to make this place a new centre for visual arts in Qatar.
The whole idea of the Art Mill Museum is to create a space where people can actually engage, experiment, and hang out. The collection will be global, spanning everything from painting and sculpture to photography, design, and even film and fashion, all from 1850 to today. It is designed to put Doha right at the centre of international conversations about modern and contemporary art.
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Source: qm.org.qa

The museum is supposed to open by 2030, but they have already teased us with “Art Mill Museum 2030” — a big preview exhibition inside the old silos, showing off what is coming and how the old mill will be reimagined. If you are planning your own list of must-visit art spaces in Qatar for the future, this one absolutely needs to be at the top.