Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie made a stylish appearance in Doha on Tuesday, attending the opening of the inaugural Art Basel Qatar and marking the Gulf state’s debut as host of the globally renowned art fair.

Jolie was spotted in the capital’s creative district wearing a softly toned, nude abaya as she mingled with artists and collectors during the VIP preview days, ahead of the public opening which start on February 5 and runs until February 7.

The American actress, a longtime advocate of creativity and social impact, has recently deepened her involvement in the arts through her New-York based project, Atelier Jolie. The venue centres on independent artisans, sustainability and the preservation of cultural heritage, values that closely align with her ethos.

During the VIP preview, the event drew a lively and tightly packed crowd, with collectors arriving from across Europe and the Middle East - with particularly strong turnouts from Lebanon and Egypt.

This first Doha edition also brings something refreshingly different to a fair that already has outposts in cities like Miami, Hong Kong and Paris. Rather than the usual maze of gallery booths, Art Basel Qatar opens up into an easy, walkable layout across M7 and the Doha Design District, encouraging visitors to wander, linger and discover.

Curated under the artistic direction of Wael Shawky, the fair revolves around the theme Becoming — a nod to transformation, reinvention and the Gulf’s unique position between deep-rooted histories and its forward-looking outlook to the future.

Art Basel Qatar will feature 84 artist presentations by 87 galleries spanning 31 countries and territories, including 16 newcomers to any Art Basel fairs. More than half of the artists presented in this first edition hail from the region, including Etel Adnan, Ali Banisadr, Simone Fattal, Ali Cherri, Meriem Bennani and Iman Issa.

Long celebrated as the world’s most influential contemporary art fair, Art Basel’s arrival in Doha feels like a moment. It cements the city’s place on the global art circuit while signalling Qatar’s growing confidence and ambition to become a key destination for collectors, creatives and cultural travellers alike.