The launch of the second edition of the Design Doha Prize, a prestigious biennial initiative that celebrates and supports exceptional talent in the field of design across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has been announced by Qatar Museums.

Design Doha’s second edition will run from April 16 to June 30, 2026. The prize honours four designers, selected across four different design categories: craft, product design, furniture design, and a newly introduced category for emerging talent in 2025. The open call for applications started on April 20 with submissions closing on June 30.

The prize aims to empower designers, provide valuable mentorship, and a platform to showcase their work to a wider global audience and is part of the Design Doha biennale, a premier international design festival celebrating contemporary design, innovation, and creativity in Qatar and the wider region.

“The Design Doha Prize, under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, reflects her unwavering dedication to nurturing talent and fostering connections between local designers and global platforms,” said Fahad Al Obaidly, Acting Director of Design Doha.

“This initiative recognises design excellence and affirms Qatar’s role as a cultural hub for Arab creative entrepreneurship. By supporting designers from the MENA region, the Prize helps alleviate financial pressures, enabling recipients to focus on innovation and the advancement of their practice.”

Carefully selected by Her Excellency, the prize jury comprises leading figures in design and retail, ensuring winners gain exclusive access to industry leaders and market opportunities. In addition, the significant media exposure generated around the prize further amplifies the reach of the winning designers, raising the global profile of Arab design and solidifying its place on the international stage.

Each winner will receive a monetary prize of QR200,000, along with mentorship opportunities, international exposure, access to global retail, and a design residency. The prize will be awarded following a rigorous evaluation, during which twenty finalists will showcase their designs to a renowned jury panel. Their designs will also be displayed in a dedicated pop-up exhibition, open to the public for two weeks. The programme will conclude with an official prize ceremony, where the four selected winners will be announced.

GO: Visit www.qm.org.qa/en/ or https://designdoha.org.qa/en/calendar/design-doha-prize/ for more information.