DUBAI: Four designers and studios from Bahrain, Lebanon and Iran have been named winners of the Design Doha Prize 2026 in recognition of their innovative approaches to craftsmanship, sustainability and contemporary design.
The winners were honored at Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art during a ceremony attended by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, who said: “Design Doha is an investment, connecting talent with industry, designers with architects and developers, and regional creativity with public and private capital projects.”
Selected from more than 550 applications, the winners were chosen by a 24-member international jury headed by Iranian-French designer India Mahdavi. Each receives QR200,000 ($55,000), alongside international mentorship opportunities and studio space in Doha.
Bahrain-based studio Bahraini-Danish, comprising Batool Al-Shaikh, Maitham Al-Mubarak and Christian Vennerstrom, won the Craft category for “Mesh!,” a modular creation made from reclaimed teak wood that reinterprets traditional Bahraini woodworking and weaving techniques.
Lebanese designer Dia Mrad’s Post Design Studio took home the Product Design award for “PSI-01,” an installation reflecting Lebanon’s unreliable electricity infrastructure through a colour-coded power supply indicator.
Fellow Lebanese designer Shaha Raphael won the Furniture Design category for “Low Tide,” a collection inspired by Mediterranean marine forms and created in collaboration with local artisans, while Iranian designer Yasamin Shaikhi received the Emerging Talent award for “The Spoils: Lights From Waste,” a sculptural lighting piece fashioned from discarded rice and date pits.
The awards formed part of the second Design Doha Biennial, which runs until January 2027.
