DOHA, Qatar – In a groundbreaking cultural partnership, Qatar Airways has announced its collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist and entrepreneur Swizz Beatz. The announcement was made at the prestigious Art Basel Paris event in 2025, where Qatar Airways is also serving as a Premium Partner for all five of Art Basel’s world-renowned fairs.
The partnership between Qatar Airways and Swizz Beatz marks the first global creative platform by an airline, celebrating the world’s most visionary talents. To kick off this collaboration, Swizz Beatz’s company, ‘The Dean Collection’, has joined forces with Qatar Airways to launch the annual Qatar Airways Creative 100. This platform will celebrate the most influential creatives whose work is shaping the future of global culture. The inaugural event for this initiative will take place during Art Basel Qatar in February 2026.
The ‘Creative 100′ will showcase 100 visionaries from various fields such as art, design, music, technology, and sports. The first round of inductees includes well-known names such as Grammy Award-winning South African DJ and producer Black Coffee, Olympic fencing champion and style innovator Miles Chamley-Watson, and CEO of Danish high-end electronics company Bang & Olufsen Kristian Teär. The list also features American fashion designer and co-founder of AMBUSH, Yoon Ahn, and Ferrari’s Chief Design Officer Flavio Manzoni. From the world of arts, the inductees include sculptor Kennedy Yanko and visual artist Patrick Eugene.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, expressed his excitement about this partnership, stating, “At Qatar Airways, creativity fuels everything we do. Our partnership with Swizz Beatz reflects our shared belief that creativity has the power to inspire, unite, and transform the way the world connects. Through the Qatar Airways Creative 100, we celebrate those whose ideas shape culture and bring people together through creativity and artistry across borders.”
The Dean Collection Co-Founder, Swizz Beatz, also shared his thoughts on the collaboration, saying, “Qatar Airways doesn’t just move people, it moves the world. That’s why this partnership feels so natural. Together, we’re creating a platform that shines a light on the most inspiring people of our time. The Qatar Airways Creative 100, in collaboration with The Dean Collection, is just the beginning.”
The partnership will also enhance the Qatar Airways passenger experience through merchandise and various onboard experiences. As the first expression of creativity from the Qatar Airways Creative 100, the two collaborative forces revealed renders of a special edition Formula 1® livery to commemorate the airline’s role as Global Airline Partner. An additional livery to celebrate the airline’s partnership with The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be revealed at a later stage.
Qatar Airways will also launch a dedicated digital platform for the Qatar Airways Creative 100, acting as a cultural hub that showcases films, interviews, podcasts, and city guides designed by global creators. The platform will also offer exclusive benefits for Privilege Club members, including access to masterclasses led by Creative 100 inductees and priority invitations to flagship cultural events.
Swizz Beatz, also known as Kassem Daoud Dean, is a Grammy Award-winning music producer, artist, and a Harvard Business School graduate. He co-founded The Dean Collection with his wife and music icon Alicia Keys, and their private art collection was the subject of a 2024 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. The collection continues to be exhibited at national and international art institutes, with more than 500,000 attendees in just three shows so far.
This partnership is another milestone in Qatar Airways’ commitment to the arts, as the airline announced a global partnership with Art Basel earlier this year. As Art Basel’s Premium Partner, Qatar Airways will support all of the fair’s prestigious annual exhibitions in Basel, Paris, Hong Kong, Miami Beach, and its newly launched edition in Qatar. This alliance aims to deepen the airline’s connection with a culture and art-forward global demographic through one of the world’s most respected names in the art sector.
About Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, a multiple award-winning airline, has been voted the ‘World’s Best Airline’ for an unprecedented ninth time at the 2025 World Airline Awards by Skytrax. The airline has previously won this title in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Qatar Airways has also received recognition for ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways has been named the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ 13 times.
The airline currently serves over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its hub, Hamad International Airport, which has been voted the ‘
