Under atmospheric pressure, quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones were obtained from the reaction of 2-aminobenzonitriles with carbon dioxide (0.1 MPa) with a catalytic amount of N-heterocyclic carbene in DMSO. It was found that various electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups such as –OMe, –F, –Cl, –Br, –CH₃, –CF₃ and –CN were well tolerated to give the products in almost quantitative yields.