Art & Culture

Picasso in Abu Dhabi: A Powerful Journey Through the Human Figure

Art lovers in the UAE have a rare opportunity this season as a major exhibition dedicated to one of the most influential artists of the 20th century opens its doors in Abu Dhabi. Titled “Picasso, the Figure,” the exhibition explores the lifelong fascination of Pablo Picasso with the human body and how he reshaped its representation in modern art.

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The Gulf’s Rise as a Global Art Fair Hub

Over the past two decades, the Gulf region has transformed into one of the most dynamic centers for international art fairs. Once considered a peripheral market in the global art scene, cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are now hosting some of the most influential cultural events in the world.

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Sheikh Mohammed and the Art of Dubai’s Future

In a city defined by ambition and architectural boldness, art too is becoming part of the public narrative. This year’s edition of the Dubai Collection places Dubai’s cultural vision in focus — with a masterpiece from the private collection of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stepping into public view.

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Arab Voices Rise at the 61st Venice Biennale 2026

As the 61st edition of the Venice Biennale prepares to open this May in Venice, Arab nations are stepping confidently onto one of the most influential stages in the global art world. More than a prestigious exhibition, the Biennale is a platform where countries define their cultural narratives, artists reshape international discourse, and contemporary art becomes a mirror of political and social realities.

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Baghdad’s Avant-Garde Reborn at NYU Abu Dhabi

A pivotal chapter in modern Arab art history is taking centre stage in the Gulf. At the New York University Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, the exhibition All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group revisits one of the most radical and intellectually ambitious movements in the Middle East.

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Where Nature Meets the City: Abu Dhabi’s New Cultural Landmark

On Saadiyat Island, a new architectural presence is quietly redefining what a museum can be. The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, designed by Dutch firm Mecanoo, is not simply a place to observe fossils and dinosaur skeletons. It is emerging as one of Abu Dhabi’s most important public gathering spaces.

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Nour Elbasuni: Soft Revolutions at Home

In the evolving landscape of contemporary Middle Eastern art, Nour Elbasuni emerges as a quietly powerful voice. Rooted in Egyptian heritage and raised in Qatar, her work reflects the layered cultural identity of the Arab world — one shaped by migration, memory, tradition and rapid modern transformation.

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Maximal Miniatures: Identity, Myth, and Memory in Contemporary Iranian Art

Maximal Miniatures: Contemporary Art from Iran, curated by Donna Honarpisheh, brought together 13 leading Iranian artists to reconsider one of the most refined visual traditions in Islamic art history: the Persian miniature. Presented at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, the exhibition (January 31 – August 22, 2025) explored how a historically intimate art form can expand into bold, conceptually layered contemporary practice.

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Ridha Moumni on the Gulf’s Cultural Awakening and the Rise of a New Arab Art Era

As the Middle East’s cultural landscape accelerates into a new era, few figures stand at its crossroads quite like Ridha Moumni. Chairman of the Middle East and Africa at Christie's, Moumni reflects not only on the region’s artistic evolution but on the personal encounters that shaped his vision — from North African architecture to the contemporary art boom in the Gulf.

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Between Movements and Memories: Inside the 2026 Diriyah Biennale

As the global art scene increasingly turns toward the Middle East, the Diriyah Biennale 2026 emerges as one of the most significant cultural events of the decade. More than a large-scale exhibition, the biennale stands as a living archive of stories shaped by displacement, resilience, spirituality, and transformation.

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Rand Abdul Jabbar: When Water Remembers

In a world facing climate change, water scarcity, and rapid urban expansion, contemporary art is increasingly becoming a space where humanity reflects on its relationship with nature. At the heart of this movement lies a powerful question: What remains when everything is washed away?

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Between Two Worlds: The Modern Muslim Woman’s Quiet Search for Herself

There is something about being in the air that makes the soul speak louder. When a woman boards a plane alone, leaving behind her home, family, and responsibilities for a few hours, she enters a rare space of silence and reflection. Suspended between two destinations, she is no longer defined by where she comes from or where she is going. In that moment, she is simply herself.

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When Hands Hold History

As Syria slowly rises from years of war, its cities are not the only things being rebuilt. A quieter struggle is taking place behind workshop doors, in places where fire, wood, silk, and glass once shaped the soul of Damascus.

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Where the Red Sea Tells Its Story

In the heart of Historic Jeddah, where coral-stone buildings lean into narrow streets, a new cultural landmark has opened its doors — one that does not simply display history, but allows visitors to step inside it. The Red Sea Museum is more than a museum; it is a journey through time, water, and human connection.

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Art Cairo 2026: Where Arab Art Meets the World

At the heart of Cairo, inside the monumental Grand Egyptian Museum, Art Cairo 2026 unfolds as more than just an art fair. It feels like a statement. A declaration that Arab contemporary art is no longer peripheral, but confidently positioned within the global cultural conversation.

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Picasso Unbound: How The Figure at Louvre Abu Dhabi Reimagines a Modern Master

In the serene galleries of Louvre Abu Dhabi, a new chapter in one of the most transformative artistic journeys of the 20th century unfolds. Picasso, The Figure — a landmark exhibition running from January 21 to May 31, 2026 — revisits Pablo Picasso’s lifelong engagement with the human body, revealing how even his most radical innovations remained rooted in a profound connection to the figure.

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Wishes in Motion: Fatma Lootah, OMNIYAT, and the Poetry of Quiet Vision

In a city defined by speed, scale, and spectacle, Fatma Lootah’s work has always moved differently. Her practice unfolds slowly, guided not by declaration but by reflection. For decades, the Emirati artist has built a visual language rooted in memory, time, and emotional presence — one that privileges feeling over explanation.

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Where Art Meets the Desert: Desert X AlUla 2026 Unveils Its Vision

Set against the dramatic landscapes of northwestern Saudi Arabia, Desert X AlUla 2026 returns this season with an ambitious new edition that transforms the desert into a vast open-air gallery. Running from 16 January to 28 February, the exhibition brings together leading international and regional artists whose works respond directly to AlUla’s natural, cultural, and historical environment.

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Crime Writing in the Spotlight at Emirates LitFest 2026

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, widely known as Emirates LitFest, has long been one of the Middle East’s most influential cultural events. Each year, it brings together writers, readers, thinkers and creatives from around the world to celebrate storytelling in all its forms. In 2026, the festival places a special spotlight on one of the most compelling and fast-evolving genres: crime writing.

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A Cosmic Archive of Seeing: Lara Baladi’s Expansive Vision at Tintera

In Cosmovision, her first solo exhibition in Cairo in more than a decade, Lara Baladi unfolds a practice that is as ambitious in scale as it is intimate in reflection. Presented at Tintera, one of Cairo’s few spaces dedicated to photography, the exhibition reads as both a personal archive and a meditation on the fate of the photographic image itself.

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Resolutions and Refusal: Mathaf at 15 and the Power of Arab Art Today

As it marks its fifteenth anniversary, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art reasserts its role not only as a guardian of modern Arab art history, but as a living, responsive institution deeply engaged with the urgencies of the present. Through two parallel exhibitions—Resolutions: Celebrating 15 Years of Mathaf and we refuse_d—the museum offers a powerful reflection on memory, resistance, and the continued necessity of artistic expression.

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Art Dubai 2026: Mapping Contemporary, Modern, and Digital Art in the Middle East and Beyond

Over the past two decades, Art Dubai has grown into one of the most influential cultural platforms in the Middle East, offering a space where regional artistic practices meet global conversations. More than an art fair, Art Dubai functions as a curatorial ecosystem—one that reflects shifting artistic, political, and technological realities across the Global South and beyond.

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The National Museum of Qatar: Fifty Years of Memory, Identity, and Reinvention

Standing at the heart of Doha, the National Museum of Qatar is far more than a cultural landmark. It is a living chronicle of Qatar’s national identity, tracing the country’s transformation over the past five decades. As the museum marks its fiftieth anniversary, it offers a reflective narrative that mirrors Qatar’s broader journey of heritage preservation, modernization, and cultural self-definition.

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Horizons of Expression: The Art Events Shaping Looking Ahead: Key Contemporary Art Moments in the Middle East for 2026

As the Middle East continues to assert itself as a vital force within the global contemporary art landscape, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year. Across Saudi Arabia in particular, large-scale exhibitions are rethinking how art engages with land, history, and movement—placing the region at the centre of new curatorial and artistic conversations.

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Shaping the Future of Contemporary Arab Art: The Evolving Vision of the Ithra Art Prize

The contemporary art landscape of the Middle East is undergoing a profound transformation. New institutions, biennales, and cultural initiatives are reshaping how art is produced, exhibited, and understood across the region. Within this dynamic context, the Ithra Art Prize has established itself as one of the most significant platforms dedicated to supporting artists from the Arab world, not only through recognition, but through sustained engagement with artistic practice.

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Art as Architecture: Wynn Al Marjan Island’s Vision for a Living Museum

As luxury hospitality continues to evolve beyond spectacle and scale, a new paradigm is emerging—one where art is no longer decorative, but foundational. This philosophy lies at the heart of Wynn Al Marjan Island, which has announced the unveiling of a museum-calibre art collection ahead of its highly anticipated opening in Spring 2027.

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Art Basel Qatar 2026: A Transformative Debut for Contemporary Art in Doha

Art Basel Qatar is set to make its highly anticipated debut from 5 to 7 February 2026, marking a significant milestone in the global art calendar and the cultural evolution of Qatar. Held in collaboration with Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) and QC+, the inaugural edition will take place across Msheireb Downtown Doha, positioning the city as a major hub for contemporary artistic dialogue.

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Reviving Jeddah’s Historic Gateway: The Red Sea Museum Reopens Bab Al-Bunt

Jeddah’s historic seaport has taken on a new life as the Red Sea Museum, transforming Bab Al-Bunt, the city’s iconic gateway, into a vibrant cultural space that bridges history and contemporary art. For centuries, the pointed double-curved arches of Bab Al-Bunt welcomed pilgrims arriving by sea, marking the final leg of their spiritual journey to Makkah and Madinah.

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Between Water and Memory: How Dina Nazmi Khorchid Weaves Identity Through Nature and Textiles

Palestinian artist Dina Nazmi Khorchid stands at a powerful intersection where memory, landscape, and loss converge. Her practice transforms nature into a witness, textiles into an emotional architecture, and water into a shifting mirror of histories—personal and collective. Through weaving, print, and layered materials, she maps a terrain shaped by displacement, longing, and the fragile idea of home.

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Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire — Louvre Abu Dhabi Revives the Golden Age of Islamic Power and Artistry

When Louvre Abu Dhabi announced “Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire”, it signaled far more than another major exhibition—it opened a gateway to one of the most powerful and artistically rich eras in Islamic history. Running from 17 September 2025 to 25 January 2026, the exhibition brings together over 250 masterpieces, revealing the extraordinary legacy of a dynasty that shaped the Middle East and echoed across continents.

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Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire — Louvre Abu Dhabi Revives the Golden Age of Islamic Power and Artistry

When Louvre Abu Dhabi announced “Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire”, it signaled far more than another major exhibition—it opened a gateway to one of the most powerful and artistically rich eras in Islamic history. Running from 17 September 2025 to 25 January 2026, the exhibition brings together over 250 masterpieces, revealing the extraordinary legacy of a dynasty that shaped the Middle East and echoed across continents.

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A Slow Burn: How Beirut’s Emerging Artists Turn Uncertainty Into Creative Fire

In a city shaped by cycles of disruption, resilience, and reinvention, Beirut Art Center’s latest exhibition, “A Slow Burn”, captures the quiet intensity that simmers beneath Lebanon’s contemporary art scene. Running from November 13, 2025 to February 28, 2026, the exhibition emerged from an open call inviting young artists from Lebanon and the wider region to explore the theme of fire — not only as an element, but as a metaphor for transformation, instability, and latent power.

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Land, Water, and the Memory Between: Reimagining Borders at Kalba Ice Factory

Set along the quiet coastline of Kalba, Of Land and Water unfolds as more than an exhibition—it becomes a meditation on everything that moves, settles, erodes, and transforms. Drawing from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, the show assembles large-scale works that explore how land and sea shape identity, memory, and the fragile geographies we call home.

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Across the Region: The Middle East’s Must-See Art Exhibitions This Week

As 2025 draws to a close, cities across the Middle East are alive with exhibitions that explore memory, innovation, resilience, and the shifting landscapes of contemporary life. From light-driven installations in Riyadh to meditations on identity in Abu Dhabi, the region’s cultural scene is more dynamic than ever. Here is a curated look at the shows currently shaping conversations across art, culture, and design.

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Cairo Design Week 2025: A City Reimagined Through the Power of Design

Cairo is preparing for a landmark moment as Cairo Design Week 2025 approaches — an edition that promises to be its most expressive and ambitious yet. From 20 to 29 November 2025, Egypt’s capital will unfold into a vast, open-air museum where culture, architecture, creativity and innovation come together in a celebration of global design.

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When Light Becomes Heritage: Emirati Voices Shine at Dhai Dubai

In Dubai, a new festival is illuminating the city — not merely with light, but with meaning. Dhai Dubai, returning for its second edition from November 12 to 18, 2025, at Al Wasl Plaza in Expo City Dubai, redefines what a light festival can be. Entirely curated and created by Emirati artists, it celebrates light as both art and heritage, weaving the nation’s identity into radiant form.

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Arab and Middle Eastern Galleries at Art Basel Qatar 2026

The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar 2026 is set to feature an impressive lineup of galleries from across the Arab and Middle Eastern region, showcasing the vibrant and diverse artistic voices of the area. These galleries play a vital role in promoting local talents, fostering cultural exchange, and expanding the global visibility of regional art practices.

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"Lines and Forms" Sumayyah Samaha

n Lines and Forms, art exhibition at Leila Heller’s Gallery, Samaha’s work unfolds like a visual conversation, where each piece begins with forms laid on a blank canvas, one naturally leading to the next.

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Egypt is welcoming back travellers in July

Some accommodations around the country opened for domestic tourists on 1 June. Hotels must receive a government-approved hygiene safety certificate before welcoming guests again, and they will be allowed to operate at just 50% capacity.

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Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall

While museums around the world are shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Apollo’s usual weekly pick of exhibition openings will be replaced by a selection of digital initiatives providing virtual access to art and culture.

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Beirut Art Fair 2020

BEIRUT ART FAIR is an international modern and contemporary art fair with a focus on the artistic scenes of the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin.

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