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.

Growing up between Tunisia and Algeria, Moumni’s first experience of art was architectural. Roman ruins, Islamic palaces and layered histories formed his early aesthetic vocabulary. That deep sensitivity to cultural heritage now informs his curatorial and market insight at Christie’s, where he has championed Arab modernism and contemporary voices on a global platform.

One of his most meaningful projects was curating MARWAN: A Soul in Exile, dedicated to the Syrian-German painter Marwan Kassab-Bachi. The exhibition not only revisited Marwan’s powerful exploration of exile and estrangement but reaffirmed the place of Arab artists within international art history. The show’s move to Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue signals how the Gulf is no longer peripheral — it is central.

For Moumni, the region’s transformation over the past 25 years has been extraordinary. Strategic investments in museums and cultural institutions have reshaped the narrative. The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, designed by I. M. Pei, remains one of his favourites — a space where architecture and collection achieve quiet harmony.

Yet perhaps the most significant moment ahead is the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar, to be held at M7 in Doha. The appointment of Egyptian artist Wael Shawky as artistic director marks a pivotal shift: a major international fair shaped through a regional lens. The focus on solo presentations promises depth over spectacle, allowing artists such as Nadia Ayari and Ahmed Mater to engage audiences with clarity and force.

Beyond prestige, Moumni believes the real transformation is generational. Museums and fairs are not merely commercial platforms; they are educational infrastructures. As opportunities grow for local artists, curators and collectors, the Gulf is beginning to articulate its own voice — one that bridges heritage and global dialogue.

The boom is not simply economic. It is cultural authorship in motion.