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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.
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.
At just 26, Maryam Al Falasi has emerged as one of the UAE’s youngest and most dynamic art patrons — a collector, advisor and founder of Iris Projects, a commercial gallery redefining regional representation in Abu Dhabi.
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.
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.
Art Basel Qatar 2026 is more than an art fair — it is a cultural milestone for the Middle East. For three dynamic days, Doha becomes the meeting point for the world’s most influential galleries, visionary artists, and creative leaders, turning the city into a living museum of contemporary expression.
As the global art world turns its attention to the Gulf, Saudi Arabia is doing something deeply intentional: it is looking inward, revisiting its Modern art roots to shape what comes next.
In Abu Dhabi, inside the light-filled space of Iris Projects, Emirati artist Shamsa Al Omaira transforms loss into something quietly powerful. Her first solo exhibition in more than a decade, Hard like Tears, Soft like Glass, is not simply a show — it is an emotional landscape built from memories, fragments, and healing.
In a city known for its bold skyline and cultural diversity, Shadab Khan stands out as a powerful voice in contemporary art. The Dubai-based, multi-award-winning artist has built a distinctive practice through fluid art, a technique defined by movement, colour, and emotional depth.
In a city known for spectacle, Soul Kitchen in Business Bay stands out by doing the opposite. It whispers instead of shouting. Tucked away from the obvious hotspots, the restaurant has become a quiet cultural landmark — a space where food, art, and identity move together in harmony.
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has revealed the five shortlisted artists for the 7th edition of the Ithra Art Prize, reaffirming its position as one of the most influential platforms for contemporary art in the Arab world.
Set within the atmospheric ruins of an ancient pearling village, Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival 2026 invites visitors on a cultural journey through time, memory, and creative exchange. Now in its 14th edition, the festival returns with its most ambitious theme yet: “Civilizations”.
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.
This spring, the spotlight will fall anew on contemporary Arab art as the shortlist for the 7th Ithra Art Prize is revealed — a list that reflects the richness, diversity and critical urgency of artistic practice across the region.
Public space is never neutral. It carries memory, power, and possibility. With the appointment of Elvira Dyangani Ose as Artistic Director of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial 2026, the city signals a bold intention: to transform streets, neighborhoods, and shared environments into living platforms for dialogue, history, and collective imagination.
What does it mean to continue creating when loss is no longer an exception, but a constant presence? For Lebanese composer Oussama Rahbani, the past year has unfolded as a quiet test of endurance — one in which grief, memory, and responsibility have converged into a single artistic act.
At Darat al Funun in Amman, a powerful group exhibition titled In That Same Hour invites visitors into a space where art becomes witness, memory, and moral presence.
In the mountains of northern Iraq, where history and hope quietly meet, lies the Kurdish village of Sartange — a place whose story carries both deep pain and powerful transformation.
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.
Staying at Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi feels less like checking into a hotel and more like entering a carefully choreographed cultural experience. Rising dramatically above the city, the building is instantly recognisable as the world’s most extreme leaning tower, tilting an astonishing 18 degrees—a record acknowledged by Guinness World Records. Yet beyond its architectural bravado, the hotel reveals itself as a living gallery where art, design, and Emirati identity intersect.
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.
In Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, a familiar space becomes a site of reflection, memory, and transformation. At the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, the exhibition Echoes of the Familiar offers an intimate yet expansive exploration of what “home” means in contemporary Saudi society.
In the narrow streets of Historic Jeddah, where coral stone buildings bear centuries of trade, faith, and migration, Arabic calligraphy is once again being reimagined as a living art form. The second edition of the Dar Al Qalam Residency Programme unfolds in Historic Jeddah (Al-Balad), reaffirming the city’s enduring role as a crossroads of culture in the Middle East.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are places where art does not simply hang on walls but breathes with its surroundings. Sand Developed explores this intersection — where landscape, memory, and creative expression dissolve into one another. Rooted in the symbolism of sand as both origin and erasure, the exhibition-like experience unfolds as a journey rather than a destination.
The opening of Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum in Doha marks more than the inauguration of a cultural institution; it represents the culmination of a lifelong artistic journey shaped by displacement, belief, and an unyielding commitment to creative freedom.
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.
Collecting art is a journey that balances emotion, intuition, and long-term vision. While the art world may sometimes feel overwhelming, approaching it with curiosity and intention can make the process deeply rewarding. Each artwork you choose is not just a purchase but a reflection of your values, curiosity, and relationship to creativity.
In a region where cultural institutions are rapidly expanding their global influence, Dubai continues to cement its role as a nexus for artistic innovation. Efie Gallery’s exhibition, The Shape of Things to Come, stands as one of the season’s most compelling gestures—
While Oman’s art scene may appear quieter than those of other Gulf nations, its silence conceals a powerful depth. Inside small studios and intimate galleries, a new artistic movement is unfolding—one in which local stories intertwine with global symbolic echoes.
Rewind opens a new artistic phase for the Dalloul Artist Collective as it hosts a remarkable solo exhibition by Yervant Hawarian, organised in partnership with the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation. Presented at DAC Art Space in the Stone Garden Building, the exhibition revisits the golden age of Lebanese cinema through one of its
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.
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.
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.
Once a place where sea, desert, and palm groves coexisted in rare harmony, Tunisia’s Gabès Oasis stands today as one of the world’s most fragile cultural-environmental sites. At its heart is artist Mohamed Amine Hamouda, whose ecological practice offers a form of resistance—one built on memory, materials, and a return to ancestral knowledge.
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.
If you’re craving a slower rhythm before the weekend, this duo makes a perfect plan: dinner at Gerbou, followed by a quiet, creative night at Kutubna Cultural Center. Together, they offer a thoughtful way to experience Dubai through food, design and words.
In her latest solo exhibition at Hunna Art Gallery in Kuwait, Egyptian artist Amina Yahia investigates the subtle yet forceful systems shaping contemporary life in Egypt — from the built environment to the emotional interiority of its people.
At NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, Ala Younis presents her first West Asia retrospective, Past of a Temporal Universe — a wide-ranging study of how history is performed, rehearsed and continually reshaped.
Part Mediterranean haven, part contemporary gallery, Bungalo34 has quickly become one of Dubai’s most enchanting destinations.
As the UAE’s cultural capital, Abu Dhabi has spent nearly two decades shaping the region’s creative landscape. This year, Abu Dhabi Art 2025 opened with a sense of both celebration and transition — its final edition before transforming into Frieze Abu Dhabi next year
Dubai’s artistic landscape is entering a new chapter with the launch of Dom Art Projects, a female-led private art institution that promises to reshape the way art is experienced, discussed and imagined in the region.
As curator of this year’s Beyond Emerging Artists programme at Abu Dhabi Art, Syrian-born, Cambridge-based artist Issam Kourbaj brings a uniquely poetic and deeply reflective perspective to the UAE’s flourishing creative scene.
Each year, millions travel to Giza to stand before the ancient pyramids — three colossal silhouettes that have outlived empires and rewritten the very concept of time.
The 11th iteration of Dubai Design Week (4-9 November 2025) at the Dubai Design District (d3) takes community as its guiding principle, and re-positions design as a means of gathering, belonging and social exchange.
The seventh edition of Art Cairo will take place from 22–26 January 2026, hosted at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids.
The fifth edition of the Noor Riyadh festival is set to transform the Saudi capital from 20 November to 6 December 2025 under the theme “In the Blink of an Eye”.
In his compelling new body of work, Syrian painter Elias Izoli turns the familiar imagery of the circus—a world of clowns, tight-rope walkers and trapeze artists—into a searing metaphor for life under the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
In a region famous for fast-paced development, soaring skyscrapers and headline-making resorts, travellers are quietly changing how they move, stay and connect. The Middle East is shifting — not just in infrastructure, but in mindset.
On 9 October 2025, Miraz Art Space opened the doors to a compelling solo exhibition by acclaimed Iraqi-Kurdish artist Avan Sdiq, titled “When/Where."...
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.
Beyond Emerging Artists 2025: Meet This Year’s Selected Creatives
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Samir Sayegh’s exhibition “ A journey” at the Saleh Barakat Gallery, where I also had the opportunity to meet Samir and take a brief tour of his remarkable art masterpieces.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is currently showcasing a groundbreaking exhibition titled Samia Halaby: Kinetic Paintings, running from May 9 to November 17, 2025. This exhibition is part of MoMA’s First Look series and is located on Floor 3 of the museum
Christie’s London Hosts Landmark Arab Art Exhibition
Qatar: Close to My Soul – A Landmark Exhibition Celebrating the Nation’s Artistic Heritage
Daydreamers: Majd Abdel Hamid’s Slow Art of Resistance in Thread
Banksy’s Iconic Street Art Lands in Dubai for World Art Fair
"Morteza Khazaie: Upside Down" at Leila Heller Gallery
Performing Abstraction: Samia Halaby and the Kinetic Painting Group
Boghossian Foundation, 2024 Prize Winners, Lebanon
Samia Osseiran Junblat
Noor Al Suwaidi, Divine Chaos
Totems, Khawla Foundation
Men’s Rings, Yves Gastou, L’ÉCOLE Middle East, Dubai
Contemporary Istanbul
AI, auction, painting
Arab galleries, Art basel, paris 2024
Renowned Spanish artist مانولو فالديس is showcasing his small-scale sculptures in his second solo exhibition at Opera Gallery in Atlantis The Royal, Dubai...
Biennale, UAE, Azza Aboualam
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.
"Float in Symmetry," Daniel Asater's debut exhibition, offers a captivating exploration of vulnerability and balance through the medium of photography.
Hartwig Fischer, ex-director of the British Museum, has been named as the founding director of Saudi Arabia’s new Museum of World Cultures
Lebanese artist Omar Mismar made a splash at the Venice Biennale with a series of political mosaics inspired by ancient works, some of which comment on the regime of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.
Oussama Baalbaki is an artist who is situated fully within his paintings, providing an intimacy with his world that we can somehow believe.
At the Tinguely Museum, Argentinian artist Mika Rottenberg’s wonderfully chaotic, absurd, and clever video works address ideas of hard and soft power vis-a-vis capitalism, gender dominance, and the natural world.
Art lovers and collectors are invited to embark on a new artistic journey on June 20-30 from 12-8 PM at ARTHAUS Beirut in Gemmayze.
Rock Art Found in Saudi Arabian Cave Offers ‘Rare Glimpse’ Into Ancient Human Life
Christie's Pulled two art pieces by Ayman Baalbaki from its upcoming auction
LEBANON | UNTITLED to showcase leading modern and contemporary Lebanese artists at Cromwell Place, as part of Middle East curated moments
Online Auction for Arcache house including modern and contemporary art and decor pieces.
In a city known for its rich cultural heritage, its newest art house is opening its doors to the public in Jeddah in honor of a tradition that has spanned generations and continents.
A 12th-century candlestick broke the record for an Islamic piece at Sotheby's after it was sold as part of the Art of the Islamic World and India auction this week.
A large planet-like circular form dappled with what appear to be craters and a few black dots changes constantly in front of the viewer’s eyes.
After being held virtually in 2020, Abu Dhabi Art is returning this year with a physical event at the capital city’s Manarat Al-Saadiyat.
The book fits all age groups but primarily caters to an older audience as some stories have dark themes
All tickets for the “Kings of the Sun” exhibition in Prague have been sold out until June 6
Christie’s Paris - 16 June 2021, 5 pm
Tarek Al-Ghoussein has an ability to immerse himself in projects that require commitment over an extended period of time.
A French documentary film revealed that the most expensive painting in the world, "Salvatore Mundi", was not entirely Leonardo da Vinci's work, and it raised the curtain on a diplomatic conflict between France and the Saudi owner of the painting.
The gallery's name takes inspiration from Bahrain being the first Gulf nation to strike oil
Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art auction in Paris is set to present works by two renowned Egyptian artists, Mohammed and Effat Naghi in April.
Annie Vartivarian's not-for-profit will be both a pop-up gallery and a digital platform for artists and designers.
The fair is staging a physical and virtual edition at Christie’s Paris this week
Here are some highlights from Nabil Anani’s ‘In Pursuit of Utopia,’ at Zawyeh Gallery in Dubai until April 29
Loss of hearing has not stifled the creativity of Saudi painter Nujood Al-Otaibi, now looking forward to her first solo exhibition.
The Saudi Ministry of Culture is about to launch the 2nd edition of an art residency in the picturesque Al-Balad in Jeddah for 2021-2022.
This holiday season, a Lebanese architect created a regional twist by crafting painted metal decorations for the traditional buildings that line Beirut's streets.
Marie-Noëlle Fattal’s photo exhibition will start on December 17th at BEYt Mar Mikhaël.
The Middle Eastern art scene has been showcasing some of the world’s most infamous paintings and digitalized immersive experiences by the likes of Van Gogh, and once again, the UAE is bringing two of the world’s highest valued paintings.
Scottish designer Phoenix Instinct has developed a lightweight wheelchair with a movable axle position that automatically adjusts the chair's center of gravity to stop overbalancing.
The Lebanese painter discusses one of her pieces from a group exhibition being shown online by Mark Hachem Gallery until November 28.
While bringing the outdoors into her home, Erin Sullivan has used pancakes as canyons and broccoli as a forest, proving creativity can really thrive when put to the test…
A new short film competition is set to entice and support local filmmakers while challenging them as they write, shoot, and edit their creations in just 48 hours.
Architecture studio Adjaye Associates has revealed its design for a new art gallery at Princeton University that will have numerous entrances to connect it to the campus.
Jeddah’s rich and colorful past is riddled with events that can take a lifetime to tell, and which will soon be on display for all to see.
Japanese artist Yuko Nishikawa suspends perforated, papier-mache-style lamps from the ceiling to create dream-like compositions in her You See a Sheep project.
The show will go on for the Venice Film Festival in September, but with a few modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maria Grazia Chiuri offers an in-depth look inside her Dior Haute Couture Fall 2020 collection.
A new watch museum that is a pavilion for the art and science of watchmaking has just opened in Switzerland's watchmaking heartland, Vallée de Joux.
The Berlin office of David Chipperfield Architects has built an art gallery and conference hall to complete the Carmen Würth Forum cultural building in Künzelsau, Germany.
Hearing aids and a brassiere for breast cancer sufferers are among the unorthodox jewellery designs shared by Lucerne School of Art and Design students as part of their school show.
Lorem Ipsum is a creative studio that crafts exhibitions and experiential installations, such as an audiovisual recreation of an airstrike, that fully immerse visitors in a story.
The two painters called for their mutual appreciation in a letter dated 1888 bearing their signatures.
Situated on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia off the shore of Townsville, North Queensland, the Museum of Underwater Art has unveiled stunning images of unique and captivating installations beneath the waves.
Graphic designers are supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and current protests, sharing illustrations and links to resources that people can use to help others and educate themselves.
A dazzling digital art exhibition on Vincent Van Gogh is heading to Toronto in June as both a walk-in and drive-in experience, giving visitors the chance to immerse themselves inside the Dutch master's larger-than-life paintings.
The ancient Wieliczka salt mine, begun in the 13th century, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
These Coal Artwork Pieces Reimagine the Use for the Material
The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston is to reopen this Saturday.
ETEL ADNAN has won the 2020 Griffin Poetry Prize for her book of poetry about war, heartbreak, and memory. Image via the Facebook of the Museum of Art and Design at MDC, Miami.
Berlin-based designers Martin Binder and Claudio Rimmele have designed a concept for an "infection-free" playground where children could play together safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
A community project in Venezuela and an adult playground are among the experiential concepts envisioned by seven students from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in this Virtual Design Festival schools exhibition of graduate work.
Artist Katherine McMahon transformed a closed diner into an art gallery in Southampton, New York.
The 'Zeus' Smart Wallet Thwarts Thieves in Multiple Ways
With cinemas in Berlin closed for the foreseeable future a new initiative born out of lockdown is bringing the movie theatre to people's homes instead.
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.
In an open letter, the organisation criticises building work in the historic area, which is on the nomination list to become a World Heritage site
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery/The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
Architect Jaimie Shorten's will install six singing shark sculptures leaping from a London canal as this year's pavilion for the Architecture Foundation.
A museum visitor looking at Edward Hopper's Morning Sun (1952).
American architect Marc Thorpe has developed a conceptual installation near Marfa and the border of Mexico that resembles a large spaceship landing on earth.
Architecture firm OMA has completed the Galleria department store in Gwanggyo, South Korea, with a stone facade that has a multifaceted-glass passage cut into it.
Modern Arab art is having a moment.
Danish parents raise happy children who grow up to be happy adults who raise happy children.
There's a huge ranch in Texas available for rent that has its own four-story waterslide.
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.
Lebanese-born French novelist Amin Maalouf was awarded the National Order of Merit by the French government
The newest exhibit by Atélier des Lumières covers both the late 19th and early 20th centuries of Western art
The Design Transfigured/Waste Reimagined exhibition at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art features over 30 projects that repurpose waste products
The trailblazing Lebanese artist whose richly colored abstract paintings and intricate, organically shaped sculptures in wood, clay, aluminum, and other materials.
Design Museum celebrates the electronic history of Kraftwerk, Chemical Brothers and Aphex Twin.
Winter at Tantora strives to keep pace with the evolution of humanity and the mix between the arts and technical development.
An interpretation of the Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa made out entirely of Rubik's Cubes has sold for nearly half a million euros.
Stars, moons, planets, spaceships, people will be looking out of this world for tattoo inspiration in 2020.
An exceptional exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci
“The Art of Banksy ‘Without Limits'” will run at the King Abdullah Financial Centre in Riyadh from February 21 until April 20.
As a former member of the Young British Artists, you may think Gavin Turk is led by popular demand. Nothing less is true, though, with this artist who fills cans with “artist’s urine”.
Hey LA! Save the date for the new LV x Frieze Partnership.