"Art Dubai" It concludes its exceptional edition with a record attendance, celebrating the creative scene in the Emirates

Dubai, May 19 / WAM / Art Dubai concluded its twentieth edition, which was organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him”, amid record public attendance and wide praise.

Participating galleries recorded strong sales over the four days of the exhibition, in the presence of prominent museums, institutions and collectors from Dubai, the region and various parts of the world.

The twentieth edition of Art Dubai was held in Madinat Jumeirah from May 14 to 17, celebrating the artists, galleries and institutions whose voices, ideas and practices played a pivotal role in the unprecedented growth of the creative industries in the UAE over the past two decades.

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The event attracted more than 25,000 visitors, setting a new record for the number of exhibition days open to the public, and was widely praised for its role in highlighting a new generation of creatives residing in the UAE and celebrating their creativity.

The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is the strategic partner of the exhibition, and it is held in partnership with ARM Holding.

Hona, a developer specializing in cultural lifestyles, also participates as a partner of the exhibition, while Madinat Jumeirah hosts Art Dubai events.

Benedetta Guion, Executive Director of the Art Dubai Group, said on this occasion that this special edition of Art Dubai embodied the spirit of cooperation on which the cultural scene in Dubai is based, and its success was the result of great collective efforts in which artists, galleries, partners and cultural institutions participated, and what we witnessed this week reflects the size of the presence that Dubai has now enjoyed on the global art map, and the role that culture plays in promoting dialogue and rapprochement between communities.

This special edition of the exhibition was launched in Dubai, with a deep connection to the region extending around it, to continue to confirm the emirate’s position as the most prominent commercial center for arts in the region, and to reflect the importance of the exhibition within the cultural system.

The performances ranged between contemporary, modern and digital artistic practices, with the participation of international galleries that have supported the region for decades, in addition to galleries that played a pivotal role in shaping its cultural scene.

Participants from galleries pointed to the strength of the local acquisition scene and the great support provided by the art community in Dubai.

For his part, Franco Noero, founder of the Franco Noero Gallery in Turin, said that since its first participation in Art Dubai in 2014, the gallery has realized the extent of the artistic movement that the region is witnessing, and the exceptional artists it has and a cultural scene that values ​​long-term investment, adding that their return this year, despite the challenges, constituted an exceptional experience by all standards, especially in light of the high level of awareness and experience enjoyed by collectors in Dubai.

For his part, Timur Grahn, who opened his art gallery in Dubai in 2025, said that “Art Dubai” this year was an exceptional experience by all standards. He welcomed the presentation of a solo pavilion by Emirati artist Rawda Al Mazrouei, and all works were sold during the first hours of the exhibition.

He pointed to the atmosphere of rapprochement and communication between participants from Dubai and the region, and to the great interest from collectors residing in Dubai belonging to diverse nationalities and backgrounds, from the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the United States, France, Canada and others, noting that the galleries presented high-level participation, while Dubai this week demonstrated its exceptional vitality and its growing position on the global cultural scene.

For her part, Maliha Tabari, founder of Tabari Art Space, said that Art Dubai is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its launch this year, and it is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this for the region. Since the beginning, it has played a pivotal role in the organization’s artistic system and contributed to presenting the arts of the Middle East and North Africa region to a global audience.

She added that sales exceeded their expectations, but what drew more attention was the depth of interaction and real attention shown by collectors, curators and visitors towards the works of art, pointing out that the exhibition provided a real space for dialogue, communication and contemplation, a value that reflects what the Art Dubai team has succeeded in building over the past years.

In turn, Mohamed Hafez, co-founder of “Athar Gallery,” said that “Art Dubai” and “Athar” grew up together, as the artist Rami Farouk began his career with the first edition of the exhibition, and returned today on the twentieth anniversary with a solo show titled “God willing, it is good,” which is a tribute to Dubai and the region.

He added that what began as a joint experience to build a regional art system has today become a global platform, and this special edition confirms a clear fact, which is that the region is no longer on the margins of the global art scene, but rather has become in its heart.

This session witnessed the presence of representatives of institutions from more than 20 countries, including the UAE, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Angola, Lebanon, Germany, South Africa, and the Republic of Korea, including the Zeis Museum MOCA (Cape Town, South Africa), the Busan Museum of Art (Republic of Korea), and the Museum of Modern Art (New York, United States).

The list of prominent collectors also included Reem Al Rubi, Mohammed Afkhami, Elie Khoury, Sultan Saud Al Qasimi, Rajib Samabadani, and Omar Al Gurg, in addition to other prominent figures.

It is noteworthy that the “Art Dubai” 2027 edition is scheduled to be held in Madinat Jumeirah during the period from April 7 to 11, 2027.

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