Gulf Countries: The Rush for Art

To the Gulf states! After long hesitating to venture into the Middle East, major art fairs are lining up to announce their arrival in the region. The latest is Frieze, which has confirmed that it will take over Abu Dhabi Art next year. Details of the revamped format remain under wraps. One certainty: the final edition under its current name will be held from 19 to 23 November 2025. Frieze will keep both the dates and location in 2026—the Manarat Al Saadiyat center in the heart of the UAE capital’s cultural district—as well as the fair’s current director, Dyala Nusseibeh.

In the meantime, all eyes will be on Doha in February next year. With 87 exhibitors, Art Basel Qatar will be a small-scale event compared to the 289 galleries that take over the halls in Basel every year. More importantly, under the artistic direction of Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, the fair will present curated exhibitions.

In other words, the traditional booth-as-boutique model showcasing dozens of artists will disappear. Instead, each gallery will present a monographic display on the theme of “Becoming,” spread across the M7 exhibition center, the Doha Design District, and Msheireb Downtown Doha. Time will tell whether this trial run becomes a long-distance race.