Art Dubai celebrates 20th anniversary with a special edition honouring two decades of creative growth in the UAE

Highlights include:

● Contemporary, modern and digital gallery presentations reflecting Art Dubai’s 20-year history

● International and Dubai-based galleries who have been committed to the region for decades and instrumental in shaping the region’s cultural landscape

● An ambitious and expanded partner programme developed in collaboration with the UAE’s leading cultural institutions, including: Alserkal Avenue, Art Jameel, Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai Collection, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Art Foundation

● A daily programme of exhibitions, large-scale installations, performances, talks and screenings including Art Dubai flagship Global Art Forum

● Open to the public from 15-17 May with free entry for all, supported by Dubai Culture

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) - 14 May 2026: Art Dubai opens today at Madinat Jumeirah, with a 20th anniversary edition that celebrates and honours the artists, galleries and institutions that have been central to the two decades of unprecedented growth in the UAE’s creative industries. Taking place in a modified format at Madinat Jumeirah, the 2026 programme foregrounds the galleries, institutions and communities that have shaped the region’s art scene and market, and features over 100 presentations from commercial galleries, institutional participants and partners. Running until Sunday 17 May, the event is free for all to attend, made possible through the support of Dubai Culture.

For 20 years, Art Dubai has championed the artists, galleries and collectors whose voices, ideas and practices have built and sustained the region’s cultural landscape. This special edition reflects both that history and the present moment, bringing together a programme that builds on the fair’s core strengths of independence, deep local and regional roots and diverse global perspectives.

Art Dubai is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is the strategic partner of Art Dubai. Art Dubai is presented in partnership with A.R.M. Holding. Culturally driven lifestyle developer HUNA is a partner of Art Dubai. Madinat Jumeirah is the home of Art Dubai.

Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director, Art Dubai Group:

“Art Dubai has always been more than a conventional art fair, developing into an international platform for this region’s cultural scene as it matures. Art Dubai’s story is Dubai’s story, and this special edition demonstrates the power of collaboration and long-term partnerships. We are proud to present a special edition of Art Dubai that reflects our history, our deep local and regional roots, and the decades-long commitment of those who have been instrumental in building this region’s unique cultural ecosystem. Culture breaks down barriers and brings people together, and this edition of Art Dubai opens at a moment when convening feels more important than ever.”

Dunja Gottweis, Director, Art Dubai Fair:

“This special edition of Art Dubai reflects the fair’s unique DNA, with strong representation from Dubai, the wider region and internationally. Spanning contemporary, modern and digital practices, the gallery programme offers a diversity of perspectives, from modern masters to emerging contemporary and cutting-edge digital practices. Realising this special edition is testament to the unique role Art Dubai has played in supporting and sustaining Dubai as the centre of the region’s art market over 20 years, and what stands out is the strength and intent of these presentations - galleries are showing ambitious, considered work that reflects the depth of the region and its connections across a wide set of cultural contexts.”

Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director, Curatorial, Art Dubai Group:

“ ‘Things we do together’ has been a guiding thread in shaping this year’s programme—thinking about how artists, galleries, institutions and audiences come into relationship across the fair. Across large-scale installations to talks, performances and more informal moments of gathering, we are proud to present an experience that feels connected and open, brings different forms of practice into dialogue, and invites audiences to spend time, engage, and encounter work in unexpected ways.”

Gallery Presentations

Rooted in Dubai and deeply connected across the extended region, this special edition of Art Dubai continues to highlight Dubai’s status as the region’s commercial art hub and reflects the fair’s importance in the cultural ecosystem. Spanning a range of contemporary, modern and digital practices, it reflects Art Dubai’s continued commitment to bridging regional practices with global contexts. Participants include international galleries who have been committed to the region for decades alongside those who have been instrumental in shaping the region’s cultural landscape. This edition welcomes several first-time exhibitors - including international and regional newcomers - into the Art Dubai family. Responding to the challenges that many galleries are facing, this edition features an innovative risk-sharing model whereby galleries’ booth costs are payable based on success.

Programme

Complementing the gallery presentations, this special edition of Art Dubai will present a programme of exhibitions, large-scale installations, commissions, performances and screenings alongside a daily programme of talks and conversations.

Presented in partnership with the UAE’s leading institutions, programme highlights include:

· A programme of large-scale installations, new commissions and site-responsive artworks integrated across the fair including works by Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Rashid Bin Shabib and Ahmed Bin Shabib, Rami Farook, Kevork Mourad, Yaw Owusu, Neda Razavipour, and Sudarshan Shetty

· Made Forward, a major exhibition of works from the Dubai Collection - the city’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art

· ‘Pulse’ - an exhibition of modern Arab masterpieces from the Barjeel Art Foundation collection, including major works by Mahmoud Said, Samia Halaby, Mohamed Melehi and Safeya Binzagr

· ‘Against Stillness’, a performance-led programme with Sharjah Art Foundation featuring Muhanad Kareem’s Lawrence, Safa Baluchi and Astral LXXXII

· The 20th edition of Art Dubai’s flagship Global Art Forum, commissioned by Shumon Basar and titled 'Before and After Everything'

· A series of HUNA Talks, bringing together diverse voices from across the creative industries to consider how art shapes the way we live, gather, communicate and build identity. This initiative is a core part of A.R.M. Holding’s longstanding and multi-layered commitment to cultural patronage.