Art Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ premier art fair, opened its 20th edition this past weekend with a scaled-down, regionally focused program after being postponed earlier this year due to the Iran–Israel war.
The fair, billed as a “Special Edition,” opened to VIP guests on May 14 at the Madinat Jumeirah resort and ran through May 17. For the first time, entry is free. Organizers have pared the lineup to 50 galleries—most from the region, including Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Jeddah, Ramallah, and Dubai—showing contemporary, modern, and digital work in a single hall.
The fair had been delayed after missile and drone attacks across the Gulf disrupted daily life beginning in late February, prompting gallery closures and travel restrictions in a region that functions as a major business and tourism hub. A ceasefire is currently in place.
“Our galleries, collectors, and partners have come together and really shown up,” said Dunja Gottweis, who was appointed director of Art Dubai in 2025. “Through the detailed conversations held with our partners and long-term stakeholders, it was evident that this was a moment for our community to come and to stand together.”
Gottweis said the response since the postponement had been “incredible,” adding that Dubai’s “entrepreneurial spirit” had shaped the fair's recovery.
Among the returning exhibitors is Dubai-based Ayyam Gallery, which specializes in contemporary Syrian art and is also marking its 20th anniversary this year. “For the first time in 20 years of Art Dubai and Ayyam Gallery, I feel a real sense of community and genuine collaborations that focus on the regional scene and the main players from our part of the world, rather than on Western approval,” said the gallery’s director, Maya Samawi. “The fair is smaller, but hopefully more impactful than ever.”
Ramallah’s Gallery One presented a solo booth by Palestinian artist Amjad Ghannam, making his Art Dubai debut with “This Is Not the Third World,” a series of paintings that draw on Pablo Picasso’s visual language to address political trauma in the Arab world. “I didn't know what to expect, and I was honestly pleasantly surprised with the audience's presence,” Ghannam said. “Thankfully, there were some good sales too.”
Gaza, 2025
Amjad Ghannam
Gallery One
Jeddah’s Hafez Gallery showed Lebanese artist Lana Khayat, whose booth features textured floral paintings and an installation of 1,000 handmade sculptural flowers made of wire, sponge, and patterned cloth. Khayat described the installation as a gift to the city. “It’s a city that has given me so much,” she said. “I felt with everything that's been happening, I needed to give something back.”
Beyond the gallery booths, the fair included onsite installations by Armenian-Syrian artist Kevork Mourad and Emirati artist Hashel Al Lamki, among others, alongside talks, book launches, and DJ sets. An institutional section featured roughly 20 works of modern Arab art from the Sharjah-based Barjeel Art Foundation.
Collectors said the smaller, regionally focused format had its advantages. Lebanese collector Charles Al Sidaoui, who has lived in Dubai for nearly 30 years, called the fair well-curated and easier to navigate than in previous years. "I think for the artists living in this region it was a blessing in disguise, because they were given more attention and focus," he said.
Al Sidaoui said the war had made buyers more cautious but had not dampened overall interest. “There is obviously some kind of uncertainty surrounding us, and we are being careful. Now, we're thinking twice before making an acquisition, especially if it’s of a certain price point. However, there is still interest in acquiring art,” he said. “People are so fed up with the situation, they need events like Art Dubai to come and enjoy their lives like they used to do in the past.”
