Abu Dhabi Forecast

An online Forecast capturing the cultural pulse of Abu Dhabi featuring real-time insights from leading cultural commentators.

Featuring industry experts Asmaa Al-Shabibi, Co-founder of Lawrie Shabibi; Melissa Gronlund, Writer and former Art Correspondent at The National; and Roxane Zand, Art Advisor, Author, and former Deputy Chairman, Middle East, at Sotheby’s.

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1. Private Foundations Rising

The UAE is actively encouraging private collectors to establish foundations, with new laws enabling better estate planning and attracting international collectors to set up bases locally.

2. The Middle East as a Rising Hub

“The Middle East is currently the most closely watched region in the art market today.”

The UAE has emerged as a key ecosystem: Abu Dhabi as the institutional and long-term cultural hub with slower thinking (Louvre, Guggenheim, Zayed Museum); Dubai as the commercial powerhouse with fairs and grassroots galleries, often compared to New York for its pace and buzz; and Sharjah as the intellectual center with its Biennale shaping global discourse.

3. Government & Institutional Support

Unlike many other Middle Eastern contexts, the UAE provides government backing to the cultural sector - “Abu Dhabi’s goals in the cultural sector overlap with the leadership’s goals in terms of geopolitical positioning… the cultural sector is a form of soft power for the UAE.”

This approach uses culture to reframe the nation’s image shifting perceptions from insular and religious to “refined, tolerant, and cultured.”

4. Foregrounding Regional Art

UAE institutions are increasingly treating regional art as a primary focus rather than framing it within Western narratives. Early strategic acquisitions, often purchased at lower prices, helped build strong regional collections. Growing global interest in Arab art now “gives [curators] the confidence that allows them to foreground art from the region, rather than having to contextualize it within international work.”

5. Collecting Taste

UAE collectors are highly supportive of Emirati artists but they do embrace international works, making collections eclectic. Collectors tend to favour works that balance conceptual depth with “liveable” qualities, such as paintings and modernist pieces. A big change is “we’re seeing a lot of corporates, and they are really collecting and commissioning artworks in public spaces”, marking a major shift in how art is integrated into the built environment.


From Our Sponsor

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