For two decades, Art Dubai Fair has been a meeting point for artists, galleries and collectors who return each spring with intent. During fair week, schedules shift. Studios open. Conversations spill beyond the halls. What happens here travels.

Art Dubai 2026 builds on that momentum. This anniversary edition brings ambitious presentations shaped by material and conceptual innovation, works not previously seen in the region, rarely exhibited oeuvres, and emerging voices pointing toward where contemporary art is heading next.

This year’s visual campaign stages a conversation between future, past and present, reflecting the fair at twenty years. Bringing together artists whose practices honour inheritance while imagining what comes next, it signals continuity and momentum in equal measure. This year’s visual spotlight includes Dana Awartani, Farah Al Qasimi, Monia Ben Hamouda, Aïda Muluneh, Martin Parr and Wardha Shabbir.

Zamaniyyat

Curated by Dr Sarah Rifky, Zamaniyyat reconsiders modern practices from the 1950s to the 1990s across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and their diasporas. The section highlights how these histories continue to shape contemporary art today.

Bawwaba

Curated by Amal Khalaf, Bawwaba remains dedicated to solo presentations of newly produced work by emerging to mid-career artists from across the region and beyond. It continues to offer focused, timely statements that respond directly to the present.

Bawwaba Extended

New for 2026, Bawwaba Extended, curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor and Amal Khalaf, expands the fair across the Madinat campus. The section presents ambitious projects in sculpture, installation, sound, performance, digital media and architecture. Moving beyond the traditional booth format, Bawwaba Extended reshapes how audiences encounter art, inviting slower attention and new ways of moving through the fair.

Art Dubai Digital

Celebrating its fifth year, Art Dubai Digital, curated by Ulrich Schrauth and Nadine Khalil, explores how digital practices intersect with contemporary art today. The section foregrounds experimentation across media, revealing how artists are working fluidly across physical and digital forms.

Global Art Forum

The 2026 Global Art Forum, convened by Shumon Basar, marks twenty years of debate with “Before and After Everything.” The programme brings together returning contributors and new voices to examine memory, technology and cultural futures, expanding what an art fair platform can hold.

Emirati and Regional Presence

A strong presence of Emirati artists spans generations, reflecting the depth of the UAE’s cultural landscape. Participation from galleries based on the African continent has more than doubled, reinforcing dialogue across Africa, the Middle East and beyond.