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 Ahaad Alamoudi, Dana Awartani, Monia Ben Hamouda, Farah Al Qasimi, Aïda Muluneh, Martin Parr and Wardha Shabbir.
Galleries
Spanning contemporary and modern practices, Art Dubai Galleries brings together exhibitors whose programmes set benchmarks for curatorial rigour and cultural dialogue. The section reflects the fair’s commitment to connecting regional practices with global contexts, while reinforcing Dubai’s position at the centre of the region’s art market, with 15 participating galleries operating spaces in the city.
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.
Art Dubai is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The fair is held in partnership with A.R.M. Holding. It is sponsored by Swiss Wealth Manager Julius Baer. Art Dubai’s exclusive Watch and Jewellery partner is Piaget. Culturally driven lifestyle developer HUNA is a partner of Art Dubai. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is the strategic partner of Art Dubai and Art Dubai Digital. Madinat Jumeirah is the home of Art Dubai.
