Art Dubai will stage a special special-edition fair at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, from 15 to 17 May 2026, with a VIP preview on 14 May. Art Dubai marks its 20th anniversary with this focused edition and leans into its deep ties with the region’s art scene. The fair positions the event as a response to the current moment and as a celebration of two decades of growth in Dubai’s cultural landscape.
Organisers say the special edition will feature around 75 presentations from commercial galleries, institutional participants and other partners.
More than 45 galleries take part, with around 60 presentations drawn from the wider region, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a hub for the Middle East art market.
Benedetta Ghione, executive director of Art Dubai Group, said: “Art Dubai’s story is Dubai’s story, and producing this special edition would only be possible in Dubai.”
Dunja Gottweis, fair director, noted: “This special edition brings together galleries from nearly 20 countries with strong representation from the region.”
Alexie Glass-Kantor, executive director for curatorial affairs, added: “Things we do together has been a guiding thread in shaping the programme.”
The gallery sections span contemporary, modern and digital practices and bring together emerging voices and established names. Many participating galleries have worked in the region for decades and helped shape its cultural and market ecosystems.
Art Dubai introduces a new risk-sharing model in this edition, linking gallery booth costs to sales performance to support participants in a challenging market climate. Organisers frame this approach as a practical way to back long-term partners and new exhibitors alike.
Institutional collaborations deepen this year, with an expanded partner programme that involves leading UAE cultural organisations. Alserkal Avenue, Art Jameel, Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai Collection and Sharjah Art Foundation lead key initiatives across the city.
The programme includes “Made Forward,” a major presentation from the Dubai Collection, the city’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art. The 20th Global Art Forum, commissioned by Shumon Basar and titled “Before and After Everything,” brings together artists, writers and thinkers for daily talks. Barjeel Art Foundation presents an exhibition of modern Arab art that highlights important works from its holdings. Sharjah Art Foundation curates a performance-led strand that draws live work into the fair’s daily rhythm.
Large-scale installations and site-responsive commissions by artists such as Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Rashid Bin Shabib and Ahmed Bin Shabib, Rami Farook, Kevork Mourad, Yaw Owusu, Neda Razavipour and Sudarshan Shetty animate spaces across Madinat Jumeirah. A moving-image programme, co-curated with Alserkal Avenue, screens at the fair and at Alserkal’s home base, linking the venue to the wider city.
Art Dubai also works with Art Jameel, the National Pavilion UAE–La Biennale di Venezia, the Ministry of Culture and House of Arts on additional activations. Daily talks, live moments and informal gatherings aim to draw visitors into deeper dialogue with artists and galleries.
The fair takes place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.Art Dubai partners with A.R.M. Holding for this edition and works with Dubai Culture as its strategic partner, alongside lifestyle developer HUNA.
The fair opens the special edition to the public with free entry, underscoring its role as a civic and cultural meeting point. Organisers invite audiences from Dubai and beyond to spend time with the work on view and with the communities that sustain it.
Cover image: From left: Aida Muluneh, Distant Echoes of Dreams, 2018, Efie Gallery; Installation view, Art Dubai 2025, Bawwaba; Sudarshan Shetty, A Song, A Story| Sculpture I – A Public Space, 2016, Leila Heller Gallery. Images courtesy Art Dubai.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
