The Middle East’s largest annual contemporary art fair opened in Dubai on Friday against the backdrop of the Iran war, drawing fewer galleries and a more local crowd than usual.
This year, in its 20th edition, Art Dubai opened a month late and in a scaled-down format after the regional conflict forced the organisers to revise their plans.
“When the conflict broke out, we were only a few weeks out from the fair, and so we had to make a decision as to whether to go ahead” with the three-day event, its executive director Benedetta Ghione said.
“For us, the message is about resilience,” she added.
The organisers, who normally sell around 10,000 tickets, made admission free to attract visitors, and have so far received 16,000 registration requests on their website.
The conflict has rocked the wealthy UAE, cutting off most oil exports and undercutting the safe-haven image that helped it become the region’s financial hub.
Despite the climate of uncertainty, some international gallery owners made the trip to Dubai, including France’s Frank Elbaz.
“Despite the situation, you can feel that things are bubbling here and that it’s a place with a future,” he said.
Based in Lebanon, which has also been dragged into war, gallerist Saleh Barakat also felt it was important to attend the fair out of solidarity.
“We are all here this year in order to be present and to say life goes on,” he said.
Originally published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026