Frieze, the London art fair founded in 2003 in Regent's Park, is expanding into the Middle East for the first time with Frieze Abu Dhabi, set to run from November 19 to 22, 2026, at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The fair takes over from Abu Dhabi Art, which closed after 17 editions in 2025.
Fair director Dyala Nusseibeh says the new event will build on Abu Dhabi Art's community-focused legacy while adding what she calls "global integration" to the regional market. UAE buyers accounted for 45 percent of Middle East and North Africa purchasers in 2025, underscoring the emirate's growing weight in the international art trade.
The inaugural edition brings together 84 galleries from around the world, including UAE names such as Carbon 12, Lawrie Shabibi and The Third Line, alongside participants from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and India, as well as international heavyweights Gagosian and Pace Gallery. Curated sections include Focus, dedicated to emerging galleries, and Frieze Masters, which will highlight historical works tied to Indian Ocean trade routes.
Observers note that unlike Frieze's 2003 debut in a then-nascent London art market, Frieze Abu Dhabi is entering an already established cultural ecosystem with developed collector bases and international institutions already present in the emirate — a different starting point that brings its own opportunities and challenges for organisers.