Frieze Abu Dhabi Unveils Star-Studded Gallery Line-up for Landmark Inaugural Art Fair

Frieze Abu Dhabi has unveiled the gallery line-up for its inaugural fair, with 84 galleries from 63 cities across 36 countries set to take part in November. The international art fair, a rebranding of Abu Dhabi Art, will make its debut at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 19 to 22, marking Frieze’s first fair in the West Asia, North Africa and South Asia region.

Major international names including Gagosian, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, Timothy Taylor and Vito Schnabel Gallery will participate alongside regional galleries from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, India and Turkey. Works spanning antiquity to the present day will be showcased across the event, joining Frieze's established international events in London, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Seoul.

“The inaugural edition of Frieze Abu Dhabi begins with the depth and ambition of the UAE and wider West Asia, North Africa and South Asia art scene and reaffirms our commitment to fostering meaningful dialogues on the global art stage,” said Kristell Chade, executive director of fairs at Frieze.

Frieze Abu Dhabi is directed by Dyala Nusseibeh and will take place annually at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Saadiyat Cultural District. Developed in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the fair retains a strong regional focus while connecting galleries and artists with Frieze's international network.

“We are fortunate that this first edition of Frieze Abu Dhabi inherits nearly two decades of active community-building and benefits immeasurably from Abu Dhabi’s long-term commitment to supporting artists, galleries and cultural production,” said Eva Langret, Frieze director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The main galleries section will house more than 60 galleries presenting art from the mid-20th century to the present. The UAE contingent includes Carbon 12, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line, Tabari Artspace and Iris Projects, joined by regional favorites such as Saudi Arabia's Athr and Hafez Gallery, Lebanon's Saleh Barakat Gallery, Mark Hachem and Galerie Tanit, and Cairo's Gypsum and ArtTalks | Kanafani Gallery. Tunisian galleries and Indian exhibitors including Experimenter, Galerie Isa, Jhaveri Contemporary, Nature Morte and Project 88 will also feature prominently.

The international contingent includes 20 European galleries alongside New York staples like Gagosian, Pace Gallery, Leila Heller Gallery and Vito Schnabel Gallery, as well as participants from Singapore, South Korea, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guatemala City and Lagos.

The fair will also introduce Focus, a section dedicated to younger international galleries presenting experimental solo or dual exhibitions supported by bursaries. Additionally, Frieze Masters Abu Dhabi, curated by Marika Sardar, will present objects and artefacts from antiquity through to the early 20th century, with an inaugural theme focusing on the Indian Ocean and historic cultural exchange.

A second curated section, Global Futures, led by Tarini Malik, will feature solo presentations by artists whose work engages with cultural histories connected to the UAE and the wider region, including Emirati conceptual artist Abdullah Al Saadi. Together with Frieze Masters Abu Dhabi, the fair features an all-female curatorial line-up.