84 galleries from 63 cities across 36 countries and regions will take part in Frieze Abu Dhabi, the first fair presented by Frieze in the WANASA region

  • Galleries from across the region will be represented by participants including Gallery Isabelle, Athr, Experimenter, Gypsum, Marfa’ and The Third Line, joined by international galleries including Gagosian, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, Timothy Taylor, Vito Schnabel Gallery and Johyun Gallery
  • Solo presentations will be devoted to established figures from the region including Ibrahim El-Salahi, Farideh Lashai, Mounirah Mosly and Samir Rafi; internationally recognised artists including Emily Kam Kngwarray, Francesco Clemente and Sheila Hicks; and a newer generation represented by Chonon Bensho, Tahir Karmali and Marigold Santos 
  • An all-female curatorial line-up will lead the fair’s two sections: Marika Sardar’s Frieze Masters Abu Dhabi will trace objects, people and ideas across the Indian Ocean; Tarini Malik’s Global Futures will bring together artists reimagining the cultural histories of the UAE and wider region
  • Frieze Abu Dhabi will offer bursaries for younger galleries in the Focus section, underscoring Frieze’s commitment to supporting new voices 

Abu Dhabi, UAE (27 August 2026) – The inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi will take place from 19–22 November 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, in the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District. Marking a new chapter for Frieze and a major milestone in Abu Dhabi's trajectory as a global cultural capital, the fair will further strengthen the emirate's position within the international art market. Featuring more than 80 galleries from 63 cities and 36 countries, the fair will present works from antiquity through the 20th century to the present day.  

Frieze Abu Dhabi joins Frieze's global network of fairs in London, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Seoul. Shaped by the artists, galleries and institutions of the UAE and the wider West Asia, North Africa and South Asia (WANASA) region, it will bring together leading galleries from across the world.   

Established in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, Frieze Abu Dhabi builds on Abu Dhabi Art’s seventeen years of community-building among collectors, galleries, artists and institutions in the region. Led by Director Dyala Nusseibeh, the fair will take place in the Saadiyat Cultural District, among leading cultural institutions including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.