I headed over to the opening night of Abu Dhabi Art for its seventeenth edition at Manarat Al Saadiyat. I was really blown away.
The scale of the fair (on until 23 November) is impossible to ignore. With more than 140 galleries from 37 countries and 52 cities, the increase in participants reflects how much the fair has grown in weight in the region and across the wider art world, with a forty percent rise in exhibitors compared with last year.
This was actually palpable on the ground where I noticed such a diverse (I know we are over this word but sometimes it’s just so very apt) with works from across the Arab region and the world.
It felt bitter sweet actually because Abu Dhabi Art, as we know it is changing. After seventeen years of shaping the capital’s cultural calendar, the fair will take on a new identity in November 2026 as Frieze Abu Dhabi, following a partnership between Frieze and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi. The shift has been framed as an evolution rather than a break and marks a clear turning point. A fair long rooted in the region is preparing to operate at a much different scale.
The change reflects how quickly the UAE’s art-fair ecosystem has matured. Aligning with a global player like Frieze moves Abu Dhabi Art from the category of regional hub to a recognised stop on the international circuit. It also marks Frieze’s first fair in the Middle East, a deliberate expansion into a region where institutional support, collector networks and market appetite have grown steadily over the past decade.
From 2026 the fair will carry the Frieze name and fold in elements of the Frieze approach, with more space for artist-led projects, experimental practices and deeper ties between local scenes and the wider art world. The venue remains Manarat Al Saadiyat, which keeps the geographic anchor in place even as the fair’s scope widens.
For those watching the cultural shifts in the Gulf, the transition is more than a rebrand. It signals ambition. It suggests a recalibration of where influence sits and how the region is positioning itself within global conversations. Abu Dhabi Art has always operated with a sense of scale and intent, their growth over the last 17 editions has been incredible and worthy of praise. However now, in this new phase of the fair’s growth, Frieze Abu Dhabi will test what it looks like when a homegrown fair steps onto a broader stage.
I made sure I was there on the ground this week to experience the fair one more time as it is now.
The request for a Vibe or Not a Vibe edition has come up again and again when it comes to any fair I’m going to. While it’s tempting, I refuse, because the fair was exclusively only vibes this year.
Check out my on the ground live stories below.
Enjoy.
You can read Myran Ayad’s story here
