From 19 to 23 November 2025, Manarat Al Saadiyat will once again host Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2025, the 17th edition of the prestigious annual event. Serving as the culmination of the year-long Abu Dhabi Art programme, this edition brings together more than 140 galleries from 37 countries and 52 cities, presenting 2,000+ artworks. With an impressive 40% of exhibitions debuting at the fair, the 2025 edition is the largest and most ambitious to date. Over five days, visitors will experience a diverse programme of exhibitions, installations, and talks that bridge the commercial and curatorial sides of the art world.
The fair’s visual identity this year has been created by Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou, whose abstract sculptural works explore tension, compression, and material form. Her conceptual approach sets a fitting tone for a fair that looks beyond visual appeal to delve into notions of transformation, perception, and the interplay between structure and emotion.
The 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Art Fair comprises several key sectors. Modern & Contemporary and Special Projects remain at its core. Emerge offers an accessible entry point for new collectors, showcasing artworks under $3,000, while the Bidaya section features emerging galleries selected to participate for the first time.
Another major segment is Focus, which this year is divided into four curatorial directions. The Collectors Salon shines a spotlight on South Asian art. It presents an expanded selection of manuscripts, astrolabes, rare books, and historical artefacts in dialogue with modern and contemporary works. Modern Türkiye celebrates Turkish modernism with rarely seen works by renowned masters, such as Fahrelnissa Zeid and Burhan Doğançay.
The Nigeria Spotlight, which brings together seven pioneering galleries, showcases the strength and diversity of Nigeria’s contemporary art scene. Meanwhile, the Gulf Region section bridges the historical and the experimental. It features influential names such as Sami Al Marzoogi, Nasser Al Yousif, and Hassan Sharif, alongside emerging talents like Alymamah Rashed and Nasser Al Salem.
Among the Fair’s highlights is the Gateway exhibition, titled Seeds of Memory and curated by Brook Andrew. This show explores the migration of people, seeds, and stories across geographies and generations. Featuring artists such as Betty Muffler and Vincent Namatjira, it traces how such movements shape collective and individual identities.
Another central component is Beyond Emerging Artists 2025, a mentorship and commission initiative supporting three UAE-based artists: Alla Abdunabi, Salmah Almansoori, and Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum. Their new works will be on view in Hall A at Manarat Al Saadiyat and at additional venues in Al Ain.
Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2025 places an increasing emphasis on technology and new media. One of the fair’s segments is A Digital Art Exhibition, which includes two large-scale showcases exploring the creative potential of digital and blockchain-based practices. Blockchain Native presents a critical and conceptual look at blockchain art, featuring global practitioners who address themes of community, authenticity, and decentralisation. Alongside it, James Bloom’s solo presentation Half Cheetah features pieces that both leverage and subvert cutting-edge artificial intelligence models.
Bringing together artists, curators, collectors, and thinkers from across the world, Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2025 continues to affirm its dual role as both a marketplace and a cultural platform. With its blend of global participation and curatorial depth, the fair offers a rich mix of established names and emerging voices, traditional media and digital experimentation.
To learn more about the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, please visit its official web page.
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