Art Dubai Turns 20: A Milestone Edition

Back in 2017, when JDEED was still in its very first chapter, Art Dubai was the first art fair we ever covered. We walked the halls wide-eyed, notebooks in hand, unsure of what kind of publication we would fully become yet — but knowing we wanted to tell the stories of creativity in the region with honesty, warmth, and depth.

That moment became our unofficial starting line. And now, as we look toward the fair’s 20th anniversary edition in 2026, we’re preparing to return for our ninth year in a row with the same excitement, just a little more perspective.

Art Dubai 2026 takes place at Madinat Jumeirah from 17–19 April, marking two decades of shaping the Middle East’s global art conversation.

This milestone edition will bring together over 100 contemporary, modern, and digital presentations from more than 35 countries, structured under the curatorial framework “Future, Past, Present.” It’s the first edition under new Fair Director Dunja Gottweis, and it introduces a revamped fair structure, unveiling new sections Zamaniyyat and Bawwaba Extended alongside the established Galleries, Bawwaba, and the expanded Art Dubai Digital.

But beyond the impressive numbers and new curatorial directions, Art Dubai’s magic has always been about something deeper: connection. Rooted in the city yet resonating globally, the fair remains a meeting point for artists, curators, collectors, and thinkers from across MENASA and beyond, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a cultural crossroads. More than half of the 2026 participants hail from the MENASA region, with a growing presence from Africa and Latin America, a reflection of the fair’s evolving geography and widening reach.

What excites us most about this edition is how closely it mirrors the evolution of the creative scene we’ve witnessed firsthand since our early days. Zamaniyyat, curated by Dr. Sarah A. Rifky, revisits modernisms from the 1950s to 1990s across global timelines; Bawwaba, curated by Amal Khalaf, champions experimental and diasporic voices focused on belonging and resilience; Art Dubai Digital, now entering its fifth year and curated by Ulrich Schrauth and Nadine Khalil, places immersive and technology-led practices right at the centre of contemporary dialogue; while the new Bawwaba Extended, curated by Khalaf alongside Alexie Glass-Kantor, opens the campus to large-scale installations that reshape how the public engages with art across space.

For JDEED, returning to Art Dubai year after year has felt like growing up alongside the fair itself; learning, evolving, and continually rediscovering the power of creative storytelling. From our first tentative walkthrough in 2017 to now preparing to attend our ninth edition, the fair remains a marker of our journey as much as it is a highlight of the region’s cultural calendar.

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Cover: Art Dubai Digital 2026 , Art On Istanbul - Oddvix, Lisbon (2025), print, 150 x 250 cm, courtesy of Art On Istanbul