Taking place from November 19 to 22, 2026, the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi art fair will bring galleries, artists, collectors and art-world figures from around the world to the Saadiyat Cultural District. The Frieze Abu Dhabi programme will also extend beyond the fair itself, with a major new commission, an exhibition pairing UAE artists and a free Frieze Sculpture programme at Mamsha Beach.

Here’s what to look out for.

At the heart of the fair will be a new work by Beirut- and London-based artist Dala Nasser, selected for the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi Artist Award by curator and art historian Nabila Abdel Nabi.

Nasser’s commission, Qubbat Duris, will transform the atrium at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The site-responsive installation takes its name from a 13th-century monument near Baalbek in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

The work will feature a timber framework inspired by the historic site, covered with paintings on textile. Nasser has used materials including ash, raw clay and terracotta, alongside charcoal rubbings of the remaining ruins, exploring ideas around memory, landscape and the passage of time.

The Artist Award is supported by Friends of Frieze Abu Dhabi.

You won’t need a ticket to the fair to encounter some of its art. Frieze Sculpture Abu Dhabi, presented by Aldar, will bring large-scale works to Mamsha Beach on Saadiyat Island from November 16 to December 16.

The outdoor programme will feature works including Zeinab Alhashemi’s The Nut and Bolt, presented by Tabari, alongside works by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, presented by Lawrie Shabibi, Imran Qureshi, presented by Thaddaeus Ropac, and Kamran Samimi, presented by The Third Line.

The sculptures will explore themes including material, ecology, place and the relationship between the natural and built environments.

A three-day talks programme at Frieze Abu Dhabi will bring artists, curators, museum leaders, collectors and other art-world figures together at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

The full programme and list of participants is due to be announced in October, but two sessions have already been confirmed:

• Building the Global Museum, Thursday, November 19, 6pm, Manarat Al Saadiyat theatre: The session will feature art historian Michael Govan and Eugene Tan, Director of the National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum (SAM). Kate Fowle, Director of Arts Program at the Hearthland Foundation, will moderate.
• Curating Across Knowledge Systems, Friday, November 20, 5.15pm, Manarat Al Saadiyat theatre: Curators Cosmin Costinaș and Kelli Cole will join Claudia Segura, Head of Collection at MACBA, for a discussion exploring different approaches to curatorial practice.

The inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi takes place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 19 to 22, 2026. The new art fair takes the place of the long-running Abu Dhabi Art fair, following a partnership between Frieze and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

The fair opens to the public from 2pm on Friday, November 20, with general admission continuing on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, from 2pm to 9pm each day.

When: November 19 to 22, 2026
Where: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi
Book: Frieze Abu Dhabi tickets

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