Bana Kattan has been appointed curator for the National Pavilion UAE at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale.
The 2026 biennale’s theme is In Minor Keys, chosen by Koyo Kouoh.
Her previous roles include associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and curator at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery.
“I look forward to contributing my experience to a project that reflects the UAE’s vibrant artistic landscape,” Kattan said.
Bana Kattan, curator and associate head of exhibitions at Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, will lead the National Pavilion UAE’s participation at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale.
Kattan was appointed by a committee of prominent figures in the UAE’s creative sector, including representatives from the government, museums and universities.
Details of the country's exhibition are yet to be revealed, but it will likely respond to the biennale’s title In Minor Keys, chosen by late Cameroonian-Swiss art curator Koyo Kouoh. The biennale will run from May 9 to November 22 next year.
Born and raised in the UAE, Kattan has seen the growth of the country’s arts scene first-hand and has strong links to its cultural landscape. Her work reflects on historical and sociopolitical topics while drawing connections between emerging and established artists, linking practices across generations, disciplines and media.
“It is an honour to be appointed curator of the National Pavilion UAE for the Biennale Arte 2026,” Kattan said.
“Having worked extensively in the region and alongside a wide range of multigenerational and transdisciplinary artists from the Arab world, I look forward to contributing my experience to a project that reflects the UAE’s vibrant artistic landscape while engaging with broader histories, complexities and conversations.”
This approach is evident in her work as associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, a role she had prior to joining Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. In Chicago, she presented exhibitions that featured works by multigenerational artists including British-Palestinian Mona Hatoum in 2023, Iranian-Canadian Maryam Taghavi in 2024 and Iraqi-American Wafaa Bilal in 2025.
Kattan was also part of the curatorial team behind exhibitions at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, including Permanent Temporariness in 2018. The research-driven exhibition featured work by architects Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti, and explored themes of displacement as well as the refugee experience.
At the NYUAD Art Gallery, she also part of the team behind But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community, 1988–2008. The 2017 exhibition showcased a group of pioneering Emirati artists and the interrelated nature of their practices and community.
The UAE Minister of Culture Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi said Kattan’s deep connection to the UAE “will bring forward perspectives that resonate both locally and internationally. Through this exhibition, the pavilion continues to affirm the UAE’s role as a centre for creativity and cultural dialogue,” he said.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
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4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
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10pm Handicap (TB) Dh 85,000 (D) 2,000m
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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
