The second Nomad Abu Dhabi will return in November, once again transforming the former Terminal 1 of Abu Dhabi’s old airport into a showcase for contemporary art and collectible design.
The travelling fair will run from November 18 to 22, and is returning to the distinctive terminal building that hosted its Middle East debut last year.
Nomad describes the Abu Dhabi iteration as part of its continued commitment to the region, with the event timed to coincide with one of the busiest periods on the capital’s cultural calendar.
Unlike conventional fairs built around rows of temporary gallery booths, Nomad selects architecturally distinctive venues and incorporates their surroundings into its exhibitions. Previous fairs have taken place in St Moritz, Capri, Venice and Cannes.
Nomad's return to Terminal 1 continues that approach. The building opened in 1982 and was designed by French architect Paul Andreu, whose other projects included Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Its vast tent-like roof, arched walkways and green and blue-tiled interiors made the terminal one of the UAE capital’s most recognisable pieces of modernist architecture.
The terminal was decommissioned following the opening of the new Terminal A at Zayed International Airport.
Nomad brought the building back into public use for its Abu Dhabi debut in November 2025. The former departure areas and central hall were repurposed for gallery presentations, installations and design projects from the UAE and abroad.
About 21 galleries and institutions took part last year, including Dubai's Third Line, AP Room and Leila Heller Gallery, alongside participants from cities including Cairo, Milan, Paris, Istanbul, Tunis and Athens.
The programme also stretched beyond conventional gallery presentations. Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council presented its Tilad Collection with Mexican artist Ricardo Rendon, while design collective Super Loop explored regional traditions including mother-of-pearl inlay and hand-carved wood.
Nomad co-founder Giorgio Pace told The National that the inaugural format was intended to create a closer relationship between the works and their surroundings, rather than treating the venue simply as an exhibition hall.
The fair signalled last year that Abu Dhabi would become a longer-term destination. Nomad co-founder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte said the team planned to return to Terminal 1 over the following four years, with opportunities to gradually introduce further commissions, performances and installations.
Details of the galleries, artists and special projects taking part this year are yet to be announced.
However, organisers say the exhibition will continue to focus on collectible design while bringing together curators, collectors and cultural figures. The team describe Abu Dhabi as an increasingly important market for galleries and say Nomad is looking to establish a long-term presence in the region.
The timing places the fair amid an expanding cultural season in the capital and comes only weeks before another major addition to Abu Dhabi's arts landscape, with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi scheduled to open on Saadiyat Island in December.
The second fair will also give visitors a rare opportunity to enter Terminal 1, turning a building once associated with arrivals and departures into a cultural destination in its own right.
Nomad Abu Dhabi runs from November 18 to 22 in old Abu Dhabi airport's Terminal 1
