Art Dubai's multimillion boost cements the city as a hub for artists and creatives

The annual exhibition will return to Madinat Jumeirah from March 1 to 3

Artworks on display at Art Dubai 2023 held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National

Art Dubai, held in March this year, was the show's most successful run to date, bringing a multimillion boost to the city.

Garnering Dh143 million in economic impact and accounting for about 23,500 hotel bookings, the strength of the annual exhibition demonstrates Dubai's importance for creatives.

That was the message from Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, who said the numbers reflect “Dubai's global position as a vital hub for artistic and creative events”.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, touring the 2023 edition of Art Dubai. Photo: Wam

The figures, released by French market research company Ipsos in their Economic Impact Study, demonstrate a 55 per cent rise in the annual art fair's economic value, which was at Dh92 million in 2019.

“Art Dubai has matured and developed into a unique moment in the international art calendar, convening Dubai's brightest and best cultural and artistic minds each year. The figures announced in the economic impact report further underline the importance of world-class cultural programming in attracting people worldwide to this unique city,” said Badri.

The five-day international art fair, held at Madinat Jumeirah, featured over 130 exhibitors from about 40 countries, which organisers said was the “strongest-ever participation of regional and international institutional representatives”.

Art Dubai 2024 will be held at Madinat Jumeirah in March next year. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National

“2023 was Art Dubai’s most successful to date, and our 2024 edition will continue to build on the reputation we have nurtured over the last two decades,” said Art Dubai's executive director, Benedetta Ghione.

Previously, she told The National that Dubai's efforts to overcome the pandemic had further enabled its vision to position Dubai as a global cultural hub.

She added that the city's forward-thinking nature is a crucial reason why the art fair has continued to flourish, despite the wider challenges increasingly faced by events of this kind post-pandemic.

Art Dubai has been giving both artists and enthusiasts a venue to connect for 16 years.

Held every March in Dubai, it is a platform to view and buy art – showcasing contemporary, modern and digital gallery sections, annual artist commissions and year-round collector and education programmes.

The exhibition initially started with a focus on showcasing art from the Middle East, but has evolved to include the wider Global South. It attracts top collecting and institutional audiences from across the UAE, the region and internationally.

The 2024 edition of Art Dubai will take place from March 1 to 3 at Madinat Jumeirah, with preview shows on February 28 and 29.

Scroll through the gallery below to see the best of Art Dubai 2023

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  Art Dubai is back for its 16th year. All photos unless otherwise specified: Pawan Singh / The National

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  The art fair mark its most ambitious and extensive iteration

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  The programme features more than 130 presentations from across 40 countries

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  Gunjan Kumar with her artwork

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  Sifr by Gunjan Kumar

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  Jason Seife with his A Modern Genesis piece

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  Refik Anadol’s Glacier Dreams uses AI to process a wealth of glacier visual materials

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  Yoichi Ochiai with his artwork at Art Dubai

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  Refik Anadol with his Glacier Dreams

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  Isshaq Ismail with his Serenity painting, left

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  Jason Seife's work digitally explores the storytelling aspect of regional carpets, particularly the way they depict gardens

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  There are four sections at the fair, including Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba and Art Dubai Digital

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  Yoichi Ochiai blurs the lines between the material and digital world with his work. Getty Images