Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week is set to launch in the emirate this December, Sotherby's has announced today.
A collaboration between Sotheby’s and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the initiative is aimed at the region’s collectors and an international clientele.
Notably, this marks the first Sotheby’s sale in the capital. Josh Pullan, global head of Sotheby’s luxury division, explains why the timing matters. “First, Abu Dhabi is experiencing huge momentum as a cultural and luxury hub, with the Louvre already established and the Saadiyat Island cultural district set to open major museums in 2025 and 2026. It feels like the right moment to be here, at the heart of this growth. The second is from a business perspective – we’re seeing rising engagement from Middle Eastern collectors in our global auctions, making this a natural meeting point of opportunity for both the region and Sotheby’s.”
Having staged the first RM Sotheby’s property sale in Dubai in 2025, which Pullan describes as “remarkable success", the company believes the groundwork has been laid for the next step. He cites the Beyond: The World’s Rarest Diamond exhibition, held in April on Saadiyat Island, which featured more than $100 million worth of diamonds in a single room. Among them was the Mediterranean Blue diamond, later sold in Geneva for $21.5 million. The event, Pullan says, was “extremely well received” and a “strong signal of the appetite here".
With a showroom in Dubai since 2017, the 281-year-old auction house is now set to deepen its commitment to the UAE capital. The inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week will be held at The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, with a curated programme of events culminating in a flagship auction.
Timed to coincide with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, taking place from December 4 to 7, the event is designed to give those considering the sale another reason to stay. “It’s a great way to have our global clients come and experience more than just the auctions, so that it exposes our very best clients to Abu Dhabi and everything it has to offer,” Pullan explains. With the auction scheduled for practice night on December 5, “we want to make sure it’s close enough, but not conflicting, and easy for people to navigate both".
In October, Sotheby’s will also stage an online NBA sale to coincide with the league’s games in Abu Dhabi. “Over the past five years, bidders from the UAE have grown by 24 per cent and buyers by 25 per cent. Last year alone, 38 per cent were new to Sotheby’s and 39 per cent were under 40. It’s a young, dynamic, affluent audience,” Pullan says.
As for what will be on offer in December, Sotheby’s has offered a preview – from rare supercars to diamonds. A 2010 Aston Martin One-77, one of only 77 ever built, will feature with an estimated price of $1.3 to $1.6 million. Also on sale is a 2017 Pagani Zonda 760 Riviera, expected to fetch $9.5 to $10.5 million. Another highlight will be a single-owner private collection of watches and jewellery valued at more than $20 million, regarded as one of the most significant to reach the market in decades. Among its treasures are a rare Rolex Oyster Albino Daytona ref 6263 and The Desert Rose, the largest fancy vivid orangey-pink diamond ever graded. Fancy diamonds are gems that exhibit colour beyond the Z range in the GIA industry’s D-to-Z colour-grading scale.
There is a simple reason such rarities are being brought to Abu Dhabi rather than the auction house's more traditional venues of London, New York or Geneva. “The sentiment here is optimistic, growth-oriented and very different to other parts of the world right now. The data supports that too – bidding engagement and buying are all on the rise,” says Pullan.
“In December, we expect a mix of global, regional and local participation. Success will be measured not just by sales, but by storytelling, education and engagement –positioning Abu Dhabi as a major new stage for Sotheby’s auctions.”
This announcement comes only months after ADQ, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, invested $1 billion in Sotheby’s.
The UAE is no stranger to significant real estate and luxury goods sales, but what sets this apart?
“The curation,” Pullan explains. “These are pieces you can’t just walk into a boutique and buy; they’re unique or ultra rare, often one-of-a-kind, often with extraordinary provenance. That level of exclusivity is what sets the sale apart. Our ambition is not to stage a 300-lot auction, but to curate only the very best. This allows us to focus on the client experience. It’s a different path from our more traditional sales, designed to do something truly different and memorable.”
The event is the first sale in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. Of the collaboration, Pullan says, “The ADIO network of contacts in Abu Dhabi and beyond makes them the perfect partners for this week. Abu Dhabi is really going to make it all possible and bring this to life. So it all feels very organic and something we feel really confident about.”
