Editor’s Note
This article highlights a landmark event for the Middle Eastern art and luxury market, as Sotheby’s prepares to host its first-ever series of auctions in Abu Dhabi this December.
For the first time in the Middle East, Sotheby’s is organizing an unprecedented series of luxury auctions. In partnership with ADIO (Abu Dhabi Investment Office), the British auction house will bring its refined world to the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort from December 2nd to 5th, offering collectors from Abu Dhabi and around the globe privileged access to exceptional pieces.
This marks the first-ever series of luxury sales organized in the region, representing a major step in Abu Dhabi’s rise on the international cultural and artistic scene. This new chapter brings together some of the auction house’s most prestigious domains: High Jewelry, Rare Watches, Collector Cars (in collaboration with RM Sotheby’s), and Exceptional Real Estate (with Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions).
Beyond the auctions, the event will feature a museum-quality exhibition of international fine arts, bringing together major works carefully selected for the occasion. This is a rare opportunity for enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike to admire up close pieces usually reserved for major cultural capitals.
The series will also be enriched by a program of conferences, meetings with experts, and masterclasses, allowing participants to explore the behind-the-scenes of art, collecting, haute horlogerie, and heritage conservation.
With this regional world-first, Abu Dhabi confirms its ambition to become a major cultural and artistic hub, capable of attracting the biggest players in the global market. By choosing the Emirati capital, Sotheby’s acknowledges its dynamism, its international audience, and its growing role in the world of luxury.
