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Frieze to Launch Abu Dhabi Art Fair

The London-based group will take over and rebrand the existing Abu Dhabi Art fair as competition in the Gulf heats up.
Frieze is taking over and rebranding the existing Abu Dhabi Art fair.
Frieze is taking over and rebranding the existing Abu Dhabi Art fair (Courtesy Abu Dhabi Art)
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Frieze is pushing into the Gulf, as competition in the wealthy region’s art market heats up.

The London-based art fair and media brand is taking over the existing Abu Dhabi Art fair, which it will relaunch next November as Frieze Abu Dhabi. The event will be Frieze’s first fair in the Middle East. Frieze rival Art Basel will launch its own Gulf fair in Doha, Qatar, this February.

The news comes the week before Frieze’s flagship Frieze London and Frieze Masters events, and just after the completion of Ari Emmanuel’s acquisition of the brand.

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Explainer: Making Sense of Art Basel’s New Qatar Fair

The world’s largest organiser of art fairs will launch its fifth annual event in Doha in February 2026. What does it mean for Art Basel, Qatar and the evolution of an art market desperate for growth opportunities after more than two years of shrinking sales?

About the author
Vikram Alexei Kansara
Vikram Alexei Kansara

Vikram Alexei Kansara is Editorial Director at The Business of Fashion. He is based in London and oversees BoF’s luxury, fashion week, art, sustainability, global markets and opinion verticals.

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