Scaled back Art Dubai 2026 reveals wide impact of Iran war

• Mainly Middle East exhibitors
• ‘Risk-sharing’ model introduced
• Newcomers determined to stay put

Standing under Stan, a $32 million Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, at Abu Dhabi’s recently opened Natural History Museum, or staring at the Blue Quran manuscript at its much anticipated Zayed National Museum, you would see that the Gulf’s cultural community had good reason to be in buoyant form at the start of this year. 

The last few weeks had also seen the opening of the modernist-inspired Lawh Wa Qalam Museum in Doha and the unveiling of the Red Sea Museum in Jeddah. All leading up to the main event later in 2026: the opening of the much-anticipated Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Then on February 28 the US and Israel began their war on Iran and the latter started firing thousands of missiles and drones at cities across the Gulf. The mood quickly changed and now the region’s artistic scene faces uncertainty.

Evidence of this is Art Dubai, the Middle East’s leading fair for modern and contemporary art, which has announced it will scale back its upcoming 20th anniversary edition.

The fair, which was meant to take place in mid-April, will now run from May 15 to 17 at its long-time home at the Madinat Jumeirah, with a VIP day on May 14. 

For the first time ever, Art Dubai will be free for all visitors. It will also present just 50 galleries, nearly 60 percent down on the expected pre-war exhibitor list. Participants from 35 countries were expected but now around two-thirds will consist of those based in or with branches in the Middle East.

All galleries from India cancelled their participation. 

“We cancelled as we could not see how it was possible for the fair to be held,” said Amrita Jhaveri, whose gallery Jhaveri Contemporary has participated in 10 editions of the fair.

“There were so many concerns – getting stranded, putting staff at risk, lack of insurance for artworks, and who would be in a mood to go out and buy art?”

Art Dubai confirmed in an email that it has introduced a “risk-sharing” model for booth fees.

This involves participating galleries paying a percentage of their total sales, capped at their equivalent booth fee. For galleries that have withdrawn, half of the booth fees paid have been refunded and the remaining half credited towards the 2027 fair.

Dubai-based entities, including Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line, Leila Heller, Tabari Artspace and Efie Gallery, make up more than a third of all participants. Regional galleries such as ATHR of Saudi Arabia and Hafez Gallery are among those travelling to Dubai.

A few from farther afield, such as Mexico City’s Labor gallery, will attend, as will Lilia Ben Saleh from Paris, who has said that due to the complexity of shipping she adapted with a reduced selection and prioritised works that were already in Dubai. 

Saleh, who has worked between Dubai and Abu Dhabi for 18 years, said it was “essential to remain engaged [with the region], even from Paris”.

Before the war, many global art industry players were eagerly flocking to the Gulf on the back of accelerated activity in the region – Art Basel Qatar’s launch in early February, and Frieze Art Fair’s partnership with the 17-year-old Abu Dhabi Art, which is still scheduled to take place in November this year. 

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While dealers in the Gulf admit that business has been slower than usual during a normally peak season, newcomers are determined to stay put. Several, on condition of anonymity, spoke of having to take out war insurance for the first time to protect artworks. 

French gallerist Jean-David Malat, who opened his first Middle East post in Dubai in January 2025, said business has slowed but he still believes “in the long-term potential of the region” and sees it as “a key part of our international strategy”.

Others such as US-Iranian dealer Leila Heller, who runs a gallery in New York and opened her second branch in Dubai in 2015, say business is slowly returning.

“While we have had challenges with sales, over the last week business has picked up in Dubai,” said Heller.

“I have no intention of closing my gallery even though we lost two prime months. We need to now make up the money to get through the challenging summer months.”