Frieze Abu Dhabi takes place from 19 to 22 November 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
The inaugural edition features 84 galleries from 63 cities across 36 countries and regions.
Programme highlights include Dala Nasser’s Qubbat Duris and an exhibition pairing Mohammed Kazem with Alia Zaal.
The inaugural fair will welcome 84 galleries to Manarat Al Saadiyat, with new commissions and an outdoor sculpture exhibition extending the programme.
Abu Dhabi’s autumn art calendar is taking shape, and Frieze Abu Dhabi has shared more reasons to arrange a visit. Taking place from 19 to 22 November 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, its inaugural edition will gather 84 galleries from 63 cities across 36 countries and regions. Alongside the gallery presentations, visitors can discover specially commissioned artworks, an exhibition connecting two generations of Emirati artists and sculptures on Saadiyat Island.
Presented by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Frieze, the fair will offer plenty to explore, whether you follow the international art circuit or simply want to discover something new. A three-day talks programme will gather artists, curators, museum leaders and patrons for conversations about museums and curatorial practice.
The main Galleries section will feature more than 60 exhibitors, with works spanning the mid-20th century to the present. UAE names include Carbon 12, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line, Tabari Artspace and Iris Projects. They will join international galleries including Gagosian, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, Victoria Miro, Perrotin and Galleria Continua.
Solo and focused presentations will give visitors the chance to spend time with individual artists’ practices. The line-up includes Ibrahim El Salahi, Farideh Lashai, Mounirah Mosly and Samir Rafi, alongside Emily Kam Kngwarreye, Francesco Clemente and Sheila Hicks. Chonon Bensho, Tahir Karmali and Marigold Santos also feature.
Among the newly announced highlights is Dala Nasser, recipient of the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi Artist Award, curated by Nabila Abdel Nabi. Her installation, Qubbat Duris, takes its starting point from a 13th-century monument near Baalbek in Lebanon. Combining a timber structure with textiles, charcoal rubbings, ash, clay and terracotta, the work considers the relationship between materials, memory and threatened landscapes.
Emirati artists Mohammed Kazem and Alia Zaal will feature in At Another Meeting Point, the first exhibition in the annual In Dialogue series. Curated by Dirwaza Curatorial Lab, the presentation creates a conversation between established and emerging artistic voices.
There is also a reason to head beyond the fair’s walls. Frieze Sculpture Abu Dhabi will occupy Mamsha Beach from 16 November to 16 December 2026, with works by Zeinab Alhashemi, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Imran Qureshi and Kamran Samimi. The extended run offers another opportunity to engage with the programme after the main event closes.
Elsewhere, Frieze Masters Abu Dhabi, curated by Marika Sardar, will explore art and objects from Antiquity to the early 20th century through an Indian Ocean theme. Tarini Malik’s Global Futures section will examine connections to the UAE and the wider region, while Focus will support younger international galleries presenting experimental solo and dual exhibitions.
With historical works, contemporary commissions and regional perspectives sharing the programme, there is plenty to build a visit around. Ticket prices have yet to be confirmed in the available event listing, which directs visitors to Frieze’s website for booking information and further announcements.
Where: Frieze Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi
When: 19 to 22 November 2026
Contact: www.frieze.com