NOMAD Abu Dhabi returns to Terminal 1 at the Old Abu Dhabi Airport from 18 to 22 November 2026.
More than 50 exhibitors will take part, with four private gates hosting individual gallery takeovers.
Highlights include Emirati craft collaborations, talks, workshops and an ERTH pop-up restaurant.
The art and design fair brings gallery takeovers, Emirati craftsmanship and an ERTH dining pop-up to the former airport terminal.
Abu Dhabi’s old airport is preparing for a different kind of arrival. NOMAD Abu Dhabi 2026 returns to Terminal 1 from 18 to 22 November 2026, with more than 50 exhibitors and a programme spanning art, furniture, jewellery and craft. For its second edition, the fair is opening up more of the building, giving visitors new spaces to explore.
The choice of venue is a statement in itself. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, the visionary behind Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Abu Dhabi’s Terminal 1 first opened in 1982 and served travellers for more than four decades before closing in 2023. Today, it is regarded as a landmark of Arabian Modernism, known for its sculptural central spaces, circular lounges and sweeping arched walkways. NOMAD will reactivate these atmospheric halls as a boutique showcase, with A2Z, Nilufar, Gallery FUMI and Galerie Gastou each taking over a private gate, creating individual presentations within the former airport.
“Last year was about discovering the airport,” says NOMAD co-founder and director Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte. “This year, we have a better understanding of this remarkable building so we can be more ambitious with it. What interests me is not making NOMAD bigger for the sake of it, but making it more layered, with commissions, architecture and site-specific interventions that connect with the history and material culture of the region.”
Emirati craftsmanship is a good place to start. Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council and SUPER LOOP will present five furniture and functional design pieces inspired by Talli weaving, incorporating pearl inlay. Abu Dhabi’s House of Artisans has also teamed up with Paris’ Institut du Monde Arabe on an installation by designer Abdel El Tayeb and Emirati master artisans.
Among the newcomers, Mumbai’s ÆQUŌ explores Indian craft techniques, while Maison Intègre brings bronze furniture made in Burkina Faso. Jewellery lovers can seek out Boghossian and Ars Belga’s Light into Colour presentation, which pairs jewellery with paintings. Bahrain’s MATTAR, meanwhile, combines the country’s natural pearls with textile work in Woven in Us.
Beyond browsing, BGRE’s talks programme includes architect Sumayya Vally, designer Cristiano Pelizzari and artists Asunción Molinos Gordo and Vica Pacheco. Irthi will run workshops exploring regional craft traditions, while South African artist Robin Rhode will create a wall drawing and performance that develops during the fair.
The FACT award-winning ERTH Abu Dhabi becomes the NOMAD Hub, hosting breakfasts, dinners and evening gatherings during the event. It will also operate the official pop-up restaurant inside Terminal 1.
NOMAD Abu Dhabi 2026 begins with invitation-only previews on 18 November 2026. Public opening hours are 1pm to 9pm from 19 to 21 November 2026, and 1pm to 8pm on 22 November 2026.
Where: Terminal 1, Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi
When: 18 to 22 November 2026
Contact: www.nomad-circle.com