Written by Mareta
Twenty years after Christie's first auction in the UAE, MAWASIM brought modern and contemporary art from across the Middle East to Abu Dhabi, marking a new chapter in the city's growing presence in the international art market.
A New Chapter
On 1 November 2026, Christie's held its first dedicated fine art auction in Abu Dhabi. The sale, titled MAWASIM: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, brought together 70 works, including pieces from the Dalloul Collection in Beirut and the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah. It realised USD 8,940,800, the highest total for a Christie's Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art evening sale in more than ten years.
The title, Mawasim, meaning “seasons” in Arabic, reflected both the evolution of the region's art scene over two decades and the beginning of a new chapter in the capital's cultural life.
Christie's first auction in the UAE took place in Dubai in May 2006, among the earliest major international fine art auctions in the region. At the time, the international market for modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art was still taking shape. Twenty years later, Abu Dhabi has become an increasingly important centre for art and culture, bringing together artists, galleries, collectors and institutions from across the region and around the world.
Image Courtesy of Christie’s (the auction room)
The Sale
The evening's highest price went to Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. Her Variations on the Hexagon (2006) realised USD 844,800 against an estimate of USD 150,000–250,000, following almost seven minutes of competitive bidding. Selling for more than three times its high estimate, the work became one of the defining moments of the sale.
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Variations on the Hexagon, 2006, mirror mosaic panel with blue glass, reverse-glass painting, and plaster on wood, Courtesy of Christie’s
Fahrelnissa Zeid's Composition (1948–1949) followed at USD 524,800 against an estimate of USD 500,000–700,000. Two works then tied at USD 512,000: Faisel Laibi Sahi's Baghdad Café (The Coffee Shop) (2016), from the Dalloul Collection, which established a new auction record for the artist, and Ali Banisadr's Homo Deus (2018).
Fahrelnissa Zeid, Composition, 1948–1949, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Christie’s
Three further works each realised USD 486,400. Paul Guiragossian's Noces (Wedding) (1958–1959), estimated at USD 300,000–500,000, achieved a new auction record for his works in oil on masonite. It was a medium-specific record, rather than an overall auction record for the artist, whose work had also featured in Christie's inaugural UAE sale in 2006. The other two works were Mahmoud Saïd's Portrait de Princesse Fadia (1952), which sold within its estimate of USD 400,000–600,000, and Fahrelnissa Zeid's Endless Thoughts (late 1970s), which exceeded its estimate of USD 200,000–300,000.
Paul Guiragossian, Noces (Wedding), 1958–1959, oil on masonite, Courtesy of Christie’s
Among the other leading results, Samia Halaby's Yesterday (1978) achieved USD 358,400 against an estimate of USD 200,000–300,000. Christie's also reported a medium-specific record for Halaby, associated in subsequent coverage with her separate work on paper Three Way Seven (1982), which sold for USD 38,400. Ayman Baalbaki's Babel Tower (2012) exceeded its estimate of USD 180,000–250,000, reaching USD 281,600, while Farhad Moshiri's Untitled (2003) sold for USD 230,400 against an estimate of USD 80,000–120,000.
Samia Halaby, Yesterday, 1978, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Christie’s
Further down the results, two works from the Dalloul Collection achieved notable prices. Sliman Mansour's Self Portrait (1996) sold for USD 128,000 against an estimate of USD 100,000–150,000, while Inji Efflatoun's Untitled (1987) reached USD 96,000 against an estimate of USD 40,000–60,000.
Four artists also made their auction debuts: Nabil Kanso with Mother and Child (Kuwait/Desert Storm series) (1991), from the Dalloul Collection; Rami Farook with Oh god, I ask you for peace of mind (2024); Fatma Lootah with Untitled (2011), from the Barjeel Art Foundation; and Afra Al Dhaheri with No. 22 (Spaces for improvisation series) (2022). In total, Christie's reported nine auction records across the sale, comprising three overall artist records, two medium-specific records and four auction debuts.
Sliman Mansour, Self Portrait, 1996, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Christie’s
Outlook: Beyond the Auction Room
According to Christie's, more than 30% of registrants were Millennials or Gen Z, while 37% were new to the auction house. These figures suggest a widening audience for modern and contemporary art from the region, with younger and first-time participants taking part in the sale.
The question is whether this growing interest can move beyond the auction room and develop into a deeper connection with the region's art.
In Abu Dhabi, the question feels especially relevant as the city approaches a busy season for art and culture. Frieze Abu Dhabi takes place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 19 to 22 November, with public days from 20 to 22 November. Sotheby's first fine art auction in Abu Dhabi, Breaking Ground: Fine Art, follows on 10 December, ahead of the planned opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on 11 December. Together, these events reflect the growth of Abu Dhabi's cultural landscape and offer further opportunities for artists, collectors and audiences to engage with art from the Middle East.
Faisel Laibi Sahi, Baghdad Café (The Coffee Shop), 2016, acrylic on canvas, Courtesy of Christie’s
Ali Banisadr, Homo Deus, 2018, oil on linen, Courtesy of Christie’s
Ayman Baalbaki, Babel Tower, 2012, acrylic on canvas, Courtesy of Christie’s
