From 17 to 19 April 2026, Art Dubai marks its twentieth edition, confirming its position as one of the most closely watched fairs on the international contemporary art calendar, particularly for those looking beyond the Euro-American axis. Since its inception, the fair has shaped its identity as a platform dedicated to artistic practices from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, avoiding the role of a mere satellite of major Western events. The 2026 edition retains a sectional structure that reflects this approach. Alongside the main gallery programme, Bawwaba presents recent projects by artists from geographical and cultural contexts often marginalised within traditional fair circuits, while Zamaniyyat continues to examine global modernisms and their genealogies, challenging a singular narrative of twentieth-century art history. The Digital section, now fully embedded in the fair’s format, is devoted to practices spanning video, installation, immersive environments and emerging technologies. Art Dubai extends beyond the exhibition floor. Its programme of talks and meetings, with the Global Art Forum as a central axis, runs alongside the fair with a discussion agenda addressing issues of geopolitics, visual culture and technological transformation. Far from being a side programme, these moments function as a parallel space of discursive production, contributing to the intellectual profile of the event.
