Dubai, 19 March 2008 — Under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mayed Ibn Mohamed Ibn Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Culture and Art Authority, the region’s largest international art fair, Art Dubai, had its official opening yesterday.
The Middle East’s first and largest contemporary art event, showcases contemporary artworks offered for sale by nearly 70 of the world’s leading contemporary and modern galleries from 28 countries.
Underscoring the commitment of the Dubai government to the cultural development of the UAE and the growth of Dubai as a hub for art-related commerce, Dr. Omar bin Sulaiman, governor of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), outlined the milestones that Art Dubai has achieved since the inaugural fair in 2007. “Last year we had 10,000 visitors and this year it will be much more,” he said.
DIFC announced a partnership with Abraaj Capital, the premier investment firm specializing in private equity investment in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, to launch the Abraaj Capital Art prize, aimed at developing a regional and global platform to recognize the contemporary work being created by artists working in the Middle East. The Abraaj Capital art prize provides an opportunity for up to five artists from the region to work alongside established curators and to showcase individual exhibitions of their work.