DUBAI: Art Dubai, which offered $600,000 worth of prizes for three outstanding works of art, will open its doors to invitees today and to members of the public from tomorrow at Dubai's Madinat Al-Jumeirah Hotel.

The four-day show is being sponsored for the third consecutive year by the Dubai International Finance Company (DIFC) in cooperation with Al-Abraaj Capital under the patronage of Dubai ruler Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al-Makthoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE.

The winners of the $200,000 each cash prize are Cristian Perella and Kutlug Attaman from Turkey, Carol Solomon and Zoulikha Bouaabdellah from Algeria, and Leyla Fakhr and Nargol Ansarina from Iran. The first three winners were selected from almost 100 applicants representing artists from every country in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

Speaking at a packed press conference full of foreign journalists, Co-Founder and Director of Art Dubai John Martin said visitors to the show will have the opportunity to view and purchase pieces of art from up to 465 artists, a quarter of whom are Arab and Iranian, with items ranging from less than $1000 to $12 million. "Among the 26 participating countries, Saudi Arabia has entered the show for the first time with a gallery displayed by Saudi-based artists," he added.

The Jeddah-based Athr Gallery, which recently featured in the "Edge of Saudi Arabia" show in London, will present works by artists such as Shadia Alem, Lulwah Al-Homoud, Baseim Al-Shargi, Noha Al-Sharif, Abdullah Hammas, Ahmed Mater, Bakur Sheikhoon and Ayman Yusri. The founders of the Athr Gallery, Hamza Serafi and Muhammad Hafiz, will man the gallery.

Martin added that Art Dubai would enable a wider cross section of regional and international attendees to gain a perspective on the Kingdom's emerging arts landscape.

"One of Art Dubai's defining values is our broad appeal -- bringing museum-quality pieces such as the Sam Francis collection alongside attractively-priced emerging artists, and encouraging debate and education through the Global Art Forum, complimentary discussions in the Art Park, and a range of new book launches with special concessions for Art Dubai visitors," said Martin.

"At the opening of Art Dubai 2009 we're celebrating a number of real milestones, including the creation of a truly regional and international event that collaborates with Qatar and Abu Dhabi via our Contemparabia and Global Art Forum initiatives, the unveiling of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize which celebrates the importance of arts patronage, and the welcoming of more than 50 museum groups to what has become a key event on the global arts calendar.

"What we are finding most compelling about this year's fair is the quality and diversity of the available artworks. In today's market, both new and established collectors are looking for quality and new opportunities. Art Dubai offers collectors an exceptional program of curated exhibitions, talks and tours designed to appeal to every level of art buyer."

Artists, such as Tarek Al-Ghoussein, will also present their work as projects during the fair. Al-Ghoussein will sign copies of his book of photographs, In Absentia, on Mar. 21 at 2pm at Art Books.

Art Park, an educational initiative that aims to provide a forum for relevant issues in the arts world such as curatorial practice in the Middle East, online art journalism and corporate initiatives such as the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, will provide a forum for creative expression by all members of the community.

The fair is also hosting a Global Art Forum, a daylong art symposium featuring an illustrious group of art professionals. Following a welcome by Roger Mandle, the former Rhode Island School of Design president who now heads the Qatar Museums Authority in Doha, the panel includes Maria Baibakova, founder of Moscow Art-Space, Max Hollein, director of Städel Museum, Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator of Serpentine Gallery, Mikhail Piotrovsky, head of Hermitage Museum, and Marc Olivier Whaler, director of Palais de Tokyo.