Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s best places to experience contemporary art is richly deserved. These galleries represent the excellence and variety the city offers, from innovative new openings to established institutions with international standing.
1 Ayyam Gallery
Currently showing Syrian artist Safwan Dahoul’s mesmerising paintings (until July 4) Ayyam Gallery was founded in 2006 by Khaled and Jouhayna Samawi. Originally located in Damascus, it has since expanded to Dubai and elsewhere, but maintains its commitment to championing Arab artists - particularly through its Shabab Ayyamm initiative, which offers grassroots support to emerging talents. It is counted among Dubai’s leading galleries and was one of the first to move into a warehouse space in Al Quoz, now part of the cultural hub known as Alserkal Avenue. Having relocated many artists, their families and their works from Syria in recent years, it has played an important role in preserving art heritage in the midst of conflict.
2 Lawrie Shabibi
Another beacon of the Alserkal Avenue arts quarter, Lawrie Shabibi opened in 2010 and focuses on underrepresented talents from the region and beyond, notably as part of the diaspora. Its founders are Asmaa Al-Shabibi and William Lawrie, formerly of Art Dubai and Christies respectively. Issues of identity, memory and history are often foregrounded in the gallery’s programme, and it spotlights historical exhibitions featuring older artists: Morocco’s Mohamed Melehi and Jordanian sculptor Mona Saudi are among the late, great figures it has celebrated.
3 NIKA Project Space
Founded by Veronika Berezina in 2023, NIKA Project Space is one of the newer hotspots on Dubai’s art scene. Focusing on contemporary artists from the Global South and female artists and curators, it represents both established and emerging talents, and is innovative in approach: here you’ll find not just exhibitions but also performances, talks and educational initiatives. Coming in June is its second Open Studio Residency, the result of an open call inviting artists to create experimental works.
4 Waddington Custot
Waddington Custot brings a little European heritage to Dubai: its original outpost in Cork Street, Mayfair, was opened in 1958 by French art dealer Stéphane Custot and London gallerist Leslie Waddington, and focused on heavyweights like Peter Blake and Patrick Caulfield. The Dubai branch opened in 2016 and is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special exhibition (until July 18): expect a tribute to the international voices that have shaped its identity over the past decade, across the generations.
5 Foundry
An innovative hybrid space in Downtown Dubai, Foundry opened in 2020 and is made up of seven interconnected halls that present a mix of solo and themed exhibitions. It also boasts a mini library, a podcast studio and a café, and hosts talks and film screenings. One of its current attractions is the Supermarket exhibition (until June 7), which borrows the familiar retail concept to explore how artworks are displayed and valued.
6 Gallery Isabelle
Gallerist Isabelle van den Eynde opened her first Dubai space in 2006; her eponymous gallery followed in 2010 in Alserkal Avenue. Dedicated to creatives from the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, it nurtures emerging figures and also participates in global fairs like Art Dubai and Art Basel. The gallery’s stable of artists includes ceramicist Lubna Chowdhary, multidisciplinary Indian artist Richi Bhatia, and Alia Zaal, whose ethereal paintings are inspired by the natural world, as observed at Giverny, Claude Monet’s home in France.
7 Leila Heller Gallery
Forty years ago, Iranian gallerist Leila Heller was a pioneer of the New York art scene, introducing the US to a raft of Middle Eastern and Asian artists. Her Dubai outpost – the city’s largest gallery at 16,500 square feet – opened in 2015 in Alserkal Avenue. This is the place to see leading regional and global artists present their work in the Middle East for the first time – the emphasis is on promoting dialogue between the region and the West. Currently on show are a solo exhibition by Syrian artist Kevork Mourad (until (July 5) and All in the Family (until July 5), which brings together works by three Iranian creatives linked by cultural and family ties.
8 Gary Tatintsian Gallery
Since opening in 1989, Gary Tatintsian Gallery has moved from Berlin, New York and Moscow to its current space in Dubai, where it continues to represent leading figures of the avant-garde, such as Damien Hirst and Cindy Sherman. It arrived in the UAE in 2022 with a mission to engage local audiences; earlier this year it unveiled a new venue in Dubai Design District (d3). Tatintsian’s exhibitions span painting, sculpture, photography and conceptual works, and its inaugural show in its new home is a group display of internationally renowned names including Ron Arad, Mat Collishaw and Wim Delvoye.
9 Efie Gallery
Founded by Ghanaian family members Valentina, Kwame and Kobi Mintah in 2021, Efie Gallery is Dubai’s foremost place to explore contemporary art of African origin (“Efie” is the Twi word for “home”). Supporting cross-cultural exchange, it operates a residency programme that facilitates collaborations with local artists and institutions. It promises a dynamic visitor experience: the founders’ collection of rare vinyl and shellac records is on display alongside artworks. The latest exhibition, In Abstracto, in Concreto: On Memory and Presence (until September 21) unites four artists who live the experience of diaspora, easily one of the best art galleries in Dubai.
10 The Majlis Gallery
Set in a courtyard villa in the Al Fahidi Historic Neighbourhood, the Majlis Gallery is not only one of the best art galleries in Dubai, but also one of its most atmospheric art spaces. Founder Alison Collins, a former interior designer, imagined the gallery as a meeting point for creative minds: hence its name, which symbolises a place to come together. Presenting exhibitions by local and international artists in elegant surroundings, it’s a characterful alternative to Dubai’s modern “white box” galleries. Alongside fine art, there’s a focus on crafts, such as glass, ceramics and calligraphy.
