Updated Saturday 26 September
Art in the Middle East
Galleries, museums, exhibitions and artists across 15 countries, with the most in Beirut, Dubai and Cairo. What is on now, what opens next, and what closes this week, with addresses and opening hours kept current.
Also called the Levant, the Gulf, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Iran. Narrow it down: Arab worldGulfLevantNorth Africa
Opens Wednesday 30 SeptemberThis week
Openings and last days, Saturday 26 September to Friday 2 October
Sun
27
Last dayThis is Lebanon, BeirutLast dayThe Sacred Thread: A Personal Journey Between Silt, Shadow and Sky, BeirutMon
28
Nothing listed
Tue
29
Nothing listed
Wed
30
OpeningObservations, Here and There..., CairoOpeningThe Bed Is Still Warm, BeirutLast dayThe Occupation of Memory, Beirutand 2 more
On view now
55 exhibitions in the Middle East
Until 7 OctoberSolo exhibition
Unwelcome
Art Scene Gallery, Beirut
Art centre, until 3 October
Roots & Wings
Rebirth Beirut, Beirut
Solo, until 24 October
Midlife
Wadi 99 Art Gallery, Beirut
Solo, until 10 November
Taking Form
The Third Line, Dubai
Group, until 4 November
I Bloom Where You Hold Me
Gallery Isabelle, Dubai
Last chance
Closing in the next seven days
Cities
Where to see art, city by city
Beirut
Lebanon26 venues, 25 shows on view
Dubai
UAE5 venues, 5 shows on view
Cairo
Egypt4 venues, 2 shows on view
Doha
Qatar4 venues, 4 shows on view
All galleries and museums
Beirut, Lebanon
Agial Art Gallery, Août Gallery, Art District - Gallery & Studio, Art on 56th, Art Scene Gallery, Beirut Art Center, Beit Beirut, Museum and Urban Cultural Center, Carré d'artistes Beirut, Chaos Art Gallery, Difaf Gallery, Galerie Cheriff Tabet, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Galerie Tanit, Jacques Ouaiss Gallery, KAF Contemporary Art Gallery, Kalim Bechara Art Gallery, Marfa', Mark Hachem Gallery, Maya Art Space, Nuhad Es-Said Pavilion for Culture, Rebirth Beirut, Saleh Barakat Gallery, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Sursock Museum, Wadi 99 Art Gallery, Zico House
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Gallery Isabelle, Green Art Gallery, Jameel Arts Centre, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line
Jal El Dib, Lebanon
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Ramallah, Palestine
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Birzeit, Palestine
El Heri, Lebanon
Manama, Bahrain
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
By country
Each country page lists its venues, exhibitions and artists
| Country | Venues | On view | Artists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 30 | 28 | 45 |
| Palestine | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Qatar | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| Egypt | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Country | Venues | On view | Artists |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Syria | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Jordan | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Oman | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Bahrain | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Country | Venues | On view | Artists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Iraq | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Turkey | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yemen | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Middle Eastern artists
106 profiles with biography, CV and exhibitions
Adnan Charara
Lebanon
Alia Corm
Lebanon
Alia Farid
Kuwait
Anwar Sonya
Oman
Aseel AlYaqoub
Kuwait
Basmah Felemban
Saudi Arabia
Lebanon (45)
Adeeb Farhat, Adnan Charara, Akram Zaatari, Alia Corm, Aref El Rayess, César Gemayel, Charbel Gergess, Christine Ozeir, Claude Moufarège, Dyala Khodary, Edgard Mazigi, Etel Adnan, Fady Chammas, Farrah Berrou, Gebran Tarazi, Georges Bassil, Ghada Jamal, Gilbert Halaby, Haibat Balaa Bawab, Haig Aivazian, Hoda Baalbaki, Imad Fakhry, Issa Halloum, Jamil Molaeb, Lama Mansour, Layla Dagher, Mansour El Habre, Marwan Rechmaoui, Mona Nahleh, Mounira Al Solh, Moustafa Farroukh, Nadine Sidani, Nevine Mattar, Nicole Mezher, Omar Onsi, Raffi Tokatlian, Roger Moukarzel, Sabine Karam, Sama Beydoun, Tamara Khodr, Walid Raad, Wissam Beydoun, Yasmina Hilal, Yasmina Nysten, Zena Assi
Palestine (12)
Adam Rouhana, Dima Srouji, Dina Ali, Eman Haram, Jawad Al Malhi, Khaled Hourani, Khaled Jarada, Khalil Raad, Khalil Rabah, Noor Abuarafeh, Tarik Kiswanson, Vera Tamari
Qatar (11)
Abdulla Al Fakhroo, Abdullatif Ahmad Alnaemi, Abdullatif Jaidah, Aisha Al Muhannadi, Ameena Al Boinin, Fatema Ahmad Al-Doh, Hameed Al Qahtani, Hanadi Al Darwish, Hessa Al Kuwari, Lina Al Aali, Maryam Abel
Egypt (7)
Heba Y. Amin, Hussein Bicar, Ibrahim El Dessouki, Ihab Shaker, Lara Baladi, Nada Elkalaawy, Sam Shendi
Saudi Arabia (6)
Basmah Felemban, Latifa AlBokhari, Lulua Alyahya, Manal AlDowayan, Maryam Tariq, Safeya Binzagr
Syria (6)
Khaled Al-Attar, Majed Sabouni, Mouneer Al Shaarani, Tarek Butayhi, Ziad Dalloul, Zouhair Dabbagh
Oman (3)
Iraq (3)
Iran (3)
Jordan (2)
Kuwait (2)
Bahrain (2)
United Arab Emirates (2)
Turkey (1)
Yemen (1)
News
Case Study: Why Christie's Is Taking Its Middle Eastern Sale to Abu Dhabi
Christie's will hold its first fine-art auction in Abu Dhabi on 1 November 2026. We look at the numbers behind Mawasim, what the move tells us, and what to watch as the capital's biggest art season begins.
Islamic Arts Biennale Names Four Lead Curators for 2027
The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has just named Nada Raza, William Robinson, Alain Fouad George and Idries Trevathan as lead curators of the third Islamic Arts Biennale, opening in Jeddah on 1 November 2027.
CONTINUUM '26 Puts a New Generation of Media Artists in the Spotlight in Diriyah
The second edition of CONTINUUM at Diriyah Art Futures showcases 16 emerging new media artists, with a strong showing from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Yemen, until 7 November 2026.
Questions
Where can I see art in the Middle East?
artmena lists 36 galleries and 24 museums, foundations and art centres in the Middle East, in Beirut, Dubai, Cairo and Doha, with their addresses, opening hours and current exhibitions.
What art exhibitions are on in the Middle East now?
55 exhibitions are on view now, including This is Lebanon, Unwelcome and Roots & Wings. 9 more open in the next 30 days.
Who are some Middle Eastern artists to know?
artmena profiles 106 artists from the Middle East, among them Abdulla Al Fakhroo, Abdullatif Ahmad Alnaemi, Abdullatif Jaidah and Adam Rouhana, each with a biography, CV and exhibitions.