8 Shows to See in the MENA Region this Autumn

After a long hot summer, galleries in the MENA region are amping up their exhibition cycle to present us with several unmissable shows to visit as we head into the cooler months. Keep reading to learn more about the must-see shows in the MENA region this autumn.

ASSIF at Loft Art Gallery, Marrakech

This group show is titled after the Tamazight word “assif”, which means river. It brings together 13 artists from across North Africa and its diaspora to explore themes of flow, reinvention, and transmission within contemporary art from North Africa. The show runs at Loft Art Gallery until November 2025.

Marwan Bassiouni: New Western Views at Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai

Marwan Bassiouni’s solo show at Lawrie Shabibi in Dubai presents large-scale photo works taken inside mosques in Western countries like the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK. The juxtaposition of Islamic venues and Western landscapes results in striking images. The exhibition is on view until 5 November 2025 and explores themes of adaptation, inherited memory, and migration.

Bound Narratives: Photobook Festival at B7L9, Tunis

The MENA region produces stunning photography, whether that be through fine art prints to photobooks, this exhibition at B7L9 Art Centre in Tunis celebrates all of this. With a focus on storytelling through photography, the festival runs until 2 November 2025.

Aidha Badr: I’m Never Coming Back at Firetti Contemporary, Dubai

Aidha Badr’s solo show at Firetti Contemporary is a collaboration with Hunna Art, and curated by

Celine Azem and Oceane Sailly. This latest body of work focuses on self-portraiture, painting from the dual lens of a daughter and a mother, examining the quiet, radical shifts in identity that accompany motherhood. It’s on view until 7 November 2025.

Emir Erkaya: The Snake Charmer's Garden at Pilot, Istanbul

Emir Erkaya’s solo show at Istanbul’s Pilot gallery is a figurative exploration of transformation and identity. The exhibition invites viewers into a magical world at the intersection of history, mythology, and storytelling traditions. It offers a journey that extends from the rituals of ancient cultures to the oral storytelling heritage of Anatolia, building bridges between the defining forces of nature and the collective memory of humanity. It runs until 11 October 2025.

Forever is Now at Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Returning for its 5th edition, Art D’Égypte’s Forever is Now exhibition will now coincide with the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. The annual event will showcase contemporary art amongst the Pyramids of Giza, merging new artistic creations with Egypt’s timeless heritage. It will run between 11 November and 7 December 2025.

Ruba Salameh: Refined Compositions at Zawyeh, Dubai

Ruba Salameh’s solo show at Dubai’s Zawyeh gallery presents a new body of work inspired by the Palestinian flag. The Palestinian artist’s abstract paintings weave her own narrative while connecting across generations to art historian and artist Kamal Boullata’s work. Seeking filiation and meaning amid a lingering sense of loss and powerlessness, she finds a transformative moment in Boullata’s ‘Homage to the Flag’ (1995), whose legacy continues to echo and resonate through successive generations. The show is on view until 9 November 2025.

The Only Way Out is Through at The Third Line, Dubai

The Third Line is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a group show curated by Shumon Basar. The exhibition features every artist currently represented by The Third Line, with many works from the gallery's extensive two decade archive that have never been seen before. The show travels to multiple, mythic beginnings and charts the gallery’s history in parallel with the histories of Dubai, the UAE, its neighbouring regions and the world as a whole. It’s on view until 7 November 2025.

Afra Al Dhaheri: Restless Circle at Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE

Afra Al Dhaheri’s solo show at Sharjah Art Foundation draws our attention to the remains of what was once held together, the knowledge that forms through the process of undoing, and the exhaustion that accumulates over the course of repeated tasks. It is on view until 14 December 2025.