Before the year could fold into winter, Abu Dhabi staged a finale that felt less like a conventional art fair and more like a gathering of worlds. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Manarat Al Saadiyat became a space where time seemed to bend. From 19th to 23rd November 2025 the world saw ideas, history, and voices converge. At the helm, Fair Director Dyala Nusseibeh orchestrated the 17th edition, welcoming over 140 galleries from 52 cities across 37 countries. Yet, the real pulse of the fair was not in the numbers; it flowed through the themes and the conversations they ignited. This year, that current carried us across Nigeria, the Gulf, and Turkey. Looking ahead, the fair stands on the cusp of transformation. With Frieze set to take over and rebrand the event as Frieze Abu Dhabi in 2026, Nusseibeh notes that the shift will usher the fair into a broader, more global dialogue—one shaped by Frieze’s networks, reach, and curatorial expertise. What follows is more than a list: it is a journey through works that delight the eye, stir the mind, and, at moments, touch the heart. This is part two of our selection, featuring the seven galleries to watch.
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5. SARAI Gallery, Tehran
SARAI Gallery in Tehran positions Iranian contemporary art within a global conversation, presenting works that resonate both locally and universally. Moslem Khezri captures intimate human gestures through quietly powerful figuration, while Mehdi Chitsazha traces the subtle urban rhythms of children and stray dogs navigating Tehran’s labyrinthine alleys. Together, their practices weave layered portraits of presence, absence, and community, transforming personal histories into reflections on memory, belonging, and social change. As gallerist Hassan Saradipour notes, he seeks artists whose work reflects “the complexities and lived realities of our region,” and bringing them together within a single booth generates “a compelling dialogue that reflects the evolving narrative of contemporary Middle Eastern art.” By connecting individual experience with the broader context of the fair, SARAI renews this conversation each year, integrating Iranian perspectives into universal human narratives and fostering cross-cultural engagement through art.
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