His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the official opening of the 15th edition of Art Dubai.

 
It was held at Madinat Jumeirah and will be running until Sunday, March 13. His Highness was accompanied by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and a number of senior officials.

Testament to the developing creative landscape in the UAE and beyond, and a leading moment in the global arts calendar, Art Dubai presents its most extensive edition to date with over 100 galleries from 44 countries from across the Global South, including a new section dedicated to digital art.

Speaking on the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid highlighted the role of the arts in strengthening understanding and peaceful coexistence between people of different cultures and nationalities. The UAE’s cultural sectors are seeing a new energy and dynamism driven by the nation’s commitment to promoting creativity and its values of diversity, inclusiveness and tolerance, he said. Art Dubai is one of the many expressions of Dubai’s vision to be a global cultural hub and the centre of the worldwide creative economy.

The art fair’s steady growth into a leading event in the international cultural calendar reflects the nation’s aspirations to spur a cultural renaissance in the region by creating an environment for the world’s most creative minds to share their talent. He said Dubai continues to raise its profile as a global centre of excellence for various art forms by providing a supportive environment for artistic talent from all over the world to thrive. Creativity is one of the vital elements that enable civilizations to flourish and nations to prosper, he further said.

For over 15 years, Art Dubai has been the annual meeting point for modern and contemporary art enthusiasts, developing a local collector as well as individual and corporate patron base from all over the world. Championing artists from regions which are underrepresented in established collections, the 2022 edition sees half of its exhibitors come from the Global South, with notably strong representation in 2022 from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.