Christie’s debut Abu Dhabi sale totals $8.94 million, setting nine auction records

Show caption: Christie’s debut Abu Dhabi fine art sale at The Abu Dhabi Ed…

Auction delivers the auction house’s highest evening total for modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art in more than a decade

Christie’s first fine art auction in Abu Dhabi totalled $8.94 million on Sunday, delivering the auction house’s highest total for an evening sale of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art in more than a decade.

Held at The Abu Dhabi Edition, Mawasim: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art brought together 70 lots by 58 artists from 13 countries. The sale marked two decades since Christie’s first UAE auction in Dubai in 2006.

Anthea Peers, Christie’s president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, tells The National: “We were absolutely thrilled this evening to see bidding from across our global client base. We felt enormous excitement in the room, and there was a real sense of engagement and dynamism.”

She adds: “This is only the beginning. We are very excited to build on tonight to make our contribution to the ecosystem of Abu Dhabi.”

Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian’s Variations on the Hexagon (2006) led the sale, fetching $844,800 after almost seven minutes of bidding. The work had been estimated at $150,000 to $250,000.

Turkish artist Fahrelnissa Zeid’s Composition (1948–1949) sold for $524,800. Iraqi artist Faisel Laibi Sahi’s Baghdad Cafe (The Coffee Shop) (2016) and Iranian artist Ali Banisadr’s Homo Deus (2018) each fetched $512,000.

Armenian-Lebanese painter Paul Guiragossian’s Noces (Wedding) (1958–1959) achieved $486,400, a price matched by Egyptian artist Mahmoud Said’s Portrait de Princesse Fadia (Portrait of Princess Fadia) (1952) and Zeid’s Endless Thoughts, from the 1970s.

Show caption: The auction brought together 70 lots by 58 artists from 13 c…

Palestinian artist Samia Halaby’s Yesterday (1978) sold for $358,400, while Lebanese artist Ayman Baalbaki’s Babel Tower (2012) fetched $281,600. Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri’s Untitled (2003) completed the 10 highest-priced works at $230,400.

Christie’s reported nine auction records, including records for particular media for Guiragossian and Halaby. Emirati artists Rami Farook, Fatma Lootah and Afra Al Dhaheri made their auction debuts, alongside Lebanese artist Nabil Kanso.

More than 30 per cent of registrants were millennials or Gen Z, while 37 per cent were new to Christie’s, according to the auction house. The auction followed a week of exhibitions and events and included works from the Dalloul Collection in Beirut and Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah.

Updated:

November 01, 2026, 5:46 PM