Sotheby’s Middle East

February 2022

A s Sotheby’s celebrates 5 years of our office and gallery opening in Dubai this March, we mark the significant milestone with an exciting multi-category travelling exhibition of highlights from New York and London.

A brilliant selection of magnificent jewels and watches will travel to us from New York, as well as exceptional highlights from our London Middle East sales. The cross-category exhibit will embellish our Dubai gallery in March, coinciding with the Art Dubai art fair and to mark our triumphant 5-year milestone in the UAE.

Having prevailed with a successful first five years in the UAE, travelling masterpieces, countless multi-category works and rarities to the UAE and region. We thrive in continuing to travel masterworks and developing our extensive events and exhibition programme at Sotheby’s Dubai.




Katia Nounou Boueiz
Head of Sotheby’s UAE


Art for Sight Charity Auction

Sotheby’s is pleased to support the Noor Dubai Foundation by hosting their upcoming charity auction on 24 February. Noor Dubai Foundation is a UAE based charity focused on the prevention of blindness and visual impairment globally. It was launched as an initiative in 2008 by the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and was later established as an NGO by law in October 2010. “Art 4 Sight” is a charity art event where donated artwork is exhibited and sold in a fundraising auction to support Noor Dubai’s global programs that are focused on the prevention of blindness. All proceeds collected in the charity auction will go towards Noor Dubai Foundation programs that focus on lowering numbers of the visually impaired around the world.

This brilliant initiative will kick off with a two-day exhibition on the 23rd and 24th of February in Sotheby’s Dubai gallery space.

Saudi Digital Arts Conference

Taking place from 25 – 27 February, Sotheby’s and the Visual Arts Commission of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture are partnering to launch a digital arts forum in the Kingdom – a first of its kind in the Middle East. Charting the history of NFTs, from their inception seven years ago until today, the dedicated talks programme will bring together the pioneering artists, collectors and curators that are defining the space. Over the course of three days, attendees will have the opportunity to join a series of talks by experts in art, blockchain technology and NFTs. Sotheby’s will also showcase a selection of cutting-edge NFTs and host daily workshops as part of the Diriyah Biennale’s public programme.

Dubai Travelling Exhibition

From 7 - 13 March, a brilliant selection of magnificent jewels, watches and handbags will travel to us from New York and Geneva, as well as exceptional highlights from our London Middle East sales. The cross-category exhibit will embellish our Dubai gallery in March, coinciding with the Art Dubai art fair and to mark our triumphant 5-year milestone in the UAE.

M’s Exhibition

From 21 May to 29 June, we are thrilled to be partnering with M, aka Michael Chow, who is a true icon known globally for his restaurants Mr Chow, in London New York and now Los Angeles. We are honoured to be the first auction house to unveil M’s own artistic journey, to bring his artworks and inspiration to a global audience.

For more information about M’s work, please visit his website.

Sotheby's Luxury Week

Sotheby’s is pleased to present Luxury Week, a sale series showcases the best of the best in each discipline – wonders of nature, treasures of creativity and marvels of engineering, all elevating luxury to the level of art. Hong Kong, Geneva and New York’s upcoming luxury sales will include a state-of-the-art exhibition, educational events and a series of live, online and retail sales dedicated to the fastest-growing luxury categories on the auction market. Encompassing Jewellery, Watches, Collector Cars, Designer Handbags, Sneakers and Wine, this innovative format is tailored to the increasing trend of cross-collecting in these categories and is also testament to the new definition of luxury and the evolving role played by auction houses in the sector.

Luxury Week Hong Kong: 24 – 30 April
Luxury Week Geneva: 27 April – 11 May
Luxury Week New York: 8 – 13 June

Check out Sotheby.com/luxuryweek for regular updates on Luxury Week.

KARL at Sotheby’s Cologne

Sotheby’s is pleased to present its first live auction in May at the Palais Oppenheim in Cologne with the third installment of the Karl Lagerfeld sale series, paying tribute to his genius with the sale of his personal belongings from his various residences, presenting an anthology of his personal taste but also of his life and career. The Cologne sale represents his image, multiple and surprising, telling the story of the couturier, the collector, the decorator and the photographer.

UNIQUE, Miss Dior X Monnaie de Paris

Three historical establishments emblematic of French excellence – Monnaie de Paris, Dior and Sotheby’s – join forces for an exceptional auction: the sale of a one-off gold coin weighing 2 kg / 4.4 lbs. This unique piece demonstrates both the thousand-year-old expertise of the French Mint and the savoir-faire of Maison Dior.

The piece features the shape of the bottle of the first perfume that Christian Dior created, as well as other Dior symbols such as the star, the half-bow, houndstooth check, and a bouquet of roses.

A portion of the proceeds will go to Fleurs d’Exception du Pays de Grasse, an association aimed to protect, promote and bring the flower crops of Grasse to their full potential.

Valuations and Private Sales Services

We continue to offer a wide range of services, including Private Sale opportunities, online valuations, and lending through Sotheby’s Financial Services. Given the increasing preference of many clients to engage with us in digital formats to discover, explore and bid on art and objects, we are confident we can deliver exceptional service and sales to our clients around the world.