“The UAE is building history, and it’s happening right now” – Lateefa bin Hamoodah 

Beaumont Nathan, the leading, independent art advisory behind some of the most significant art collections globally, has been at the centre of activities and conversations about the evolution of Abu Dhabi, as the UAE rises as a global art, culture, and wealth destination. With the firm expanding to the emirates, Beaumont Nathan has participated in two major events in the capital, Sotheby’s inaugural Collectors’ Week and Abu Dhabi Finance Week.

Art, Wealth, and the UAE 

The inaugural Sotheby’s Collectors’ Week in Abu Dhabi (Dec 2-5) discussed the state of the global art market with a panel featuring His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Art Patron and Collector; Lateefa bin Hamoodah, Cultural Strategist and Regional Advisor of Beaumont Nathan; and Hugo Nathan, Founding Partner at Beaumont Nathan.  The discussion explored how collecting is intertwined with soft power, cultural diplomacy, and national identity, touching on collector behaviour, the growing role of patrons, and long-term approaches to acquiring works of art. Connecting art to wealth and investment was a topic at the Abu Dhabi Finance Week (Dec 8-11), where Bin Hamoodah delivered a keynote on the economics of taste and the value of collecting. 

Lateefa bin Hamoodah, Regional Advisor, Beaumont Nathan, said: “The UAE is helping shape the global conversation around collecting. We are seeing the return of the connoisseurial collector – these are families and individuals who research deeply, prioritise quality and provenance, and build collections with long-term vision. This shift aligns perfectly with global trends, but it also reflects something distinctly regional, where a new generation is supported by cultural investment, from Abu Dhabi’s museums to Dubai’s creative economy, and the Gulf’s growing role in international fairs, private foundations, and cultural diplomacy. Collecting here is driven by curiosity, legacy, and an understanding that art is both cultural capital and part of sophisticated wealth planning. The Middle East is experiencing an unprecedented transformation, a historic rise in cultural leadership, and the UAE is one of its most influential centres.”

End of 2025 Market Insights

Following active participation in global auctions and art fairs in London, Paris and New York, Beaumont Nathan has shared insights on market shifts and trends relevant to collectors. Based on these insights, Beaumont Nathan highlights six market shifts that matter to the Middle East: 

1. It appears that the global art market is turning a corner. Auction results in New York in November were up 57% from the same period last year, led by a number of masterpiece lots, such as Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, which sold for $236m. The market is selective but confident, echoing the buying patterns already shown by institutional and private collectors across the Gulf.
2. The GCC is the leading growth region for the global art market. There is significant momentum behind Abu Dhabi in particular, where long-standing investments and strategic partnerships have paved the way for a new crossroads in the international art market. With Frieze Abu Dhabi and Art Basel Qatar joining existing landmarks, such as Art Dubai, the proliferation of important, convening moments for the art market across the GCC is sure to increase the region’s relevance and influence over time.
3. Wealth migration is reshaping global collecting, with the UAE as a prime destination. With more than $600 billion of family office wealth in Abu Dhabi alone, the region is a prime hub for international investment. As the first global art advisory to take roots in Abu Dhabi, Beaumont Nathan is part of the critical infrastructure which helps the ever-increasing number of family offices grow and evolve their art collections over the long term. 
4. Tastes are trending toward Modernism and Surrealism, especially among trophy artworks. Depth of bidding on a number of high-value artworks in New York suggests a resurgence in the appeal of more traditional areas of the art market, with artists like Matisse, Picasso and the Surrealists showing particular strength. These artists have established curatorial and commercial track records, aligning with the interests of both institutional and private collectors across the Gulf.
5. The market is rewarding long-term collecting. This environment aligns closely with the Gulf, where advisors, family offices, and collectors are increasingly focused on strategy and legacy-building. When underpinned by informed, expert advice and experience, on average collectors of museum-quality, blue-chip art can often expect to see value retention, and indeed progression, over the long term.
6. The UAE offers stability during global uncertainty and an ideal place to do business, with the combination of its pro-culture policies, investment-friendly environment, and government support offering stability for art, capital, and cultural infrastructure. As respected international advisors, we are complementary to these interests, bringing further clarity, transparency and integrity to this emerging art market.

Hugo Nathan, Founding Partner, Beaumont Nathan, said: “The UAE has a long been a crossroads for commerce and culture. Given that the best art collections are international, it is therefore the ideal next frontier for the global art market. Collectors here are defined by their curiosity, openness to new ideas, and crucially, their ambition to be leaders and tastemakers in art and culture. We are thrilled to be the first global art advisory in Abu Dhabi, and look forward to working with collectors for the long-haul.”