With world-class infrastructure, impressive economic diversification, and a cultural offering that's as rich as it is modern, Abu Dhabi is clearly marking the next step in its rise as one of the fastest-growing regions for Art, Culture and Luxury globally. In the past few decades, culture has seen significant investment and forward-thinking action in the capital, which naturally led to an ecosystem in which creative industries are flourishing. The city’s aspirations of becoming a globally recognised centre of cultural talent and a leading regional powerhouse of creative content are obviously bearing fruit.
The city is reaffirming its cultural depth. New additions to Abu Dhabi’s increasingly diverse events calendar continue to elevate the emirate’s local and international tourism offering, and underline the capital’s role as a beacon of innovation for artistic expression and cultural vision.
Sotheby’s Strong Footprint in Abu Dhabi: A Shared Vision
The auction house has seen strong demand from the Middle East in the past decade and UAE-based buyers have increased 25% over the past five years. As such, Sotheby’s expansion in the region is organically integrated within the current socio-economic landscape of the UAE, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi cement their status as twin magnets for global wealth and a destination for art and luxury. The auction house’s presence has been consolidated further following sovereign wealth fund ADQ’s acquisition of a minority stake in Sotheby’s in 2024. A long-term vision for both Abu Dhabi and the auction house, the investment bears witness to the significant business potential for future growth.
The UAE’s capital also has several marquee projects in the Saadiyat Cultural District, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the soon-to-open Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Saadiyat Island has quietly but firmly positioned itself as Abu Dhabi’s cultural pulse, a place where architecture, art, luxury and intellect converge. The arrival of Louvre Abu Dhabi has redefined the city’s visual and cultural identity, standing as a landmark of intent and with the opening of Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim soon to join its shores, the island’s narrative continues an enduring interplay between heritage and modernity.
Inaugural Abu Dhabi’s Collectors’ Week
It is only fitting that the first Abu Dhabi’s Collectors’ Week – an event dedicated to culture, artists, investors and collectors – should include Sotheby’s at the helm of the event and Saadiyat Island as a setting that already feels central to the cultural landscape of the capital.
The auction house, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), has announced an exclusive set of auctions, masterclasses, panel discussions and exhibitions taking place in Abu Dhabi next month, at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. The schedule is designed as a four-day programme that will explore the world of collecting, running from December 2 to 5. As the year nearly draws to a close, these are dates you will want to circle twice on your calendar.
A Global Audience and a Shared Passion for Collecting
Taking place during the Formula 1 weekend, Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week will see an international envoy of industry leaders, speakers and tastemakers gathering for a multi-category programme centred on exceptional pieces of provenance, ranging from fine art and timepieces to jewellery and rare automobiles.
At the heart of the week is a landmark single-owner sale, a jewellery and watch collection shaped over decades with rare, personal passion where each piece reflects an eternal devotion to beauty.
Unfolding alongside the Formula One Grand Prix – with RM Sotheby’s marking the moment through a collaboration with McLaren Racing – the auction will see a trio of competition cars, each representing a different chapter of McLaren’s racing future, offered for sale.
The timing of Collectors’ Week is well-considered. It coincides with some of the most significant events on the city’s calendar, including the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, and Bitcoin MENA. The result is a moment when the world’s attention turns to Abu Dhabi, with a crowd of influential guests in attendance, shaped by a common denominator: the desire to engage deeply with the art of collecting.
The Collectors’ Moment
The auctions led by Sotheby’s at Abu Dhabi’s Collectors Week culminate with a live sale on December 5, where every lot tells a story defined by rarity, provenance and craftsmanship.
Among the headlines is the Desert Rose Diamond, a 31.86-carat Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink gem, believed to be the largest of its kind ever graded. Pear-shaped and ever glowing, it feels less like a stone and more like a moment captured in the warmth of desert twilight. It will make its debut at auction with an estimate of up to $7 million.
Emotion runs high on the automotive front too. The “Triple Crown” offering includes three competition chassis from McLaren’s 2026 and 2027 racing seasons: Formula 1, World Endurance Championship, and IndyCar – each embodying the speed and precision of racing at its highest level. A 2017 Pagani Zonda 760 Riviera (estimated at $10.5 million) and a rare 2010 Aston Martin One-77, one of only 77 ever made, will also be on full display.
From speed to the subtle art of horology, the Rolex “Oyster Albino” Daytona stands apart. Produced in the late '60s to early '70s, this rare reference defies the Daytona norm with a completely monochrome silver dial. Quietly radical, its estimate sits between $500,000 and $1 million.
Final Note
Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week is an open invitation to explore, observe, and engage. For seasoned collectors or simply curious minds, much of the programme is dedicated to those who wish to experience something rare without any pressure to acquire. Curated exhibitions will reveal extraordinary objects seldom seen by the public, while talks and panel discussions will look beyond the surface and into the role of cultural value, legacy, and provenance in a fast-changing world.
Set on an island increasingly recognised for its commitment to culture, design, and innovation, Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week marks a significant moment in the capital’s luxury calendar and indeed in the UAE’s cultural agenda too. It marries beauty with intellect, heritage with progress and craftsmanship with innovation, in a celebration of the things we choose to treasure, and why they continue to matter.
