News
Abu Dhabi will take its place at the center of the global luxury and art market this December as Sotheby’s unveils an unprecedented $1 billion showcase of fine art, rare objects, and high-value collectibles for its debut Collectors’ Week. Staged in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the event marks the auction house’s most ambitious initiative ever presented in the Middle East, and signals a decisive shift in the region’s cultural and collecting landscape.
From the 2nd to the 5th of December, the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort will be transformed into a museum-level destination where masterpieces, record-setting gems, race cars, landmark auctions, and talks with cultural luminaries converge under one roof.
A First for the Middle East: Five Luxury Auctions in One Day
At the core of Collectors’ Week is a sweeping series of five live auctions on 5 December, together representing the one of the most valuable luxury sales ever staged in the region. Sotheby’s will offer $150 million worth of jewelry, watches, handbags, collector cars, and real estate with many pieces new to market but with historied provenance. Among the standout offerings:
It’s a moment designed to crystallise Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a global hub for collectors. As Noora Al Foulathi of Abu Dhabi Retail notes, the event “affirms Abu Dhabi’s place at the heart of the world’s most exceptional collections… and cements our city as the ‘Capital of Collectibles.’”
A Museum-Quality Fine Art Exhibition
Beyond the auctions, Sotheby’s will present a major fine art exhibition spanning Old Masters, modern icons, and contemporary cultural touchstones. At its center: one of the finest Rembrandt drawings to come to market in half a century, Young Lion Resting, a rare and arresting study dating from 1638–42. The showcase also previews the New York “Icons” exhibition opening later this year. Highlights include:
It is, in essence, a temporary museum built for a new generation of Gulf collectors, a group increasingly active, young, and globally engaged.
Conversations, Masterclasses, and Cultural Exchange
Collectors’ Week extends beyond transactional spectacle into education and cultural dialogue. Over a dozen free public talks will bring voices such as Diana Picasso, Batia Ofer, and Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan into conversation on topics spanning jewellery, legacy, and the art of collecting. Daily masterclasses led by Sotheby’s specialists will unpack the intricacies of jewellery craftsmanship, handbag authentication, andtracing provenance. All aimed at educating budding collectors and providing the tools to enter the market with confidence.
Automotive Icons for a Motorsport City
Timed to coincide with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, RM Sotheby’s will debut with a fleet valued at over $78 million. The offering includes:
A Defining Moment for Abu Dhabi
For Sotheby’s, Collectors’ Week represents both a milestone and a strategic expansion. “The UAE has rapidly become a global centre for art, luxury and culture,” says Charles F. Stewart, the auction house’s CEO. Josh Pullan, Global Head of Luxury, echoes the sentiment: “Abu Dhabi’s rapidly expanding cultural landscape… aligns perfectly with Sotheby’s vision.”
The weeklong programme places Abu Dhabi at the crossroads of heritage, luxury, and modern collecting culture, one shaped as much by rare diamonds and Rembrandt drawings as by next-generation F1 engineering and contemporary market icons.
More than a series of auctions, Collectors’ Week is a statement of intent: that the world’s most coveted objects now find their audience not only in New York, London, or Hong Kong, but here where tradition, ambition, and global art converge on Saadiyat’s shoreline.
