Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

Christie’s has displayed a long-standing commitment to the Middle East. We were the first to build a strong presence in the region when we opened our Dubai headquarters in 2005, and held our inaugural Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art auction in 2006.

Our biannual live and online auctions, taking place in London or Dubai, along with our groundbreaking loan and private selling exhibitions, offer exceptional works by Arab, Turkish and Iranian artists such as Mahmoud Said, Etel Adnan and Samia Halaby. These highlight Christie’s continuous efforts to bring Middle Eastern Art to the forefront of the global stage.

As a market leader in Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, our sales consistently achieve outstanding results, with strong sell-through rates and record-breaking prices for artists. With an international reach, our auctions attract bidders from over 15 countries, reflecting the category’s growing global appreciation.

Our dedicated team of specialists, based in Dubai and London, is always available — please do not hesitate to get in touch.

A pastel-hued expressionist landscape painting featuring rolling hills and a serene water body under a pink and blue sky.

No upcoming Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art auctions

Our specialists are currently preparing our next Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art auctions. In the meantime, browse results from past auctions.

VIEW PAST AUCTIONS

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Contact us

From free valuations to market advice, our specialists are here to answer your questions.

Dr. Ridha Moumni
Chairman, Middle East & Africa
+44 (0)207 389 2861
rmoumni@christies.com
Dubai, London
Dr. Ridha Moumni is a historian of Art and Archaeology, specialising in antiquity and the early and modern art of Tunisia. He holds a PhD in North African Roman Architecture from La Sorbonne University. Former fellow of the French Academy in Rome (Villa Medici), Dr. Moumni was from 2019 to 2021 an Aga Khan Fellow at the Department of Art History at Harvard University and conducted research at Harvard's Center of Middle Eastern Studies. Dr. Moumni joined Christie's in 2021 as a Senior Client Advisor, focusing on the Middle East, before moving into his current role as Chairman of the Middle East and Africa. He has extensive experience in leading cultural projects and curating exhibitions of Middle Eastern art.
Marie-Claire Thijsen
Head of Sale, Specialist, Post-War & Contemporary Art London/Dubai
+44 (0) 79 9083 1918
mcthijsen@christies.com
Dubai, London
Marie-Claire is a specialist in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department at Christie’s based between London and Dubai. She is passionate about discovering and promoting emerging and overlooked artists with a particular interest in artists from the Middle East and North Africa. In her role as Head of Sale for Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, she has contributed to the growth of the category and has helped to give it a contemporary and international profile through successful auctions and private selling exhibitions in London, Dubai and Paris.

Marie-Claire grew up in the Netherlands and speaks fluent Dutch and English, conversational French, and is learning Arabic. Marie-Claire attended Amsterdam University College and holds a BA with a double major in International Relations and Economics and a minor in Art History. She moved to London to complete a MA in Art Business and joined Christie’s in 2015. In the Post-War & Contemporary Department in London she has been working across the Evening, Day and Online sales, gaining a breadth of knowledge of the art market and playing a pivotal role in the consignment and successful sale of various single owner collections including the Jeremy Lancaster Collection, the Le Jeune Collection and most recently the Dalloul Art Collection.
Kanon Ida
Client Liaison & Researcher
+44 (0)7760843621
kida@christies.com
London
Kanon Ida is the Client Liaison & Researcher in the Chairman’s Office EMEA, supporting the company’s regional growth and cross-category client development. She joined Christie’s in 2023, bringing with her a breadth of experience from leading institutions including the Guggenheim Museum, the Venice Biennale, and other international auction houses.

Prior to her current position, Kanon was a Sale Coordinator in the Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art department, where she successfully managed auctions, private sales, and exhibitions across London and Dubai.

She holds a degree in History of Art from The Courtauld Institute of Art, with a specialisation in Contemporary Art and is fluent in Italian, Japanese, and English; conversant in French; and is currently studying Arabic and Mandarin.
Lara Abu Dahab
Sale Coordinator
+44 (0) 744 213 2162
LAbuDahab@christies.com
London
Lara Abu Dahab is a Sale Coordinator in the Post-War and Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s, specialising in Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art. Based in London, she joined Christie’s in 2025 as a Research Intern, where she contributed valuable insights drawn from her academic research and curatorial interests, particularly with relation to the Middle East and North Africa.

Lara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Literary Studies from New York University - Abu Dhabi and a Master of Letters in Art History from the University of St Andrews, with a focus on sustainable museology and decolonial practices. She brings to her role extensive experience in archival research, cataloguing, logistics, and project management.

Fluent in Arabic and English, and conversant in Italian, Lara continues to explore the intersections of regional perspectives within the contemporary art market.