Dear members,

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Originally from Paris, I first arrived in the Middle East 33 years ago in Cairo, Egypt. Since then, I have spent most of the time in the Gulf region where I witnessed the art scene grow and blossom, benefiting from openness and encouragement by official institutions along with galleries, passionate art lovers, and collectors. This rapid and ongoing development of the Gulf art scene is simply fascinating. At the birth of the UAE in 1971, pioneer artists used to go study abroad, most of them in Cairo and some in Europe. Since then, museums, cultural institutions, university art departments, art galleries as well as auction houses opened, and many art initiatives have been flourishing in the Emirates. Artists from diverse backgrounds and cultures are joining this dynamic community while “locally grown” ones find more opportunities to exhibit their artworks on a wider regional stage as well as institutions overseas. There are exemplary and laudable efforts by several actors on the art scene in the Arabian Peninsula who are giving artists a unique opportunity to strive.

SYLVIE HULOT-MAKKAR

Contributor