Editor’s Note: This story is part of Newsmakers, a new ARTnews series where we interview the movers and shakers who are making change in the art world.

Abu Dhabi Art Fair returns to the capital city of the United Arab Emirates next month for its 17th edition, more cosmopolitan than ever, yet consistent in character. 

From November 19–23, some 140 galleries from 37 countries will descend on Saadiyat Island, up from last year’s 104 galleries and well beyond the 40 some exhibitors that gathered together in 2009 for its first edition. Under the leadership of Dyala Nusseibeh, the fair has launched a range of thematic sectors, including “The Collectors Salon,” for artifacts, historical objects, and the like; the newly expanded “Emerge,” dedicated to galleries that sell works priced under $3,000; and the Global Focus, which this year will showcase modern masters from Nigeria and Türkiye, which will help illuminate the under-studied historical ties between Arab artists and the wider world. 

It’s an apt encapsulation of the cultural strategy deployed to seismic effect by Abu Dhabi’s leadership over the past 20 years: build ambitiously and smartly, and the world will take notice—then shape the narrative...