Dubai Weekend for Art Lovers: Galleries, Districts and Current Exhibitions

Update 9 November 2026: Dubai Design Week’s 3–8 November edition, the related Downtown Design fair and the 7–8 November Marketplace have ended. Festival-specific dates, prices and visit suggestions below describe that completed programme. They do not establish continuing access to temporary installations, workshops or stalls. Organiser’s closing recap.

For Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026

On Saturday, make time for two Alserkal Avenue shows that sit almost next door to each other. One closes that day, and the other has just opened. On Sunday, take the slower route through Dubai Design District before Design Week ends. If you prefer a smaller gallery, choose XVA in Al Fahidi instead.

Saturday in Al Quoz, one closing show and one opening weekend

Start at Aisha Alabbar Gallery

Bénédicte Gimonnet’s What We Carry Becomes the Terrain ends Saturday 7 November. Make this your first stop at Warehouse C-19. The gallery publishes Saturday hours of 10am–6pm. The exhibition brings together painting, drawing and textile. Spend a little time with the changes in surface and scale before moving on. Starting here also leaves you room to adjust if the closing day is busy. Alserkal exhibition listing · Aisha Alabbar gallery hours

Walk to Gallery Isabelle in Warehouse 17

Tatiana Chalhoub’s The Trees Now Stand Unpruned and Wild opened on 6 November and is listed through 13 January 2027. The exhibition brings together paintings and glazed ceramics. After Gimonnet, look for how the move from a flat surface to an object changes the way you see colour and plant forms. The two galleries are on the same avenue, so you can spend the afternoon looking instead of crossing the city. Confirm Saturday opening hours and entry arrangements with Gallery Isabelle before going. Gallery Isabelle exhibition at Alserkal

If you only have an hour, give it to Gimonnet’s closing show. Chalhoub’s longer run gives you time to come back. If you see both, pause between them and think of one piece you’d like to return to before leaving the district.

Sunday at Dubai Design Week

The festival at Dubai Design District is free to attend and open to all ages. Sunday is the final day of the 2026 edition, with published festival hours of 10am–10pm. Start outdoors with NAO Architects’ Three Gardens and a Room, the winning Urban Commission. Walk between the planted spaces and notice where the shade, materials and filtered light change. Then pause in the shared space at the centre. It’s a work you can understand by moving through it. Design Week visitor information · Urban Commission · Festival schedule

From there, make the Marketplace your second stop. It runs 7–8 November and brings together independent makers and regional businesses. Browse if you’re curious about the objects themselves, then check the programme if you want a talk or workshop. Individual sessions may require registration. Downtown Design is a separate ticketed fair, so check its own admission if the fair is your priority. Marketplace and fair access

An Al Fahidi alternative at XVA

Charlie Koolhaas’s Synchronicity is on through 12 November, with XVA publishing daily hours of 10am–6pm. The show moves from documentary photography to sculptural pieces and paintings made over photographs. Try starting with the photographs and following one visual detail into the other media. It’s a compact visit if you want to spend the rest of the afternoon in the heritage lanes. Confirm entry arrangements with the gallery if they affect your plans. XVA exhibition and opening hours

For the weekend’s strongest contrast, choose the two warehouse shows on Saturday and the outdoor commission on Sunday. If you’re only going out once, choose Alserkal for two exhibitions within a short walk, or Design Week for the chance to explore a public installation at your own pace.

Checked 6 November 2026. This edition applies to 7–8 November. Check the venue’s day-of information before travelling.