Journalist Rebecca Anne Proctor on Frieze and Art Basel’s Expansion into the Middle East

The Middle East has become one of the most ambitious regions in the
world when it comes to investing in culture, mirroring its rapid
expansion into sports, entertainment, and fashion. Following the
announcements that Frieze will launch a new fair in Abu Dhabi in
2026 and Art Basel will debut in Doha in early 2026, questions
arise about how these moves will shape the region’s growing art
ecosystem. In this week's episode, host Adam Green speaks with
Dubai-based journalist Rebecca Anne Proctor to unpack what these
developments mean for the art world. They discuss how governments
and institutions are driving cultural investment, the evolving
collector base in the Middle East, and what success might look like
for these new fairs in their first years.