Inaugural auction & public exhibition to take place in February 2025 in historic Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom & home to a UNESCO Heritage Site
Spanning Modern & Contemporary Art, Islamic Objects, Jewellery, Watches, Cars, Sports Memorabilia, Handbags & More
Charles F. Stewart, Sotheby’s Chief Executive Officer said : “This is a very dynamic time for culture in Saudi Arabia. Sotheby’s has been active in the Kingdom for a number of years now and we’ve witnessed the blossoming of the cultural scene with great interest. In committing to a physical presence in Riyadh, we’re supporting the enrichment of the artistic landscape of the country, which will empower the large youth demographic of Saudi. This is an important milestone in our relationship with the Kingdom, and we look forward to hosting our inaugural auction to mark the occasion, fittingly in a historic location of such immense cultural significance.”
Welcoming the announcement, Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: “We are proud and honored to be the venue to host Sotheby’s first ever international art auction in Saudi Arabia. I can think of no more appropriate venue than a place that celebrates three centuries of cultural excellence to welcome such a prestigious company to the Kingdom. Diriyah Company has already had the privilege of working with Sotheby’s International Realty in promoting the first release of The Ritz-Carlton Residences Diriyah, and I am sure this will be one of many more similar collaborations in the future.”
Sotheby’s has today announced plans for its inaugural auction in Saudi Arabia – an unprecedented event that will mark the first ever international auction in the Kingdom’s history. Titled Origins, the sale will take place on 8 February 2025, offering an array of Sotheby’s global offerings for new and seasoned collectors. The two-part evening auction will comprise a sale of fine art by both home-grown Saudi artists alongside the leading names in international art history, as well as a showcase of all that luxury encompasses, including jewellery, watches, cars, sports memorabilia and handbags. Prior to the sale, the contents of Origins will be showcased in a free, public exhibition, open from 1 – 8 February, in a week-long celebration of art, luxury and culture.
The auction and exhibition will be staged in the historic Diriyah, the ancestral heart of the nation, where the First Saudi State was inaugurated just under two decades before Sotheby’s was established in 1744. Today, Diriyah is at the centre of the Kingdom’s evolution into a world-class cultural hub, and has played host to a plethora of dynamic, vibrant and high-profile events since its opening whilst remaining deeply committed to conservation efforts.
Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s Head of Sale & Contemporary Art Specialist: “We wanted to inaugurate our official new home in Saudi Arabia with a taste of what Sotheby’s can bring to the doorsteps of both those who have started their own collections, and others who are about to enter this world for the first time. As such, we wanted this first sale both to serve as an introduction to our offering and to embody the cross-category spirit we pride ourselves on curating.”
The auction follows Sotheby’s official incorporation in Saudi Arabia at the end of last year, and will be complemented by the opening of an office in Riyadh landmark Al Faisaliah Tower (designed by Norman Foster and famous for being the first skyscraper built in the country). Together, this marks the next step in Sotheby’s continued and long-term commitment to the region.
Further details on the sale contents, collaboration with Diriyah, and Sotheby’s expansion in Saudi Arabia will follow in due course.
An Overview of Sotheby’s in Saudi Arabia
Sotheby’s has a strong history of supporting the cultural ecosystem and its infrastructure in the Gulf, underpinned by a commitment to investing in educational outreach initiatives and diversifying cultural dialogue and awareness. Sotheby’s lent its support to the Kingdom’s first Contemporary Art Biennale in 2022 and last year’s inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah. On both occasions, Sotheby’s shared its expertise through a series of panel discussions, talks and guided tours given by international specialists who travelled to the region for the occasion. This year, Sotheby’s once again partnered with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation for their 2024 edition, hosting a series of dynamic talks and workshops as part of the public programming.
In 2013, Sotheby’s hosted the first ever highlights exhibition to be staged in Saudi Arabia by any international auction house, and in 2017 held the first ever charity auction in the Kingdom. In September 2022, Sotheby’s participated in The Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF) – a major cultural event in the Arab cultural calendar and one of the most well-attended and diverse cultural programs to take place in the region. Sotheby’s leading experts in the field exhibited a specially curated selection of exceptional books, manuscripts, photographs and objects.
On Wednesday 15 May, Sotheby’s auctioneer Gareth Jones took to the rostrum for a charity auction in Riyadh ahead of the highly-anticipated “Ring of Fire” boxing match. Part of Riyadh Season 2024, the “Ring of Fire” was an epic showdown between two of the world’s greatest boxers, undisputed heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. To commemorate the match, His Excellency, Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment, Turki Al Alshikh, had commissioned four unique watches from luxury brand Jacob & Co. – one for himself, one for each fighter and one that was auctioned to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.
In August, Sotheby’s hosted ‘Hafla’, a first-of-its-kind month-long exhibition in New Bond Street in London, celebrating Middle Eastern culture from art to jewellery, food to fashion. At its heart was ‘Khamseen’, an exhibition showcasing fifty works of art spanning the last fifty years of the visual cultural scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1965-2015), curated in collaboration with Qaswra Hafez and Hafez Gallery. Comprising paintings, sculptures, and installations, the exhibition started with the early phases of modern art in the Kingdom by introducing the pioneers of the 1960s and 1970s. With a focus on painting, these artists also set up the first exhibitions and ateliers for the next generations. Subsequently, the artists working between the 1980s to late 1990s investigated different topics whilst using the same medium as their predecessors. Following the mainstream arrival of the internet in the early 2000s, a new, young group of artists started experimenting with various media and shifted their focus outward. Artists under the spotlight included: Dia Aziz Dia, Mohammed Al Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi, Adulrahman Al Soliman, Mounirah Mosly and Dana Awartani, among others. This October, Sotheby’s London offered a number of Saudi artworks from Hafla for sale as part of the bi-annual Modern and Contemporary Middle East auction.