Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and under the leadership of Director Dyala Nusseibeh, Abu Dhabi Art will open to the public this Wednesday at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island.

With more countries represented than ever before, the 2017 edition will see the largest international edition of the art fair to date, with many new galleries participating for the first time, alongside exciting new elements for the fair.

Members of the local and international press were given a preview of the fair and its public programme on Sunday, in an event hosted by Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director-General of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

Commissioned artist and curator Mohammed Kazem, and curators Maya Allison, Munira Al Sayegh, Tarek Abou El Fetouh and Fabrice Bousteau, were also present to offer insights into the events, talks and performances that they will be participating in throughout the fair.

Speaking at the preview event, Ghobash said, "As the eyes of the world turn to Abu Dhabi once again, this year’s edition of Abu Dhabi Art holds special significance, as we undertake a pivotal moment in the cultural journey of the UAE, the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first universal museum in the Middle East. For this year’s Abu Dhabi Art, it is my pleasure to see the new and dynamic additions to the programme, helping the event to expand beyond the notion of a traditional art fair.

"Our diverse public engagement programme offers visitors a truly immersive and unique experience, and this engagement is key to the Department’s mission to inspire future generations of artists, curators, gallery owners and creative professionals."

Featuring 47 galleries from 18 countries, Abu Dhabi Art presents an extensive programme of talks, tours, workshops and performances curated by leading international artists, curators and creative professionals.

Speaking about the event, Nusseibeh said, "Visitors will find new gallery exhibitors to discover, alongside galleries that have participated in Abu Dhabi Art for several years and are returning with beautiful works this year.

"We are also pleased that we have 15 Solo Artist Presentations, including those in the curated galleries section by Dr. Omar Kholeif, and that we have a strong exhibition programme both within the fair and in off-site commissions. Through a variety of talks that focus on the local and GCC wide art histories, our community outreach projects, such as Art and Technology and a varied performance art programme, we look forward to welcoming more people from across the UAE and around the world to the capital, and to seeing them immerse themselves in the fair."