Last Updated on February 7, 2026 by Home in the World
Some will say Dubai is superficial and cultureless, and while certain aspects of it certainly do feel artificial and generic, you can scratch a little below the surface to find it is definitely not entirely devoid of culture. You just have to look in the right places.
As a melting-pot of a city with a booming population, Dubai is home to many great minds and creatives, not to mention galleries housing works by talented artists from all over the world.
Read on to find out the 5 places I recommend to enjoy the Dubai art scene – all of which are free of charge! –, as well as a couple of other options (with paid entry) you may want to consider.
You can also download my free quick guide to Dubai, which concisely summarises all the most important info about visiting the UAE, and Dubai specifically.
XVA Gallery
I have listed the XVA Gallery first for a reason – because it is a gem of a place, and an absolute must-visit for anyone wanting to explore the Dubai art scene.
Tucked away behind an unobtrusive entrance down a laneway in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, XVA is a gallery, café, gift shop and boutique hotel all in one.
The gallery is small but highly aesthetic, and a leafy forecourt (with is own little alcove of art) that then leads into a handful of showrooms displaying contemporary works by a range of international artists, especially – but not exclusively – those from the Middle East. It was first established in 2003, and is now one of the region’s most prominent contemporary art galleries.
It hosts a number of temporary exhibitions throughout the year, and, during my visit in November 2025, we got to enjoy Riposte by Tor Seidel.
At the centre of the Persian-style complex is another, larger internal courtyard that serves as a café. It, too, is lined with quirky art, which you can enjoy as you sit under its giant tree and savour the café’s freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan fare.
The on-site gift shop is also worth a browse, selling beautiful, high-quality clothing, ornaments, jewellery and homewares.
And if you want to truly immerse yourself in the Dubai art scene, you can even stay overnight in on of the 15 suites at the gallery’s boutique hotel. Doing so will give you great access to Al Fahidi, Al Seef and the Dubai Creek, which can all be explored on foot (a huge bonus in a city like Dubai, where traffic is often terrible).
I absolutely adored the XVA Gallery, and was so happy to stumble upon it during my wanderings around Al Fahidi. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique Dubai art experience in exotic, aesthetic surrounds.
- Open daily 10am – 6pm
Collective X
Just a stone’s throw away, also in Al Fahidi, is another underrrated gem of the Dubai art scene: Collective X, a group of 5 artists-in-residence (Abdulla Lutfi, Mike Arnold, Lia Staehlin, Anja Bamberg and Natalya Konforti) who work out of a villa in the old historial neighbourhood.
I came across them by chance as I was just walking around. Step inside the villa’s lovely courtyard and enjoy the eclectic displays of art by the collective’s multidisciplinary creatives – from bold black-and-white drawings to evocative paintings to jewellery.
You can also pop your head into the studios themselves, and may even be able to see some of the artists at work.
Collective X is another example of the ever evolving Dubai art scene, and its new premises at Villa 10 are reflective of the injection of new artistic energy and excitement currently taking place in Al Fahidi.
Street art in the Al Fahidi district
As you can probably tell from the previous two items on this list, the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood is definitely a fabulous place for exploring the Dubai art scene.
Its low-rise, old-style alleys and courtyards provide the perfect backdrop for boutique galleries and hole-in-the-wall studios, but, as you roam its labyrinthine laneways, you will also find numerous examples of street art in the form of eye-popping murals. Their vibrant colours looked particularly attractive against the earthy tones of Al Fahidi’s walls and architecture.
I recommend spending at least and hour or 2 wandering around and seeing what you can find. The district is constantly being further developed, and indeed there were some murals I wasn’t able to get close enough to photograph because of construction work being undertaken in front of them.
Art Emaar sculptures at Dubai Marina
At the opposite end of the city, in its far south, is the Dubai Marina – one of its other main tourism hubs.
With its sparkling high-rise, waterside dining, palm trees and luxury boats, the Dubai Marina is a lovely, vibrant place for a leisurely wander at any time of day or night (well, maybe not during the day in the peak of summer!).
I highly recommend doing this if you find yourself in Dubai. And if you do, keep an eye out for the cute sculptures and colourful artwork dotted along the Marina Walk. You won’t be able to miss them.
These are part of the Art Emaar initiative, which collaborates with local and international artists to transform the Dubai art scene, enhancing its vibrancy and cultural richness through ever-changing installations dotted across the city – many of which provide photo opportunities for visitors. You can also find some in the Downtown area, but I encountered them at the Marina (which I find a more pleasant place to walk than the Downtown).
Take a stroll for yourself and see how many you can spot!
Gallery27
While you’re at the Dubai Marina, I highly recommend checking out the funky Gallery27, located right at Marina Gate, the northern end of the marina.
This new split-level art space caught my eye as I walked past one day and I couldn’t resist stepping inside. For a start, it had an arty Formula 1 car hanging on one of its walls! The rest of the gallery is filled with amazing pop art and striking sculptures by a whole host of talented international artists. When I visited, I saw works by artists from the likes of Belgium and Brazil.
Founded by Frenchman Bernard Bilardello in 2019, this exclusive gallery hosts regular artist events and is constantly changing up its displays. I chatted with some of its friendly staff, and they were all so knowledgeable and passionate about the gallery and its art.
Its semi-industrial, warehouse vibe with monochrome colour scheme and mezzanine design is the perfect backdrop for its vibrant artworks. And the best bit is: it’s open daily until late into the night, so you can go and have a nice meal at one of the Marina’s many restaurants, before rounding your evening off with some after-dinner Dubai art. Sounds perfect to me!
- Open daily 10am – 10.30pm
Other places to explore the Dubai art scene
This is of course far from an exhaustive list of the Dubai art scene, but they are all things I saw and visited myself, and which I recommend – both in terms of their artistic quality and creativity, as well as for the fact that they are all free of charge, and can therefore be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.
One place I didn’t get to, but would consider for next time, is Arte Dubai. Located inside the Dubai Mall, it is a haven of immersive digital art, complete with soundscapes and fragrances. It offers a number of exhibitions, including a collaboration with Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, and overall I must say it looks very cool. If I’d had more time, I would definitely have checked it out.
Another similarly immersive Dubai art experience is House of Hype, also located inside the Dubai Mall. Marketing itself as a City of Dreams, the House of Hype contains 18 different cinematic worlds featuring neon cityscapes, futuristic K-Pop vibes, crystal palaces and much more. It certainly looks like a trippy way to experience another side of the Dubai art scene, and once against something I would personally consider for next time.
Getting to & around Dubai, and where to stay
Dubai is one of the world’s largest aviation hubs, with direct flights from all 6 inhabited continents. Its main airport is DXB, but you can also consider flying into Sharjah (SHJ), which is about an hour’s drive north of Dubai, or Abu Dhabi (AUH), which is about an hour south. I personally have flown into Sharjah as a port for Dubai before (generally more accessible if travelling from another Middle Eastern city), and found it perfectly fine. In some cases, the fare will even be cheaper than flying into DXB.
DXB Airport in particular is serviced by many of the world’s main airlines, in addition to the UAE’s national airline, Emirates. You can find suitable flight connections by searching on Skyscanner or Trip.com to find and compare the best fares.
Dubai is not the easiest of places to get around in terms of the fact that its public transport system is not that comprehensive. There is a functional metro system, but the network is a little limited.
Traffic is also often a nightmare. I got around using Careem, the UAE’s version of Uber (though Uber is also available), and found it to be a good option. You can hail regular taxis as well, and they can indeed often be a bit cheaper than Careems or Ubers, but, given the terrible traffic, I found it easier to already have a pre-arranged fare rather than constantly watching the meter. Consider buying an e-SIM to be able to use data on the go to book things like Careems and to use Google Maps.
In terms of accommodation, Dubai has options to suit every budget. I have personally stayed at the Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana at the northern end of the city near the older districts (perfect for options 1-3 in this list), and have also stayed at the Jumeirah Living Marina Gate right on the Marina at the southern end of the city (perfect for options 4 and 5 in this list). I will be writing full reviews of both these properties soon.
Otherwise, you can find another property meeting your needs by using the search box below.
Final thoughts on the Dubai art scene
I hope this article has given you some inspiration and ideas for exploring the Dubai art scene. There certainly is quite a varied offering!
If you have any questions about them, feel free to leave a comment or contact me and I’ll try my best to answer them. And if you have visited any of them, I’d be interested to know what you thought of them!
** This post, like everything else on this website, has been written entirely by me. No ChatGPT or any other AI tool has been used. It takes longer to create, but I value 100% human-generated content and I hope you do too! **
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For related travel content, feel free to check out my Middle East section, which contains posts from Jordan, Oman and Qatar, and will soon include more from the UAE. You may also enjoy reading my content from similar countries a little further afield in the form of Egypt and Azerbaijan.
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Certainly a relatively undiscovered aspect of Dubai, great that you’ve chosen to highlight it👌
Thank you! Yes, hopefully people find it helpful and a little different to the usual Dubai sights.
I’ve never associated Dubai with an arts scene, but these free options look like a fun way to explore the city’s art.
I know! That’s why I was trying to find a more unique side to the city. There was quite a lot of great art!
What a refreshing look at Dubai’s art scene! It’s great to see the city’s creative side highlighted.
Thank you! Yes, I like art and I wasn’t interested in doing a lot of the typical Dubai things, so decided to explore a different side of the city.