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.