Haughton's inaugural Art and Antiques Dubai attracts VIP buyers from Gulf and beyond

Brian and Anna Haughton have been organizing art and antiques fairs for 26 years and today put together no fewer than six of the world's most prestigious such events, four of them in New York City.

With their two children now part of the business, it has today become a true family affair. The Haughtons' reputation among the world's leading art and antiques dealers, enabled them to offer the necessary reassurance to encourage key exhibitors to participate in Art and Antiques Dubai.

The resulting line-up was a varied and exciting range of international names, all eager to start laying foundations for what many believe to be a very solid future in the Gulf for the art and antiques market, a part of the world as yet to prove itself as a major centre for the arts.

The fair took place under the patronage of His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth & Community Development, and with the support of the DTCM (Dubai Tourism Culture & Marketing) Art and Antiques Dubai.

The very positive response from the Arab world to the fair from the outset at the special previews held on the opening Thursday and again on the Friday evenings, made immediate headlines in the Gulf press.

Government ministers, along with VIPs from across the Gulf States, as well as from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and beyond, mingled with expats.

"The extremely positive response from the Arab world to the fair clearly indicates the emergence of a new market for top quality art," said Brian Haughton, organizer of 'Art & Antiques Dubai'.

Overall the majority of sales made were in a range up to $100,000 but there were a select group at a higher level in the "substantial" six figure bracket.

Sales at the fair itself continued after the close, with items out on approval to clients and sales still to be finalized, an ongoing process that can continue for weeks after an event is over.

More specifically, steady sales throughout the fair were seen at Mathaf Gallery (London) and of a mix of lesser (four figure) and more important pictures (prices on the stand rose into six figures) - "I am absolutely delighted" said Brian Macdermot, who is one of the world's leading dealers in Orientalist pictures and has been doing business in the Middle East for almost 30 years.

Elsewhere, at Koopman Rare Art (London) a wooden table topped with a silver "racing game" complete with racehorses in silver and enamel and made in Paris circa 1920, sold for a "significant" but undisclosed sum; a group of early maps of Arabia sold in a range up to $50,000 each at Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books (London) and Samina Inc., London-based dealer in 17th-20th century Indian jewellery, had also made a number of sales by the fair's close. In addition, and in complete contrast, Syrian contemporary art - a mix of abstract and more figurative works - was selling steadily at Ayyam Gallery of Damascus.

"This is an old market that needs to be rekindled" said Lewis Smith of Koopman, remembering the Middle Eastern collectors of the 1980s. "The collectors are still there, we just don't hear quite as much about them today".

With the Haughton name behind it, the fair was built around a impressive nucleus of major names, that also included Ronald Phillips Ltd from London (specialists in the finest 18th and early 19th century English furniture and works of art), and leading New York dealers such as Berry-Hill Galleries (with 18th-20th century American and European art); Maison Gerard with fine French Art Deco (and numerous sales including chandeliers, mirrors, and screens), Cristina Grajales, with 20th century design masterpieces and Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, promoting the cause of American art 1900-1950. All reported good contacts made

Lesley Kehoe Galleries from Australia, with a spectacular range of antique and contemporary Japanese works of art, reported sales that included two major items in five and six figures (US dollars) to a "Dubai resident".

One was a Japanese screen by Maio Motoko (recent subject of Kennedy Centre exhibition in Washington DC) and the other a calligraphy box in Japanese lacquer by "Unryuan" (real name Kitamura Tatsuo), who is represented in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Alastair Crawford, New York based dealer in Georg Jensen silver and jewellery, also reported six "substantial five figure (US dollar) sales to different "resident" clients.

Strong support came from the Middle East, with exhibitors such as Ayyam Gallery from Syria (offering works by a selection of leading contemporary Syrian artists), Rami Abboud International from Lebanon, USA, and Paris with bespoke contemporary jewellery, Amir Mohtashemi from London with Islamic, Indian and colonial antiques and works of art.

Said Amir Mohtashemi: "Exhibiting at 'Art & Antiques Dubai' was beneficial to expanding our client base in the region through the vast number of good contacts we were able to make at the fair."

The seal of approval from Dubai itself came through exhibitors familiar with the market there, such as Majlis Gallery (with works of art, in particular textiles, kilims and early maps), and also Port-of-Call Gallery (fine Chinese and Japanese antique furniture and works of art) both of whom reported solid sales.

The very real interest shown by visitors proved refreshing for those exhibitors familiar with the longer established and more saturated art markets of, say, London and New York. "There is a very sophisticated and very international clientele here in Dubai" said Simon Phillips of Ronald Phillips. "People here are hugely interested and curious, which is very gratifying, and very exciting".