Christie's Dubai  announced the opening of its 20th sale season, celebrating the company's 10th anniversary hosting auctions in the Middle East. At a pre-sale press briefing, Christie's Global President, Jussi Pylkkänen, stated:

"Back in 2006, I was asked by a journalist about how long I estimated that Christie's would continue selling artworks in the Middle East- I said that Christie's had been selling art for 240 years in London and Europe- extending to the US in 1976 and to Asia in 1985 and anticipate a similarly long-term view of our sales in Dubai."

"The art market is always about culture, people- they really understand what Christie's is about and build cultural bridges across different countries, interests and people. From the collectors who have supported the works of over 690 emerging artists to some of the most established artists in the region finding new audiences, Christie's sales in the Middle East have played a key role alongside the art fairs, museum projects and other initiatives driving the region's cultural development."

Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Christie's Middle East, Michael Jeha, added further context to the company's 10thanniversary in the region and milestones achieved:

"By establishing and committing to providing a platform to promote nearly 700 Middle Eastern artists to a global audience, by offering more than 2,857 works of art, Christie's is delighted to have played our part in nurturing this now well established market. Furthermore, we offered over the same period of time more than 2,000 watches and pieces of jewellery, attracting buyers from all over the world - buyers from up to 30 different countries are participating in our sales. Christie's is proud of our 70% market share for Middle Eastern Art and has played a leadership role in the market for a decade."