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Since its announcement in late 2024, the inaugural Sotheby’s auction, Origins, held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has pushed significant strides in the country’s art scene.
The auction, which concluded on February 8, 2025, amounted to an astonishing $17 million (Dhs62 million) in sales across the luxury and fine art categories, with local artists in the limelight and contributing to the success of the first-ever auction.
The auction took place in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the birthplace of the Saudi state, located near Riyadh. The event showcased a plethora of international artworks but also remarkably spotlighted Arab talents such as Mohammed Al-Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi, Maha Malluh, and others.
While international 20th-century figures were auctioned as precious memorabilia, Arab artistic talent was celebrated for its clear distinction in storytelling and finesse and for being pioneers in the region.
One such name is Syrian artist Louay Kayyali, whose work “Then What??” which showcases the plight of Palestinian life in the ’40s, was sold for $900,000 (Dhs3 million), exceeding the expected estimates.
Championing Saudi artists, Mohammed Al-Saleem’s painting “O’ God, Honor Them and Do Not Honor an Enemy Over Them” also helped push local artistry on the international platform, particularly selling for $600,000 (Dhs2.4 million), which jumped three times more than the pre-sale estimates of just $180,000 (Dhs 600,000), per Arab News.
Of course, without settling for any less than that, Palestinian art also took to the front stage. Notably by Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby, whose “Blue Trap (In A Railroad Station)” painting from the ’70s was sold for $380,000 (Dhs1.4 million).
Alongside other notable artworks by the region’s best, a total of $1.1 million (Dhs3.6 million) rounded up the GCC’s notoriously prized artworks, concluding the Origins auction as Saudi’s major milestone in the realms of fine art.
