1 · The throne
Parviz Tanavoli, “The Wall (Oh Persepolis)”, bronze, 1975
US$2,841,000
- Date
- 2008
- Where
- Christie's Dubai
- Buyer
- Undisclosed
- Source
- Gulf News +2
Prestige Thrones
The most expensive art sold at auction in the Gulf
Results from Christie's in Dubai and Sotheby's in Diriyah, as the houses published them. Purchases made abroad by Gulf collectors do not count.
5 of 5 seats verified · Checked against its sources on 30 September 2026
2 · Royal circle
Fahr El Nissa Zeid, “Break of the Atom and Vegetal Life”, 1962
US$2,741,000
- Date
- 29 October 2013
- Where
- Christie's Dubai, Emirates Towers
- Buyer
- Undisclosed
- Source
- The National +2
3 · Royal circle
Mahmoud Said, “The Whirling Dervishes”, 1929
US$2,546,500
- Date
- October 2010
- Where
- Christie's Dubai
- Buyer
- Undisclosed
- Source
- The National +2
4 · Royal circle
Mahmoud Said, “Les Chadoufs”, 1934
US$2,434,500
- Date
- 27 April 2010
- Where
- Christie's Dubai
- Buyer
- Undisclosed
- Source
- Gulf News +1
5 · Court
Safeya Binzagr, “Coffee Shop in Madina Road”, 1968
US$2,100,000
- Date
- 31 January 2026
- Where
- Sotheby's “Origins II”, Diriyah, Riyadh
- Buyer
- Undisclosed
- Source
- Arab News +2
The record
1·Parviz Tanavoli, “The Wall (Oh Persepolis)”, bronze, 1975
Sources
- Gulf News
- Gulf News
- The National, 13 Mar 2016
Notes
- Gulf News dates the sale to 2008; The National gives 2009.
2·Fahr El Nissa Zeid, “Break of the Atom and Vegetal Life”, 1962
Sources
- The National, 30 Oct 2013
- Gulf News
- Christie's
3·Mahmoud Said, “The Whirling Dervishes”, 1929
Sources
- The National, 28 Oct 2010
- Gulf News
- Gulf News, 8 Jul 2021
4·Mahmoud Said, “Les Chadoufs”, 1934
Also reported: US$2,000,000 · The National, 28 Apr 2010
Notes
- The National's report on the night gave US$2 million without saying what the figure included.
5·Safeya Binzagr, “Coffee Shop in Madina Road”, 1968
Sources
- Arab News, 1 Feb 2026
- The Art Newspaper, 3 Feb 2026 (additional)
- Artdaily (additional)
Notes
- US$2.1 million including the buyer's premium; the hammer price was US$1.65 million. Artdaily, reprinting Sotheby's release, gives US$2,063,000.