Dubai celebrates art like how it celebrates its culture—with passion. The city supports local, regional, and international artists by building and preserving art spaces and communities. One of the biggest art-focused hubs in Dubai today that deliver that job and more is Alserkal Avenue.
Alserkal Avenue is an urban hub for artists and art enthusiasts. It’s an entire district dedicated to all things art, regardless of genre and medium. If you’re an artist or art enthusiast who wishes to visit or be part of the community, here’s a comprehensive guide to visiting Alserkal Avenue in Dubai.
Things to Know Before Visiting Alserkal Avenue in Dubai
Alserkal Avenue in Dubaifeatures multiple art spaces and communities. The number of art galleries, exhibitions, and programs may overwhelm you during your first visit, so here’s everything you need to know about the avenue and its offerings to help plan your trip.
What’s on Alserkal Avenue?
Alserkal Avenue, also called Alserkal Art District, is one of Dubai’s most influential public arts and cultural neighborhoods. Once an industrial area, the district initially housed a small warehouse space with 20 art galleries in Dubai. Today, it’s now a 500,000-sq. ft. urban hub with 40 creative concepts, including 20 permanent art spaces. It’s an urban meeting place that houses arts and cultural events, workshops, museums, stores, and exhibitions with themes like fashion, music, and food.
The art avenue annually celebrates the Alserkal Art Week, which is usually held in March. The event is a six-week art celebration with exhibitions, open-public art galleries, lectures, screenings, and live performances.
Who Can Visit Alserkal Avenue?
Alserkal Avenue has a whole avenue of community art spaces for children, adults, tourists, and locals. Anyone is welcome to enter the district, but parents and guardians of minors should be mindful of each art space’s themes and art collections. There may be art exhibitions that may prohibit the entry of children and minors. Still, the entire avenue is open for everyone.
For visitors who may need assistance, such as pregnant women and people of determination, note that Alserkal Avenue is a big hub with mostly flat spaces. However, there are art spaces with no wheelchair-accessible restrooms.
Is Alserkal Avenue Safe and Regulated?
All events, exhibitions, and workshops at Alserkal Art District are regulated and promoted by the Dubai Arts and Culture Authority, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and the Alserkal family, an Emirati business family spearheaded by Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal—the founder of the district. All art spaces and establishments in the area are required to get permits before opening in public to ensure the safety of visitors.
The Alserkal family independently supports public art commissions, residencies, research grants, and educational programs at the Alserkal Art District through its nonprofit organization, Alserkal Arts Foundation.
COVID-19 Considerations
All tourist attractions and public events in Dubai follow special health and safety measures to combat COVID-19. Alserkal Avenue is required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities to ensure social distancing among visitors, sanitize publicly-used areas, conduct temperature checks for staff and visitors, and promote contactless payments. Some art spaces may limit the number of visitors a day based on local regulations.
Visitors, too, are required to follow individual safety protocols. Visitors should wear face masks at all times, avoid physical contact among staff and other visitors, and submit basic personal information for contact tracing purposes.
All these COVID-19 protocols are still subject to change daily, weekly, or monthly. The local and the national government could release amended safety protocols in the future as the pandemic progresses and new solutions arise.
When is the Best Time to Visit Alserkal Avenue?
The best and most convenient time to visit Alserkal Avenue in Dubai is between November to March. This is also the time when the heat and humidity in Dubai are at their lowest. In March, specifically, you’ll get the chance to participate in Art Week, Art Nights, and Art Dubai.
How Long Should You Explore Alserkal Avenue?
Alserkal Avenue is open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily, but timings may change during special events and national holidays. For your visit, it’s best to set aside 3 to 4 hours of your time to explore all the art and cultural spaces in the area. The actual area is a vast hub featuring various art collections, so you need to take your time exploring and appreciating each art space.
Where is Alserkal Avenue Located?
Alserkal Avenue is located at 7th St., Al Quoz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Al Quoz is a mixed-space neighborhood in the western part of Dubai, easily accessible by private and public transport. Some of the landmarks in the area include the Ayyam Gallery (120 meters) and the Junction (450 meters).
Preparation and Visiting Tips
Alserkal Avenue is open daily to people who wish to see art galleries in Dubai and other art and cultural works and programs from the UAE and around the world. So if these things interest you, let’s head to the preparation part of the guide.
How to Get to Alserkal Avenue
Alserkal Avenue is in the industrial zone of Al Quoz, a residential area west of Dubai. It is accessible by the city’s main roads, so you can easily reach it through public and private transportation. Travelers with private or rented vehicles can reach the district from the city center or other neighboring areas through Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11 in approximately 20 minutes.
If you want to commute, city buses can take you to Alserkal Avenue and other surrounding areas. Take buses 10, 12, 15, and 98E, depending on your location, then alight at one of the following bus stations: Quoz, Kanoo Machinery Company – 02, Honda, Training Center – 01 / 02, Quoz, Gargash – 02, or Al Quoz, Bus Station – 05/06. It will take you a 4 to 15-minute walk from these stations to reach Alserkal Avenue.
If you want to take the metro, take the Red Line to Noor Bank Metro Station. This is already the closest metro to the district. From the station, you can take a 30-minute walk or hire a cab to Alserkal Avenue.
What Should You Wear and Bring at Alserkal Avenue?
Alserkal Avenue is a public space and residential area in Dubai. As you prepare for your visit, you should also plan your outfit and essentials. Here are some reminders on what to bring, what to wear, and what you should leave behind for your visit.
Clothing
Art events at Alserkal Avenue are primarily social events, so it’s best to plan an outfit that rivals or complements the themes of the art exhibits, workshops, and celebrations you wish to attend. While you’re at it, also keep in mind the UAE’s general rule for public dressing.
Food and Drinks
You can bring food and drinks on your visit, but some private art spaces, stores, and establishments may prohibit you from bringing food and drinks inside. There are cafes, restaurants, and food spaces in the area to have your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Art enthusiasts recommend Wild & The Moon, Project Chaiwala, Warehouse 18, and Nightjar.
Recording Equipment
Since we’re talking about arts, crafts, and culture here, you’re welcome to bring recording equipment, such as cameras and video recorders at Alserkal Avenue. However, you should be mindful of each establishment or art space’s general rule for taking videos and photographs and the UAE’s laws on copyright.
Do I Need to Prebook Entrance Tickets and Event Access?
Visiting the actual Alserkal Art District is free, but some private and public art galleries, workshops, and events require tickets and special access. If you plan to participate in such an activity or event, it’s best to prebook or inquire about tickets and access to the organization handling it.
What are the Best Art Galleries, Museums, Workshops at Alserkal Avenue?
The Alserkal Art District houses some of the best art galleries in Dubai. If you wish to plan an itinerary mapping the galleries, workshops, and museums you want to visit, here are the establishments that offer them at Alserkal Avenue:
The gallery is founded by the globally influential Indian gallerist Malini Gulrajani. Due to the founder’s connection and influence, 1×1 Gallery showcases local and global arts through collaborations. It has already featured Alaa Edris, Judy Blum Reddy, Justin Ponmany, and Salima Hashmi.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Green Art Gallery is a contemporary art space in Alserkal Art District that features a multi-generational pool of artists and exhibits, mainly from the Middle East, Turkey, and South Asia. The gallery was founded by art enthusiast Mayla Atassi and played a crucial role in elevating the platforms of Arab artists like Fateh Moudaress and Ismail Fattah.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
The gallery aims to focus on contemporary and experimental works from emerging and established artists in South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. It has already featured international artists like Joana Escoval, Caline Aoun, and Fahd Burki.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Carbon 12 is one of the pioneers of contemporary art galleries in Dubai. It consistently promotes and introduces new and established artists in the UAE while featuring international contemporary artists from time to time. It has featured works from Amir Khojasteh, Olaf Breuning, Anahita Razmi, and Philip Mueller.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM
As the name suggests, Gulf Photo Plus centers around the art of photography. The studio offers photo tours, workshops, artist talks, and private classes for art enthusiasts of every skill level. If you only plan to visit, Gulf Photo Plus has a collection of all things photography, including vintage and modern cameras and global and nationally-renowned photographs.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
The Salsali Private Museum is the first private museum in the city dedicated to contemporary Middle Eastern and international art. The collection in the museum is considered one of the best art galleries in Dubai. It features a private collection from the founder Ramin Salsali and other pieces from local and international artists.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
The JamJar is one of the biggest and most accessible community art spaces in the Alserkal Art District. The art space mainly offers and features community projects focusing on film programs, live performances, artist talks, and pop-ups. They aim to support individuals, groups, and non-profit initiatives.
Timing: Monday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, every Friday from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
The Third Line is one of the oldest art galleries in Dubai, featuring and promoting contemporary artists locally, regionally, and internationally. Aside from art exhibitions, the art gallery also provides a platform for non-profit and alternative programs to promote dialogue in the region.
Timing: Saturday to Thursday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location: Warehouse 80, Street 8, Alserkal Avenue
Tips for Visiting Alserkal Avenue
Alserkal Avenue houses over 40 creative art spaces and establishments. With this number, we highly recommend listing down the art galleries and communities you want to visit to strategically use your time and get the most out of your visit. It’s also best to schedule your visit during special events like Alserkal Art Week and Art Dubai, which are usually hosted in March.
What to Do After Visiting Alserkal Avenue
Alserkal Avenue is one of the biggest and most accessible art communities in Dubai, but there are other places in the city where you can feed your love for the art. If you wish to see more local, regional, and international art collections, visit the Ayyam Gallery and Opera Gallery in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). For modern and historical art, go to the best museums in Dubai, such as the Dubai Museum, Coffee Museum, Etihad Museum, and Al Shindagha Museum.
