Ayyam Gallery

Showcasing art from Syria
Noteworthy for: With spaces in Damascus, Beirut and Dubai, Ayyam Gallery is one of the premier art institutions in the Middle East.

Hesham Sama, Ayyam Gallery’s managing partner, took over an empty warehouse in Al Quoz in 2008 and made it into one they city’s best spots to view the Middle East’s most cutting-edge art. His cousin, Khaled, had done the same thing in Damascus a couple of years previously. Since then, Ayyam has become one of the most prominent representatives of art in the region.
The cousins focus primarily on young, emerging artists in the Levant, and their eye is so sharp that representatives from the Tate and Guggenheim have been known to seek out their expertise. They have proved so successful in Dubai that they recently opened up a second, larger branch in DIFC. Clocking in at just over 1,500 sq m, the newer gallery almost resembles a museum (albeit a modest one).