Alserkal Avenue: art and design in Dubai's industrial heart

In Al Quoz, an industrial neighborhood south of Sheikh Zayed Road, auto workshops and storage depots sit side by side with, for over a decade now, the largest concentration of contemporary art galleries in the region. That combination has a name: Alserkal Avenue. This guide covers how it became what it is and what to expect if you visit.

From marble factory to cultural district

According to Wikipedia, Alserkal Avenue was founded in 2008 on 17th Street in Al Quoz, on land that had previously been an industrial storage area. A piece from an art-focused publication adds that the warehouses were originally a marble factory, and that the project began when its developer started leasing those spaces to cultural and arts organisations. The district’s first contemporary art gallery moved in that same year, and by 2009 a second, regionally significant gallery had arrived. Growth was fast: a March 2016 piece describes Alserkal Avenue as the “most lively commercial art hub” in the Emirates.

How the warehouses grew

In March 2012, plans were announced to double the district’s footprint, adding over 60 new units and an events centre. The expansion was completed around 2015, when the district also launched its own programme supporting artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. In 2017, a new events space designed by an international architecture firm opened — that firm’s first completed project in the UAE. An artist residency programme began in 2018, and in 2019 a dedicated arts and culture foundation was established, taking over both the residencies and the district’s public art commissions.

The scene today: over 60 spaces

According to the same source, Alserkal Avenue now brings together more than 60 art, design and cultural spaces — including foundations, private collections and community initiatives — and has 25 contemporary art galleries within a single block, which the source describes as the highest concentration of galleries in the region. The former warehouses now hold galleries, design studios, a private museum and a performing arts space. In 2022, the district’s own arts festival drew around 40,000 visitors over two days, with close to 200 different activities, according to the same piece.

What to expect from a visit

• The walk itself: you move between converted industrial warehouses, many with plain facades and interiors transformed into galleries or studios.
• Pace: this isn’t a single-stop visit; plan for a full afternoon moving between several spaces.
• Gallery Night: several sources mention an open-house evening when spaces extend their hours and run public events; check dates before going, since it isn’t a permanent fixture.
• Usual hours: Saturday to Thursday, 10am to 7pm, according to a 2016 piece; hours can vary by gallery, so it’s worth confirming.
• Cafés and breaks: there are places to sit down and have a coffee between the warehouses, part of what makes the district work as a meeting point and not just a gallery circuit.
• What not to expect: this isn’t a museum with a single ticket or a signposted route; each space runs its own programme, and not every one opens every day.

In short

• Alserkal Avenue was founded in 2008 on a former industrial site in Al Quoz, in warehouses that had previously been a marble factory.
• It expanded in 2012-2015 and keeps growing: it now has over 60 art, design and cultural spaces.
• It has 25 contemporary art galleries in a single block, the highest concentration in the region according to a specialist publication.
• The district has run its own foundation since 2019 and holds an annual arts festival.
• Give it time, confirm hours gallery by gallery, and make use of the cafés between the warehouses.

Discover more of the art and design circuit

PuroDubai already has businesses listed in the shopping category tied to this creative circuit, although several entries are still waiting for their owner to confirm them. You can explore what’s there so far at /categoria/tiendas.