The auction house will host its first series of auctions in the emirate this December, with events beginning in September.
The first auction will take place in October during ‘The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ’, leading to “Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week” from December 2-5.
Desert Rose Diamond, Rolex Albino Daytona headline Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi December sales
The December series will feature high jewellery, rare timepieces, collector cars and real estate from RM Sotheby’s and Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, alongside a fine art exhibition.
Events will take place at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, concluding with an auction on Abu Dhabi’s shores.
Saadiyat Island houses the Louvre Abu Dhabi and will host the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum.
The Collectors’ Week coincides with Formula One Grand Prix, Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit 2025, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, and Bitcoin MENA.
Sale highlights will travel to Sotheby’s locations worldwide before the auctions.
RM Sotheby’s has partnered with McLaren Racing to offer three competition cars from the team’s racing portfolio. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown announced the ‘Triple Crown’ project during Monterey Car Week.
The project includes a 2026 McLaren Formula 1 Team car, a 2027 McLaren United AS racer from the World Endurance Championship, and a 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team Indianapolis 500 race-driven INDYCAR from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The cars will be auctioned on 5 December during the final Formula 1 race of the season.
Buyers will receive experiences including tours of McLaren’s sites, VIP tickets and access to McLaren road and race car purchase options.
A 2017 Pagani Zonda 760 Riviera will be auctioned with an estimate of $9.5-10.5 million. The Pagani factory created this example based on a Zonda F and reimagined it in Riviera specification in 2017. The car produces 750 hp and features pearl white paint with blue accents and carbon fibre.
A 2010 Aston Martin One-77, one of 77 examples constructed, carries an estimate of $1.3-1.6 million. The Pearl White car can reach 220 mph and was designed to compete with hypercars of its era.
A single-owner collection of jewellery and watches assembled over decades forms the centrepiece of Collectors’ Week. The collection combines rare diamonds and gemstones with signed pieces by jewellers and vintage and modern timepieces. It is estimated to achieve more than $20 million.
The Desert Rose, the largest Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink Diamond graded, weighs 31.86 carats. The pear-shaped diamond displays pink and orange colours and was featured in Sotheby’s ‘Beyond: The World’s Rarest Diamonds’ exhibition in Abu Dhabi in April. It carries an estimate of $5-7 million.
A Rolex “Oyster Albino” Daytona, reference 6263, produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, will be offered. The watch features a monochromatic silver dial and subsidiary registers, departing from standard Cosmograph Daytona contrasting sub-dials. Only a handful of examples exist, with Eric Clapton’s watch appearing at auction seventeen years ago. The estimate is $500,000 to $1 million.
In October 2024, ADQ announced a minority equity investment in Sotheby’s, marking the largest investment in the art industry since Patrick Drahi’s acquisition of the auction house in 2019. The investment enabled Sotheby’s to establish presence in the region.
Sotheby’s has incorporated in Abu Dhabi with physical presence alongside offices in Dubai and Riyadh. In April, Sotheby’s and ADIO presented diamonds worth more than $100 million at the Bassam Freiha Foundation in Abu Dhabi.
“At Sotheby’s, we have taken incredible strides to cement our position as a global powerhouse for luxury. This unprecedented auction week – and all of the events that will lead up to it – is poised to showcase the very best of what Sotheby’s has to offer, and we are thrilled to already be able to announce that the week will be anchored by a single-owner collection replete with top quality jewellery and watches, alongside unparalleled automobiles. With the Middle East – and the UAE in particular – as one of the most dynamic drivers of the luxury industry, we could have chosen no better home to do this than Abu Dhabi,” Josh Pullan, Global Head of Sotheby’s Luxury Division said.
“Sotheby’s incorporation in Abu Dhabi marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to the UAE and the wider Middle East. This strategic move reflects our deep confidence in the region’s dynamic cultural landscape and our growing partnerships with its visionary leaders, collectors, and institutions. We look forward to contributing meaningfully to the UAE’s vibrant art ecosystem and expanding our presence across the region,” Jean-Luc Berrebi, Sotheby’s board member focused on expanding collaboration with the UAE added.
As the government vehicle responsible for accelerating Abu Dhabi’s economic growth, ADIO’s retail development initiatives ensure that liveability and community well-being are at the centre of economic diversification efforts.
ADIO is committed to building a luxury retail landscape, defined by consumer experiences, product offerings, and a collector’s market.
