In 2003, at a time when the UAE art scene was still nascent, Tabari Artspace art gallery was founded by Maliha Tabari in Dubai. With a twofold aim of preserving histories rooted in the SWANA (South-West Asia North Africa) region, while elevating young artists operating in the Gulf on a global stage, Tabari Artspace’s forward-looking vision situates itself in the contemporary art world’s dynamic moment. Tabari, trained as an artist herself, has re-envisioned the art gallery since 2017 to bridge the storied past with an ever-changing present, with a program that juxtaposes the breadth of Arab aesthetic heritage with the promise emerging artists hold for the future.

Today the gallery is constantly embracing new discourses and amplifying the voices of women and youth. Its roster of artists has been exhibited in institutions and biennials including but not limited to: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Institut du Monde Arabe, Sharjah Art Museum, Venice Biennale, Sharjah Biennial, São Paulo Biennial, and are part of collections such as the Barjeel Art Foundation, British Museum, Dalloul Art Foundation, The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Kamel Lazaar Foundation, LACMA, Lyon Biennale, The Khalid Shoman Collection, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, The V&A, and Yale University Art Gallery.