NOMAD Opens Its Doors in Abu Dhabi’s Iconic Terminal 1

NOMAD has now opened in Abu Dhabi, transforming the iconic Terminal 1 of Zayed International Airport into an immersive setting for its most ambitious edition yet. Running from 19 to 22 November, the fair marks its long-awaited Middle Eastern debut and launches its new global season inside a Gulf modernist treasure first unveiled in 1982. Once a symbol of the UAE’s early architectural vision, the terminal known for its circular lounge, sweeping glass façade, and shimmering mosaic-tiled roof has been reawakened as a home for collectible design, contemporary art, and jewellery from leading galleries across Milan, London, Paris, Dubai, Cairo, Istanbul, São Paulo, Geneva, and beyond.

As Abu Dhabi’s cultural momentum accelerates, shaped by world-renowned institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, NOMAD’s arrival aligns seamlessly with the city’s growing global influence and coincides with the internationally anticipated Abu Dhabi Art.

This edition unfolds as an intimate journey where regional heritage meets cutting-edge innovation. Sculptural furniture, handcrafted woodwork, woven environments, experimental materials, and sensory installations invite visitors into a dialogue that spans continents and cultures. Special projects deepen this encounter from reinterpretations of Emirati crafts and ecological works exploring biodiversity to digital-meets-biological installations and monumental sculptural pieces. DEPARTURES, realised with Etihad Airways, expands the fair’s vision through large-scale works and an AI-driven commission inspired by future travel routes, while The Golden Container at the terminal entrance reimagines a cargo unit as museum-grade architecture. Off-site, Shifting Terrains at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island presents a parallel narrative of the UAE’s evolving creative landscape, highlighting designers reshaping ideas of identity and place.

Leading the vision behind this edition is Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, the Canadian-Italian architect and curator who co-founded and directs NOMAD. Internationally recognised for crafting site-specific cultural experiences across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, he has shaped more than 65 exhibitions rooted in cross-cultural dialogue and curatorial depth. Under his direction, NOMAD redefines the design fair as an itinerant, deeply immersive encounter rather than a conventional marketplace. Each edition is conceived for its architectural setting, allowing artworks to enter a site-responsive conversation where luxury emerges not from spectacle but from spatial rhythm, material integrity, and the gathering of people and ideas in meaningful proximity.

Since its inception, NOMAD has staged acclaimed editions in Capri, St. Moritz, Monaco, Venice, and virtually in Cannes, with future chapters unfolding in Abu Dhabi and the Hamptons. Designed as a boutique alternative to the traditional fair, NOMAD unites leading galleries, curated exhibitions, and site-specific commissions within extraordinary settings chosen for their cultural resonance. Its celebrated VIP programme offers rare access to private homes, architect-led tours, and conversations with influential voices in design and art, creating an atmosphere that is both elevated and effortlessly intimate. Across its four-to-five-day editions reserved for NOMAD Circle members, VIP guests, and invited participants the fair cultivates moments of genuine connection, discovery, and cultural exchange.

With its doors now open in Abu Dhabi, NOMAD marks a defining moment for the region, reviving an architectural icon and weaving together global creativity, local heritage, and a renewed spirit of exploration. Within this terminal, once built for travelers, a new chapter in creativity has just begun.