A Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative, transforming, the city's natural vistas with a series of mesmerising light art exhibitions.

Manar Abu Dhabi is a Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative showcasing an exhibition of new commissions and site-specific light sculptures, projections, and immersive artworks by local and international artists.

A key pillar of the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative, announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) in early 2023, Manar (the Arabic word for “lighthouse”) offers residents and visitors opportunities to engage with stunning artworks and experience the transformative power of light.

Second Edition:

Manar Abu Dhabi will once again illuminate the archipelagos, mangroves, and oases of the emirate of Abu Dhabi from 1 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 (Al Ain) and 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 (Abu Dhabi).

Under the theme The Light Compass, this edition will present over 19 newly commissioned works and site-specific light sculptures, projections, and immersive installations by Emirati and international artists. Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 is curated by Khai Hori, Artistic Director, and co-curated with Alia Zaal Lootah, Curator; Munira Al Sayegh, Curator; and Mariam Alshehhi, Assistant Curator.

Drawing on the Gulf’s ancestral relationship with light, this edition of Manar Abu Dhabi brings together contemporary artworks that respond to its presence, behaviour, and resonance across natural and technological forms. Set within Abu Dhabi’s diverse landscapes, The Light Compass will unfold across mangroves, sandbanks, oases, and urban edges, where artworks form a breathing constellation and become a living map shaped by reflection and relation.

Jubail Island will serve as the centre stage for Manar Abu Dhabi 2025, anchoring this expanded edition. For the first time, the exhibition will also extend to the city of Al Ain, alongside activations across other city locations, reflecting Manar Abu Dhabi’s growing cultural footprint across the region.

A dynamic public programme of talks, workshops, and performances will accompany the exhibition, offering visitors opportunities to engage more deeply with the artworks.

First Edition:

The inaugural edition of Manar Abu Dhabi was held under the theme Grounding Light, co-curated by Reem Fadda, Director of Abu Dhabi Culture Programming and Cultural Foundation, and Artistic Director of Public Art Abu Dhabi, and Alia Zaal Lootah. Offering an immersive, multi-sensory experience that celebrated the emirate’s natural beauty, the exhibition invited audiences to see Abu Dhabi’s coastal areas in a new light.

Artworks were displayed across key locations in Abu Dhabi, including Lulu, Saadiyat, Jubail, Al Samaliyah, and Fahid islands, as well as coastal areas such as Corniche Road and the Eastern Mangroves.

Over 35 site-specific artworks by local and international artists were commissioned for Manar Abu Dhabi, spanning a diverse range of mediums including light projections, sculptures, installations, and performances. Hailing from Argentina, Belgium, France, Japan, India, Mexico, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Tunisia, the UAE, UK, and USA, participating artists included Ahmed Al Areef Al Dhaheri, Alaa Edris, Asma Belhamar, Ayesha Hadhir, Ayman Zedani, Carsten Holler, Groupe F, Jim Denevan, Jumairy, Latifa Saeed, Rain Wu, Luciana Abait, Mohammed Kazem, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Nujoom Alghanem, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Samia Halaby, Shaikha Al Ketbi, Shezad Dawood, Shilpa Gupta, Rawdha Al Ketbi, and teamLab.

Manar Abu Dhabi is part of Public Art Abu Dhabi’s long-term commitment to commissioning public art for the emirate. Two other major long-term initiatives include the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, launching in November 2024, and artist commissions. Since its launch in March 2023, Public Art Abu Dhabi has continued to enhance Abu Dhabi’s longstanding efforts to enrich spaces of historical, aesthetic, architectural, social, scientific, and technological value, paying homage to the vibrant cultural legacy of the Capital while looking to the future.