IWD 2026: Art Connects Women - 9th edition

When: February 8, 2026

Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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Art Connects Women is a groundbreaking global initiative dedicated to empowering female artists, fostering gender parity in the creative industry, and positioning UAE as a leading art and cultural hub. Launched in 2017, this annual platform has grown into a powerful movement, bringing together women artists from over 100 countries to showcase their work, engage in cross-cultural dialogues, and advocate for gender equity in the arts.

Beyond an exhibition, Art Connects Women serves as a catalyst for change—offering opportunities for mentorship, capacity-building, and professional growth. With a strong commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the initiative champions women’s empowerment, cultural sustainability, and economic inclusion.
Following seven successful runs since its inaugural edition in 2017, under the patronage of UNESCO, Art Connects Women (ACW) will once again take centre stage as the largest leading women art exhibition in UAE and the surrounding regions. Organized by ZeeArts Gallery from the 8-11th February 2026, Dubai will play host to an extensive array of art works by women artists from across the world.

The 4-day art extravaganza aligns its purpose with that of International Women’s Day, thus centering its intentions on providing the most optimal women representation in the art sector while taking greater strides in empowering the female gender in achieving new heights – all these to be activated on a global scale. 2026 coming year, the management of survivability will take a back seat to the work of renewal, growth, and progression. 2026 year’s theme of Art Connects Women is “Educate to Empower”; through the theme, artists will explore how their art can create a lasting, meaningful impact on the world and their future generation by supporting SDG 4- Quality Education

The premiering night welcomes artists from across disparate cultures, nationalities, and social backgrounds to mingle and busk in the concentration of creative finesse that pervades the halls. All things good in history remain documented for future generations to reference, and it is no different for the annual Art Connects Women initiative. Each artist will have their artwork perpetuated within a hardback art book entitled Women Artists around the World — now on to its 7th volume. These books will remain in the private collections of the Art Connects Women stakeholders, public showcase in libraries, as well as distributed to the artists.