Used original artworks in Dubai typically sell for AED 200 to AED 2,950 (about $54 to $810). Original art sells on attribution and provenance, so say exactly what you know about who made it and where it came from — and nothing you cannot support.
Selling an original artwork in Dubai
Dubai has one of the most transient populations of any major city, and that is the whole story for second-hand goods here. Expatriate residents arrive on fixed contracts and leave when they end, and a departing household typically sells everything it owns in the space of a fortnight rather than shipping it.
The city is built around the main highway spine and almost everything is collected by car, so which side of the city someone is on matters. Most residential towers and compounds require the buyer to be registered at the gate, so agree access before anyone sets off.
Ask when the seller is leaving the country. A departure date is the single most useful piece of information in this market, because it tells you how much room there is on price and how firm the deadline is.
Dubai has around 3.6 million people in Dubai, which means a buyer pool big enough that almost anything finds someone, and close enough together that collection is rarely the obstacle. Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are close enough that a buyer there may well make the trip for the right thing.
Handing it over in Dubai
Bank transfer and cash on collection are both normal. Confirm funds have cleared before handing anything over.
What original artworks are worth
What lifts the price
- Documented provenance and exhibition history
- Sound surfaces with no flaking or overpainting
What pulls it down
- Unsigned works with no attribution
- Flaking paint and craquelure needing conservation
Working out what yours is worth
- Photograph the signature, the reverse and any labels
- Search auction results for the artist’s name
Getting it ready
- Photograph any signature, and check the back for labels, gallery stamps, inscriptions or exhibition stickers.
- Do not clean or restore it. Amateur cleaning destroys value far more often than it adds any.
Photograph
- The full work straight on in even daylight, no glare, no flash
- The signature close up
Put in the description
- Medium and support: oil on canvas, watercolour on paper, print and so on
- Dimensions of the work and, separately, the frame
Slower and more considered than most categories, often weeks. Well-documented pieces with clear provenance sell far faster and higher than vague ones.
Listing is free and there is no selling fee, so the whole amount the buyer pays stays with you. You and the buyer agree the handover between yourselves.
Elsewhere in UAE
Common questions
Where can I sell an original artwork in Dubai?
List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. The city is built around the main highway spine and almost everything is collected by car, so which side of the city someone is on matters. Most residential towers and compounds require the buyer to be registered at the gate, so agree access before anyone sets off.
Who is the artist?
Describe the signature exactly as it appears and say what you know of its origin. Never assert an attribution you cannot evidence — WishThrift does not authenticate items.
How much is an original artwork worth in Dubai?
Most used original artworks change hands for AED 200 to AED 2,950 (about $54 to $810). Condition and completeness move that figure more than anything else.
More: selling an original artwork across the United Arab Emirates, what original artworks are worth, everything second hand in Dubai, or Art & Collectables in Dubai.
Guide range converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not a quote — sellers set their own price.