Sotheby’s launches first Abu Dhabi auction with luxury items

Sotheby's announced on Wednesday its first-ever auction series in Abu Dhabi, marking a milestone expansion into the UAE capital as the emirate positions itself as a global luxury and cultural hub. The Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week will run from December 2-5, 2025, featuring extraordinary items including a $10.5 million Pagani supercar, The Desert Rose pink diamond valued at $5-7 million, and unprecedented access to future McLaren Formula 1 racing cars.

The auction house's foray into Abu Dhabi represents a strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), following ADQ's $1 billion investment in Sotheby's. This investment, completed in October 2024, gave the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund a minority stake in the 281-year-old auction house and provided crucial financial backing for expansion into new markets.bloomberg+3

Luxury Highlights and Record-Breaking Items

The centerpiece of December's auctions will be a single-owner collection of jewelry and watches valued at more than $20 million, described by Sotheby's as one of the most significant to reach the market in decades. Leading the jewelry offerings is The Desert Rose, a 31.86-carat fancy vivid orangy pink diamond – the largest of its grade ever certified. The pear-shaped stone, which radiates sunset-like hues of pink and orange, carries an estimate of $5-7 million and was previously featured in Sotheby's "Beyond: The World's Rarest Diamonds" exhibition in Abu Dhabi in April.thenationalnews+3

Among the timepieces, a rare Rolex "Oyster Albino" Daytona reference 6263 will be offered with an estimate of $500,000 to $1 million. This variant, produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, features a monochromatic silver dial that departs from the standard Cosmograph Daytona contrasting sub-dials, with only a handful of examples known to exist.arabianbusiness+1

Historic McLaren Racing Cars Auction

In a groundbreaking collaboration, RM Sotheby's and McLaren Racing will offer three competition cars representing the team's "Triple Crown" project. The December 5 auction will feature a 2026 McLaren Formula 1 Team car, a 2027 McLaren United AS World Endurance Championship racer, and a 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team Indianapolis 500 race car. This marks the first time a future Formula 1 car has been publicly auctioned before its official debut, with buyers taking delivery after the cars have competed in their respective series.mclaren+3

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, who announced the historic sale at Monterey Car Week, described it as "an extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of racing history and bid for a car that has competed on track before its official launch". The trio celebrates McLaren Racing's achievement as the only team to win the prestigious motorsport Triple Crown – the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours.racer+1

Strategic Timing and Market Positioning

The Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week is strategically timed to coincide with the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, running December 4-7, along with other major events including Abu Dhabi Finance Week and Bitcoin MENA. Josh Pullan, global head of Sotheby's luxury division, emphasized the emirate's growing momentum as a cultural and luxury destination, noting that "bidders from the UAE have grown by 24 percent and buyers by 25 percent" over the past five years.arabianbusiness+2

The auction will take place at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, located near the Louvre Abu Dhabi and future sites of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum. According to Bloomberg, the sentiment in Abu Dhabi is "optimistic, growth-oriented and very different to other parts of the world right now," with data showing rising bidding engagement and buying activity.bloomberg+2