Bassam Freiha Art Foundation expands its cultural mission with new initiatives
- Last updated: May 24, 2026 | 09:02
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Bassam Said Freiha, Founder of Bassam Freiha Art Foundation (BFAF), the only private art foundation on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island Cultural District, has announced a series of new philanthropic and educational initiatives, as the Foundation marks its second anniversary. “This reinforces our long-term commitment to arts and culture, and the development of creative talent in the UAE,” says the Foundation. Its spaces are free and open for everyone, focused on showcasing global, regional and local art collections.
The current initiatives include a scholarship supporting Emirati artist Noor Al Suwaidi’s MFA studies, a student-led exhibition developed in collaboration with Zayed University that will provide real-world experience and nurture the next generation of artists and art professionals, and an ongoing partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), introducing students to careers in the creative industries.
The scholarship will enable Noor Al Suwaidi to further develop her practice and contribute to the development of contemporary Emirati art. Al Suwaidi brings to her graduate studies a practice already shaped by sustained international exposure: over the past decade, she has completed four residencies across the United States, Europe, and North Africa. BFAF has also expanded its educational partnerships with institutions including Zayed University, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi and ADEK, creating opportunities for students to gain access and hands-on experience within the arts sector.
In collaboration with the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University, the Foundation has developed a year-long programme culminating in Seeing Ourselves, a student-led exhibition (June 11 – Aug. 31). The initiative began with a residency programme where student artists worked alongside French photographer Philip Ducap to develop works for the exhibition, while they also received training in curatorial practice, graphic design and exhibition design from the Foundation’s team.
Seeing Ourselves invites visitors to explore how cultural identity is constructed and reasserted through images made from within. The show was conceived as a direct counterpoint to the Foundation’s permanent Orientalist collection; the exhibition places Emirati students in the position of authorship, producing original photographs of architecture, landscape and portraiture, that reflect their own experience of contemporary UAE.
In partnership with ADEK, the Foundation has launched a monthly educational series, introducing high school students to careers within the creative industries. To date, the programme has welcomed more than 170 students from Abu Dhabi Charter Schools, across eight groups. Each session combines lectures and practical workshops led by professionals working across curatorial practice, gallery operations, fine arts, photography and architecture. The programme continues throughout 2026.
The Foundation has additionally collaborated with Cranleigh Abu Dhabi on First Impressions, a student-led exhibition presented in April 2025, to mark the opening of BFAF’s Education Gallery. Developed through a series of artist-led workshops, the exhibition encouraged students to explore and experiment with different artistic styles and forms of expression, resulting in a diverse yet personal collection of portraits, studies, and imaginative compositions.
Dr. Michaela Watrelot, BFAF Curator and Director of Exhibitions, said that “whether we are working with students at Zayed University or supporting an established artist through graduate study, these commitments reflect BFAF’s and the Founder’s belief in nurturing the next generation of artistic talent and professionals, and in creating the conditions for rigorous, sustained artistic practice.”
Alongside its exhibitions, BFAF is continuing to expand its wider cultural and educational programming. Since opening, it has welcomed more than 2,000 participants to its free workshops and lectures. In collaboration with FIA – Institute for Inclusion, the Foundation also launched Family Studio, a monthly programme offering children and adults of determination a dedicated space to engage in creative experiences alongside their families.
Bassam Said Freiha said that “my vision was always to create a space where art is genuinely accessible, where language, geography, and cost do not determine who gets to encounter it. These new initiatives are an expression of that same commitment, extended now to the artists and students who will shape what comes next.”
Noor Al Suwaidi (b. 1981, Abu Dhabi) is an Emirati artist whose practice moves between portraiture and figurative abstraction. Alongside her artistic practice, she has contributed to the development of the UAE’s contemporary art scene through curatorial work and institutional collaborations. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including in London, Berlin, Washington, DC, Kuwait City, and across the UAE. Dr. Michaela Watrelot is a curator, educator and published author. Before joining BFAF, she worked at Christie’s in Vienna and Dubai.
Beirut-born Bassam Said Freiha (b.1939) is a philanthropist and collector. His collection focuses on the Orientalist art movement, and includes works by Rudolphe Ernst, Léon Comerre, Paul Leroy, Jan-Baptist Huysmans, Vincent Stiepevich, Georges Washington, Fabio Fabbi, Aloysius O’Kelly, Théodore Frère, Maguelonne Lefebvre-Glaize, and Marie-Antoinette Izart, among others.
Beyond his role as a business leader, he has served as a special diplomatic envoy to Lebanese Presidents, since 1978. He is also dedicated to humanitarian efforts, providing longstanding support to The Said and Hassiba Freiha & Sons Foundation for Humanitarian Services, an organisation he established in 1970.
Established in 2024 in Saadiyat Cultural District, BFAF was founded as a non-profit cultural institution dedicated to providing public access to private art collections and to encourage the development of artistic talent across the region. It has three main exhibition spaces: the Main Gallery, the Annex Gallery, and the Sculpture Garden. Designed by A.D.D. Consultants, the space draws inspiration from and embodies the artistic vision of Bassam Said Freiha.