Bonhams achieved a personal best for the company at its inaugural Middle East auction held in Dubai this month with three world-records and 32 individual artist records.

Bonhams is a UK-headquartered international fine art auction house which was established in 1793.

The debut show featured modern and contemporary Arab, Iranian, Indian and Pakistani art, along with fine jewellery and watches.

"The auctions which were held over two nights achieved impressive total sales of $15 million.  Three world records were set during the art auction and a further 32 individual artist sales records were also attained," said Matthew Girling, Bonhams’ chief executive for Europe & Middle East.

“The response to our initial Middle East auction was phenomenal – these results eclipse any previous experiences we’ve had at first-time auctions in new markets,” Girling noted.

“Our position and commitment to the region is now firmly cemented, and our focus is on the continued growth and expansion of our business here - and in other regional art hubs such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar. We received a significant number of regional visitors to our auction in Dubai and plan to widen our presence across the Middle East to satisfy the obvious demand and appetite for high-quality collectables,” he added.
 
Bonhams is looking at a bright future with ever-widening international operations, state-of-the-art technology and a culture that puts the client first.-TradeArabia News Service