Sotheby’s is set to make history in Saudi Arabia with its first-ever auction, featuring a diverse selection of luxury items, including jewels, watches, rare cars, handbags, and iconic sports memorabilia.
Sotheby’s Breaks Ground in Saudi Arabia with Cross-Category Auction
In its first-ever auction in the Kingdom, Sotheby’s is set to make history by offering a diverse selection of luxury items, including jewels, watches, rare cars, handbags, and iconic sports memorabilia. The two-part auction, titled “Origins,” aims to introduce Sotheby’s to Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning market of collectors and connoisseurs.
Auction Highlights
The sale features an impressive lineup of modern masterpieces, contemporary blue-chip works, and art from the region itself. Among the standout pieces is Michael Jordan‘s game-worn jersey from the 1998 NBA Playoffs, estimated at $800,000-1,200,000. The jersey comes with a trifecta of authentication: a letter from the Chicago Bulls, a photo-matching letter from The MeiGray Group, and a letter from James Spence Authentication regarding Jordan’s signature.
Sotheby’s is also offering a series of match-worn jerseys and shoes from soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In an inspired juxtaposition, these sports memorabilia are being sold alongside Fernando Botero‘s stately painting “Society Woman,” estimated at $800,000-1,200,000. The painting invites prospective buyers to imagine exactly where it might fit in their lives of luxury.
Art and Design
The auction leans heavily into jewelry and watches but also includes one of Damien Hirst’s iconic butterfly pieces, estimated at $400,000-600,000. This work stands out for its provocative title and visual allure, feeling surprisingly in sync with the region’s aesthetic sensibilities.
Sotheby’s is featuring the monumental digital painting “Machine Hallucinations: Mars” by celebrated Turkish artist Refik Anadol. Estimated at $800,000-1,200,000, this real-time generative A.I. work draws from space telescope data and visual memories of Mars, creating a hypnotic, hallucinatory landscape.
Surrealism and Arab Contemporary Art
The auction dives into the rich legacy of Arab contemporary art, with work by Saudi Arabia‘s most important modernist, Mohammad Al Saleem. His poetic, seemingly abstract painting “O’ God, Honour Them and Do Not Honor an Enemy Over Them” is estimated at $180,000-250,000.
Louay Kayyali’s expressive canvas “Then What??,” estimated at $500,000-700,000, emerges from the prestigious Samawi Collection. This masterpiece serves as a haunting statement on the centuries of suffering caused by wars and exiles in the region.
Luxury Watches
Sotheby’s will present premier examples from renowned brands, including Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, and Rolex. Among these, the absolute standout is a unique commissioned Cartier Crash, estimated at $130,000-260,000. The rarity of this model justifies its price tag—original Crash watches were produced in minuscule quantities during select years (1991, 2019, and 2022).
The “Origins” Auction
All lots for the “Origins” auction will be showcased at Diriyah‘s Bujairi Terrace from February 1 to February 8. This coincides with the annual Diriyah Season, a week-long cultural festival that celebrates Diriyah’s rich heritage through a vibrant lineup of events and experiences.
The festival enhances Bujairi Terrace’s already world-class retail and dining options, while Sotheby’s aims to deliver a memorable, comprehensive luxury experience to prospective buyers that will leave an indelible mark on Saudi Arabia’s luxury market.
