Michael Jeha, Chairman of Christie's Middle East, Will Step Down at The End of The Month Following 23 Years of Service

Michael Jeha, chairman of Christie's Middle East, will step down at the end of the month following 23 years of service. He is returning to London from Dubai. Jeha got his start in the Impressionism department, as an intern at the auction house. He migrated to Dubai From London in 2006 to manage the Dubai department. Dubai was turned into the center of the art market in the region. 

The news came after a few tough years for Christie's Middle East. Christine's has failed to make any significant progress since 2008, and its auction results have been poor. It canceled the contemporary spring auction in Dubai in 2020 and only held the autumn auction in London. (Both auctions had been held in Dubai until 2017 when Christie's moved the autumn offering to London.) During the year 2020, longtime specialist Hala Khayat left to assume the role of regional director at Art Dubai. At the same time, Caroline Louca, the managing director of Christie's Middle East in Dubai, left.

Several active persons in this field have noted that Christie's has been inactive in seeking works and collectors in the region since 2020, with several poor auction results.

"There are structural weaknesses that have placed limitations on the progression" of the Modern and contemporary Middle East category, says Jeha. he adds that many misunderstand the redefinition of Christie's business in Dubai. Its offices in the DIFC complex have shifted to becoming a showroom for selling exhibitions, and it has grown to include luxury auctions, which, particularly watches, have been doing well. "Middle East Modern and contemporary art remains important, but they are just part of a bigger operation now," he notes.

Source:

• www.theartnewspaper.com