Sotheby’s will host its first auction in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 8 in Diriyah, a town outside Riyadh. Auctioned items will include works from Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, luxury watches and game-worn jerseys from star athletes Michael Jordan and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Sotheby’s 100-lot sale, titled “Origins,” offers works from more than 50 artists including René Magritte, Wassily Kandinsky, Toyin Ojih Odutola, George Condo, Fernando Botero, Mohammad Al Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi, Louay Kayyali, Huguette Caland and Samia Halaby.
Watches from Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and Rolex also will be auctioned, among them a Richard Mille worn by Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake during the 2012 Olympics that carries an estimated value of up to $1.5 million. Hermès products — such as Diamond Himalaya Birkin, Himalaya Kellys and Constance handbags — will also be auctioned in Diriyah.
Sports memorabilia items for sale include Jordan’s game-worn jersey from the 1998 NBA Playoffs, which carries a pre-sale estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million. Available jerseys from Ronaldo, who currently plays for the Saudi soccer club Al-Nassr, are set to include his Portugal national team jersey worn during the 2024 UEFA European Championships Quarterfinal.
Diriyah has historic significance as being the original home of the Saudi royal family. Sotheby’s entry into Saudi Arabia comes after the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ acquired a minority stake in the auction house last year.
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