Harper's Bazaar Art Arabia Speaks with William Lawrie on the Middle Eastern Art Market's Rise and Fall

During a time of market mayhem the contemporary art market stays afloat. Anna Brady speaks with William Lawrie about the Middle Eastern art market's rise and fall.

"A believer in the UAE's resilience is William Lawrie, who opened Lawrie Shabibi with his partner Asmaa Al-Shabibi in Al Quoz in 2011, showing contemporary artists from the broader region. 'Everyone said it was  the end in 2008, but Dubai bounced back stronger,' says Lawrie. 'It's too early to say whether the drop in oil prices will have an effect as there's always a time lag. As for conflict and terrorism, the UAE is thousands of miles away from this turmoil and it has distanced itself from the instability. Obviously everyone is a bit nervous but we just get on with it.'"