The sixth edition of Art Dubai will take place from March 21-24, 2012, at Madinat Jumeirah, and will feature 75 galleries from 31 countries showing work by over 500 artists. New programme of artists' and curators' residencies, commissioned projects, performative tours and workshops will be organised. The works by Abraaj Capital Art Prize winners and the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum will also be unveiled. The 2012 gallery selection will feature major new names joining an existing base of galleries that have become synonymous with Art Dubai. The key galleries joining in 2012 include Arndt (Berlin), Rodolphe Janssen (Brussels), Lombard Freid Projects (New York), Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke (Mumbai), The Pace Gallery (New York, London, Beijing), Galerie Perrotin (Paris), and Platform China (Beijing).

Developing a platform where students and enthusiasts can exchange ideas and gain insight into the region's arts scene, Art Dubai will expand the fair's educational programme to engage the broadest community within the UAE. The Art Week Education Programme will include monthly art and design seminars hosted at the Pavilion, Downtown Dubai. Though these began in December, three more are scheduled before Art Week in March. The seminars will be accompanied by an intensive internship programme across the fields of art and design.

In 2011, Art Dubai welcomed 20,000 visitors  including 60 international museums groups - and hosted over 70 galleries from 30 countries. Galleries returning from 2011 also exemplify the unparalleled regional and international reputation of the fair; they include Athr Gallery (Jeddah), Chantal Crousel (Paris), Experimenter (Kolkata), Goodman (Johannesburg, Capetown), Grey Noise (Lahore), Marianne Boesky Gallery (New York), Sfeir-Semler (Hamburg, Beirut) and The Third Line (Dubai).

Art Dubai will be held in partnership with Abraaj Capital and sponsored by Cartier, and will have Artetc. news & views as one of its media partner. The fair will be held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and is run as a joint venture between the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Middle East Fairs Ltd.