Sotheby's Origins II auction in Diriyah totals $19.6 million

Sotheby's held its second Origins auction in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on January 31, 2026, achieving $19.6 million in sales with only three unsold lots out of 67. The auction featured modern and contemporary works by Arab and Western artists. Top lot was Safeya Binzagr's 'Coffee Shop in Madina Road' (1968), which sold for $2.3 million, a record for a Saudi female artist and the highest price for any artwork at auction in Saudi Arabia. Other notable sales included works by Mohammed Al Saleem, Ali Banisadr, and Ahmed Morsi, who set a new auction record with 'Deux Pêcheurs' (1954) at $190,500. Western artists performed well: Andy Warhol's 'The Disquieting Muses (after de Chirico)' (1982) sold for $1,016,000; all seven Roy Lichtenstein works sold, led by 'Interior with Ajax (Study)' at $882,000; Camille Pissarro and Pablo Picasso each exceeded $1 million, though Picasso's 'Paysage' (1965) sold for $1.6 million against a $2 million low estimate, likely to a guarantor. Italian artists Alighiero Boetti and Salvo also sold works. Buyers from over 40 countries participated, with about one-third of purchases by Saudi clients. The auction underscores growing art investment in the Gulf region, ahead of the inaugural Art Basel Qatar in Doha (February 5-7, 2026).