Sotheby’s Collectors’ Week Abu Dhabi: New Dimensions for Rare Pieces

Art, iconic automobiles, jewellery, watches, and other collectibles are usually displayed in separate environments, each speaking to its own community. Sotheby’s inaugural Collectors’ Week in the Middle East took a different approach: it placed these categories side by side and demonstrated how naturally they can enrich one another. This curatorial shift also highlighted why physical and digital forms of presentation are increasingly complementary. The physical object anchors authenticity; the digital dimension adds insight, emotion, and access. Together, they create a fuller understanding of what makes a rare piece significant.

This idea was explored in depth at the TCCT Forum “The Future of Collectibles – Real and Digital”, staged in front of the legendary 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. After Fritz Kaiser’s inspiring keynote with the topic “Where Heritage Meets Innovation”, Mohamed Ali AlKamali from Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Marcus Breitschwerdt from Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Prof. Markus Gross from ETH Zurich and The Walt Disney Company, Josh Pullan from Sotheby’s, and Benedetto Camerana from Italy’s National Automobile Museum examined how technology, globalization, and shifting audiences are reshaping the collecting landscape. Moderated by Fritz Kaiser, Founder and Chairman of Roarington, the panel converged on one conclusion: collecting is entering a hybrid era in which physical heritage and digital innovation are not opposites but partners.

Fritz Kaiser together with Mohammad Ali Alkamali, Chief Trade & Industry Officer at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, animate the debate at TCCT Forum “The Future of Collectibles – Real and Digital”.

Roarington translated this perspective into concrete experiences throughout the week. One of the most appreciated moments was the opportunity to not only admire the Ferrari F40 previously owned by Alain Prost, one of the headline cars of the RM Sotheby’s auction, but to experience its Digital Twin in a high-fidelity simulator. More than 100 guests competed for the fastest lap on the Yas Marina Circuit (North). Seeing the real F40 and then driving its digital counterpart revealed qualities that no static exhibition or catalogue can convey. The result was unmistakable: the simulator area became a place of genuine excitement.

Visitors had the opportunity to drive the Digital Twin of the F40 in the Roarington simulators, which offered a chance to win a night at the splendid Alwaata Hotel.

Another immersive experience extended this narrative. Through the Digital Twin of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “417”, the 1955 1000 Miglia GT category winner, guests could perform authentic regularity trials in a special edition simulator developed jointly by Mercedes-Benz Heritage and Roarington as a tribute to the original icon. The limited edition is available for purchase in only seven units worldwide, a detail that underscored the exclusivity felt throughout the experience. At the same time, outside the venue, the contemporary 1000 Miglia UAE passed through the Emirates. The interplay of historic car, digital recreation, and real-world motorsport created a clear arc connecting past achievements, present technology, and the evolving future of the discipline.

The 300 SL “417 Legacy Edition” Simulator, produced in only 7 units, allowed visitors to experience the thrill of the 1000 Miglia by driving a special regularity stage in the Gullwing that won the GT class in 1955.

One visitor summarized how effectively this integrated approach worked. Her comment reflected the broader reaction.

“I came for the art. My husband did not even want to join me. But once he saw the cars – and once he tried the simulator – he was more excited than I was. I could not get him out of the simulator.”

This ability to surprise audiences beyond their expectations became a defining feature of the week. It showed how immersive digital experiences not only support but strengthen modern auction formats by opening them to new perspectives and new participants.

Collectors’ Week Abu Dhabi positioned the UAE capital as an emerging destination for rare objects and provided a clear preview of how collecting will evolve. The TCCT Forum outlined the framework. The F40 and 300 SL experiences demonstrated it in practice. A week that celebrated rarity while pointing decisively toward its future.