DUBAI.- Isabelle de La Bruyère, Director, Christie’s Middle East, will be moving to Dubai to focus on client development in the region, from March 2009. From her new location, she will be closer to Middle Eastern clients as the business develops its presence in the region and will continue to travel widely to support Christie’s international sales.

Isabelle joins Michael Jeha, Managing Director of Christie’s Middle East and his permanent team in Dubai. Christie’s have had an office in the region since 2005. The first auction was held in 2006 and since then Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, has sold $116 million worth of art in the region and in October of last year held a ground-breaking exhibition of $300 million worth of international sale highlights at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

“Isabelle is a highly experienced ambassador for Christie’s and her move to the Middle East underscores Christie’s continuing investment in the region and the team behind our leadership position in sourcing and selling the finest and most rare examples available in the market in the Middle East,” said Jussi Pylkkänen, President of Christie's Middle East and Europe.

In the last five years, much of her time has been concentrated on the Middle East, expanding Christie’s presence and business in the region and supporting the team based locally. She has organized important exhibitions of jewellery and art, charity sales and, together with the Dubai team, established Christie’s presence and market share in the Middle East in the bi-annual, record-breaking auctions. She also organized an Islamic Art exhibition in the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in London and the Ali Omar Ermes exhibition at Christie’s King Street.

Isabelle de La Bruyère joined Christie’s London in 1997 after she received her post-graduate diploma in 19th and 20th Century art, while working at the Impressionist department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. At Christie’s London, Isabelle specialized in Impressionist and Modern Art, before heading the annual sales of Ottoman & Orientalist Art. In 2003, she moved to support the firm’s business development activities and to enhance client relationships. A French citizen, Isabelle was educated in America and France and speaks French, Spanish and English.

Christie’s forthcoming sales of International Modern & Contemporary Art and Jewels and Watches auction will be held in Dubai on April 28th and 29th