Cette thèse a pour principal objectif d’étudier la nouvelle configuration de la valeur de l’art moderne et contemporain du Moyen-Orient, et plus précisément la perception qui s’est fait jour à partir du milieu des années 2000, où Dubaï serait devenu le lieu de fixation de la valeur économique et de diffusion de l’art à différents niveaux : national, régional et international. L’art visuel du Moyen-Orient, jusqu’alors limité aux scènes nationales et négligé sur la scène internationale, connaît une évolution locale ainsi qu’un rayonnement international inédit. La mutation innovante du monde de l’art de cette zone géographique repose, en général, sur l’implantation de maisons de vente et sur la formation d’un marché international pour l’art du Moyen-Orient à Dubaï. Ce nouveau dispositif a influencé non seulement l’écosystème du monde national de l’art, mais aussi le choix d’artistes, des commissaires d’exposition autant que des conservateurs des musées internationaux. L’accroissement de champ du marché est l’objet principal de cette étude, et l’ajustement du champ artistique un objet secondaire. En retraçant l’histoire des pays étudiés par une approche sociologique de l’art, il s’agira, d’abord, de cerner l’évolution quantitative et qualitative des galeries d’art visuel, après les avoir identifiées en tant qu’acteur multifonction du monde de l’art, en ce qui concerne trois pays emblématiques de l’art de la région : l’Iran, le Liban et les Émirats Arabes Unis ; ensuite, il s’agira d’analyser leurs activités internationales ainsi que leur rayonnement à la fois régional et international, avant la formation du marché de l’art de Dubaï en 2006 et jusqu’à 2015. La méthodologie employée pour ce travail sollicitera un certain nombre d’outils propres aux sciences sociales et humaines : l’entretien compréhensif, l’enquête quantitative, l’analyse typologique, l’étude documentaire et l’enquête de terrain : l’immersion et l’observation participante. / The main objective of the present doctoral thesis is to study the configuration of the value of Middle Eastern modern and contemporary art. More precisely, we look at how Dubai has emerged in international perceptions as the center for art appraisal and diffusion nationally, regionally and internationally. Middle Eastern visual arts, mainly limited to their national settings, have been overlooked on an international level. Today, we are witnessing their unprecedented emergence and appreciation on the international scene. The innovative mutation of the art world within this geographical zone is mainly due to the implantation of auction houses and the creation of an international market for Middle Eastern art in Dubai. These new measures have not only influenced the ecosystem of the art milieu on a national level, but have also impacted the choice of artists, exhibition commissioners and curators of international museums. The development of this market is the principal object of the present study and as a secondary object, we look at the adjustments made by the art world to adapt to this new art scene. Through the Sociology of Art approach, we retrace the history of three emblematic countries (Iran, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates) with the aim of understanding the quantitative and qualitative evolution of their visual art galleries identified as multifunctional actors of the art world. We then analyze their international activities as well as their expansion, regionally and internationally, before the creation of the art market of Dubai between 2006 and 2015. Our methodology is based on the research methods of the social sciences: comprehensive interviews, quantitative investigations, typological analyses, documentation review and field work through immersion and participatory observation.

The goal of this study is to generate a more holistic picture of the diffusion and assimilation of universal human rights norms in diverse cultural and political settings such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The overarching question to be investigated in this thesis is the relationship between the evolving international human rights regime and the emerging human rights normative and legal culture in the Middle East. This question will be investigated in detail with reference to regional human rights schemes such as the Arab Charter of Human Rights, as well as local human rights developments in three Middle Eastern states, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Having gauged the take-up of human rights norms on the ground at the local and regional levels, the thesis examines in full the extent of socialisation and internalisation of human rights norms across the Middle East region at large.

This thesis focuses on park planning in Dubai, and how current differences in their socio-spatial access can be alleviated by using regional-vernacular design principles. The thesis uses a mixed method approach that begins with the analysis of parks across the entire city to understand their current access and distribution, and then narrows down to focusing on four micro-case studies,which will serve as sites where improvements could be made. These improvements are inspiredby vernacular design and planning and aim to improve current access. All work originates fromthe author unless otherwise cited.