This paper discusses the role of art in the construction of the United Arab Emirates along with the participation of women who now work widely in the visual and commercial arts. The production and display of art can contribute to the building of a nation because the arts help to create a new nation’s cultural symbols and thus its identity. The governments of the United Arab Emirates have been particularly interested in promoting traditional and contemporary art and has trained energetic young adults – both male and female – who have become involved in the promotion, production, and curating of artistic endeavor. These activities have a clear gender dimension. Commentators have noted that many leaders of the Emirati art scene are women, and this paper pays particular attention to the role of higher education in the training and encouragement of national women to enter the fields of the arts. The federal nature of the United Arab Emirates polity also provides an opportunity to examine the gender implications of different models of art promotion. We contrast Abu Dhabi’s efforts to develop world-class centers of artistic display with the more entrepreneurial and decentralized approach of Dubai authorities who have promoted vibrant networks of galleries linked to art studios. In addition, the paper examines the government of Sharjah’s attempts to develop its own centers of cultural production and display. We investigate whether different types of art promotion have different gendered consequences. The paper is organized in the following manner. In the first part, we outline the different art promotion pursued by the governments of the United Arab Emirates. The second section investigates the arts curricula of important public and non-governmental higher educational institutions. It also examines how these establishments use internship programs to encourage women to enter activities which promote art after they graduate from their universities. The third section examines how women’s activities respond to and shape the trajectory of art production and display in the nation. The paper concludes with a consideration of the tensions which often emerge when a nation attempts to use art as nation-building and branding activities. Art is often transgressive and experimental, while conceptions of appropriate gender relations are often at the heart of struggles over the essence of the nation. This paper explores these issues and assess the transformative potential of art promotion and display.