DUBAI: Following the success of its “Sense of Women” exhibition in Dubai last year, the MIA Art Collection is returning to the UAE with another female-empowering display. Titled “Serendipity,” the arts showcase event will open its doors on Wednesday at Dubai’s Al Safa Art and Design Library. Serendipity is derived from the Arabic word sarandib, that means to make an unexpected discovery in a happy or beneficial way. The MIA Art Collection describes art as a state of “perpetual serendipity.” The new exhibition will bring together the works of 25 female artists from 10 Middle Eastern countries, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Lebanon, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. Works by artists including Shirin Neshat, Effat Nagui, Azza Al-Qubaisi, Lulwah Al-Homoud, and Nayla Romanos Iliya will be among those on display during the three-week expo. Curated by the MIA Art Collection team under the creative direction of founder Alejandra Castro Rioseco, the exhibition will also include pieces on loan from private collectors who, MIA said, had “selflessly opened their collections and their hearts to participate in this adventure.” “Serendipity” will remain open to the public until March 31. MIA is a private art collection aimed at promoting female artists and their work. Following the opening ceremony, the MIA Art Collection will host a gala dinner and awards show on Thursday at Dubai’s Bulgari hotel, where 10 personalities will receive the prestigious MIA Award in recognition of their efforts in supporting the visibility of women in the world of art.