Saudi art, still little known outside the desert kingdom, is starting to get international attention after a group of artists exhibited in London in October 2008 and at last year’s Venice Biennale.

The government-supported drive to promote Saudi artists on the global stage, part of a strategy by King Abdullah to rebrand his Islamic state as investor-friendly, comes at a time when prices for artworks from the oil-rich Gulf country remain relatively low.

Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem sold his first work at auction for $8,700 in Dubai last year. In March at Art Dubai, another of his pieces, made from rubber stamps, was bought by an Emirati collector for $50,000.