The event, held in a ballroom at one of Dubai's most luxurious hotels, was attended by about 500 bidders with more than 120 works of art from the Arab world, Iran, India, Pakistan and the West on offer, according to Christie's.
Proceeds from the sale totaled $8.49 million, "far exceeding presale expectations", it said.
"This auction was the first phase in our plan to develop a broader presence within the Middle East and exceeded our expectation in terms of the prices achieved and the incredibly enthusiastic response from our clients in the region," Edward Dolman, chief executive officer of Christie's International, said in a statement.
The star of Wednesday's auction was a painting by contemporary Indian artist Rameshwar Broota titled Numbers, which was snapped by a private Indian client for $912,000, almost 10 times its presale estimate, according to Christie's.
Two works by controversial Iranian-born artist Shirin Neshat were also sold at the event. One titled I am its Secret from her 1993 series "Women of Allah" fetched $48,000, more than 10 times its presale estimate of $4,500.
The black-and-white photograph shows a woman covered in a chador, the traditional black head-to-toe Iranian dress, except for her eyes and forehead. Persian script in black and red covers the woman's exposed area.
Neshat, who has lived in the United States since 1974, portrays in her work the repression of women in Islamic societies.
The presence of works by Neshat in Muslim United Arab Emirates (UAE) is surprising given the region's hyper-sensitivity to anything deemed offensive to Islam, as evidenced by the uproar earlier this year over the Prophet Mohammed cartoons printed in Danish and European papers.
Other highlights of the evening included the Double Monalisa, a 1978 print by famed US pop artist Andy Warhol. It sold for $192,000.
Works by several contemporary Iraqi artists like Dia Al Azzawi and Suad Al Attar were also sold at the auction with Azzawi's Oriental Taqsim in Red fetching $45,600.
Christie's said that 53 percent of the buyers were from the Middle East, mainly from the UAE.
The UAE, which includes Dubai, and other oil-rich Arab Gulf states are currently enjoying an unprecedented economic boom from record energy prices. The region is a premier market for luxury goods.
So far wealthy art patrons in the area have focused on acquiring Islamic art.
One of the most valuable collections has been amassed by the gas-rich emirate of Qatar, which is currently on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris before its transfer later this year to the newly-established Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.
© 2006 Agence France-Presse