Key paintings by Samia Halaby, Paul Guiragossian, Mahmoud Said and Aref El Rayess are being displayed at Christie’s Dubai, with many of the works coming from the Dalloul Collection.
The exhibition, running until October 10, is presenting highlights that will feature at two upcoming auctions by Christie’s. These include a live auction, Silsila: Highlights from the Dalloul Collection, on November 6 and an online auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, which will be running between October 28 and November 11. Both auctions will be held at the Christie’s headquarters in London.
The former will present highlights from the Dalloul Collection and is the third sale by Christie’s that features work from the esteemed trove that was started by art collector couple Ramzi Dalloul and Saeda El Husseini Dalloul.
The Dallouls began acquiring Arab art in the 1970s, and the collection is now overseen by their son, Basel Dalloul, and his Beirut visual arts institution, the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation (Daf).
The sales come as part of the foundation’s bid to diversify the collection and incorporate more contemporary voices.
“It’s an honour to present works from the Dalloul Collection,” Ridha Moumni, chairman of Christie’s Middle East and Africa, says. “It is an incredible collection that has been built over almost 50 years, and that has its own vitality.”
Among the works being shown in Dubai is Paul Guiragossian’s Automne. Painted in 1989, the large-scale work exhibits the idiosyncratic elongated forms and brushstrokes the Armenian-Lebanese artist was known for. The painting is estimated at between £120,000 and £180,000 (up to $242,000).
“Guiragossian is probably an artist we have featured in every single auction,” say Marie-Claire Thijsen, head of sale and a specialist at Christie’s London and Dubai. “However this is a true chef-d'œuvre, its scale, its vibrant colour and energetic brushstroke… this late 1980s period I think really appeals to our audience.”
There are also several works by Palestinian artists, including Kamal Boullata and Samia Halaby, both of whom are represented in the Dubai exhibition.
Boullata’s Nocturne I, painted in 2001, is an abstract work featuring broad and textured blue, navy and violet lines, and is estimated at between £30,000 and £50,000.
Halaby’s Gardenia (1978), from her coveted Diagonal Flight series – in which she explores the interplay between diagonal lines and contrasting hues as part of an abstract exploration inspired by Islamic geometry – comes from an artistic period that is particularly in demand. The painting is estimated at between £50,000 and £70,000.
“It’s an intimate-scale work from the 1970s,” Thijsen says. “This is really the most desired, most celebrated period by the artist.”
The exhibition in Dubai also features works by famed Egyptian modernist Mahmoud Said, a landscape painting titled La colline de Mekarzel (Mekarzel Hill), with an estimate of £60,000 to £80,000; Soukhour Meyrouba by Lebanese painter Aref El Rayess (£100,000 to £150,000); an untitled 2019 piece by Lebanese artist Etel Adnan (£70,000 to £100,000); and an untitled mirror mosaic, a reverse glass painting by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, produced in 1976 (£80,000 to £120,000).
The works reflect upon the diversity of geographies and styles that is predominant in both sales, but particularly within the Silsila auction.
“In our selection we tried to reflect the different geographies represented in the Dalloul collection and showcase how they helped to shape Arab art history in the various geographies within the region,” Thijsen says. “But there is a strong focus of artists from the Levant particularly Lebanon and Palestine, which are the roots of the Dalloul family.”
The exhibition in Dubai is part of a series of previews in London and Paris that Christie's is hosting ahead of the two sales in London.
Those from Silsila sale and the Dalloul Collection include a work by Said that, when it went to the market in October 2007, caused controversy involving Christie's, the Egyptian government and the international police organisation Interpol.
Said's La Fille aux yeux verts (The Girl with the Green Eyes), the Egyptian government claimed, belonged to the state and should have been displayed at a diplomatic residence in New York. However, after a stringent research process, it was revealed that Said had painted two almost identical versions of the same subject, the first in 1931 and a second in 1932, named La Fille aux yeux verts (replique). The second painting was the one that had been featured in the 2007 auction, then withdrawn and offered in 2015 once the research had been completed. It is now being re-offered and is estimated between £250,000 and £350,000.
Another masterpiece from the collection is a large-scale work from Marwan, presumably one of the last in his Kopf (Head) series. Painted in 2013-2014, two years before the Syrian artist’s death, the painting features bold and feverish brushstrokes in bright colours while maintaining his renowned topographic texture. The work is estimated between £150,000 and £200,000
Mona Saudi’s Shajarat al-Hayat (Tree of Life) is a stunning pullout from the Jordanian sculptor’s oeuvre, with stacked geometric forms carved out of green marble. Produced in 2000s, the work is estimated between £50,000 and £70,000.
“They don’t come up often in the market,” Moumni says of Saudi’s works. “And this one is absolutely spectacular.”
An important piece by the Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour is also being offered. A sprawling triptych depicting the harvesting of oranges in Jaffa, the untitled work was painted in 2014, carrying an estimate of £120,000 to £180,000.
“It spans over three metres wide,” Thijsen says. “It’s a very impressive work and towers over you. It has the orange groves on the outer panels and the ladies in traditional Palestinian dresses with baskets in the middle. It’s stunning.”
A 1998 work by Lebanese artist Huguette Caland, titled Vive La Liberte (Long Live Freedom) is another showstopper. It is estimated between £180,000 and £250,000.
"The image doesn’t do the work justice," Thijsen says.
“It shimmers in silver – delicate, intricate and truly beautiful. Created during a period when Caland embraced mixed media, she used metallic pens to painstakingly build up the surface. The flowers and trees seem to emerge from the canvas, almost sculptural in their texture."
“A masterpiece like this has never before appeared at auction,” Moumni adds. “It’s unquestionably one of the sale’s most extraordinary highlights.”
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
RESULTS
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
