Sotheby’s is bringing the Middle East to London.
At the auction house's New Bond Street location, their London galleries will be exhibiting a diverse and curated selection of Middle Eastern art and culture.
Entitled Hafla, which translates to celebration or party in Arabic, the exhibition will run from August 12 to 30. Highlights will include paintings, jewellery and calligraphy from the Islamic world and limited-edition handbags designed by Saudi Arabia's Princess Nourah Al Faisal.
“People from all over the world congregate in London over the summer, particularly from across the Middle East,” Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s director for Middle Eastern and contemporary art, tells The National.
“We felt there would be a real demand and desire from art aficionados who are in town to see Middle Eastern art under the spotlight as they wander down New Bond Street. It also gives our regular collectors an opportunity to see a different side of the Middle Eastern art scene.”
The main part of Hafla will be the section Khamseen, which is the Arabic word for 50. It highlights 50 works spanning 50 years of modern visual art from Saudi Arabia. Curated in collaboration with founder Qaswra Hafez of Hafez Gallery, it will comprise of paintings, sculptures, photography, prints and installations.
Khamseen starts with The Beginnings, which focuses on the early phases of modern art by introducing the active artistic pioneers in the kingdom between 1965 to 1980, most of whom were broadly dealing with themes of identity.
The exhibition then moves to the Awakening / Boom section, which highlights artists working between the 1980s and the late 1990s, when Saudi society became more conservative. The final section, Information Superhighway, encompasses the work of young dynamic artists experimenting with various media in the early 2000s.
“Taking a look at Khamseen, bringing some of the rarest and most important Saudi pioneers is a first,” Baghestani adds.
“With the growing appreciation of and visibility around Saudi art, it felt only natural to bring some of these gems to London and exhibit them to a very different audience.”
In addition to art, there will also be a jewellery exhibition that showcases the influence of the Middle East on design. It is in partnership with A2Z Advisory in Bahrain. Expect about 60 jewellery creations to be on display, including coloured gemstones and diamonds from maisons such as Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels. It runs until August 22.
“The Middle East is one of the world’s leading luxury hubs, and so it was only fitting that we would dedicate a section of Hafla to exploring the region’s impact in this arena,” says Sophie Stevens, Sotheby’s jewellery specialist.
“From Art Deco designs, significant diamonds and top-tier coloured gemstones, to groundbreaking contemporary jewels, there is something for every discerning jewellery collector at Hafla this summer.”
The luxury section of the exhibition will also include an exclusive capsule collection of Saudi Arabian-inspired bags by luxury brand Asprey in collaboration with Princess Nourah. Five boldly designed, limited-edition bags each pay homage to the five regions of the kingdom through motifs, colour and embroidery techniques.
Incorporating something from across the Islamic world, the final portion of Hafla will be a display of rich calligraphic works from the 8th to 21st century.
It will showcase the development of Arabic script over more than a millennium of manuscript production, from Quranic manuscripts in Kufic script to the lavish illuminations of the Qajar period. It will feature 28 calligraphic works from the Bashir Mohamed Family collection, produced across the Middle East, Turkey, India, Spain and China.
“One of the most exciting calligraphic works is a magnificent bifolium from the Blue Quran – showcasing the true scale and majesty of the legendary manuscript,” Frankie Keyworth, Sotheby’s Islamic & Indian art specialist, says.
“It is both materially opulent, written entirely in gold on large sheets of blue vellum, and visually striking, showcasing a particularly masterful Kufic script.”
The diversity of works, artists and mediums from Hafla is not only part of its appeal, but shows the range and of ideas and creativity from the Middle East across various time periods that tell an overarching story about art creation from the region.
“We wanted Hafla to feel like a journey,” Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s chairman for the Middle East & India, says. “As you enter each gallery, you are immersed in a different moment of Middle Eastern creativity."
Hafla will take place at Sotheby’s London galleries from August 12 to 30
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
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.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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