At Zayed University, a student’s attempt to portray the UAE through AI animation repeatedly hit a wall. The software kept defaulting to deserts and opulent skylines, ignoring the diversity of the country’s urban landscape and culture.
This frustration served as inspiration for four faculty members at the university. They began building an image database aimed at offering a richer, more accurate visual language for Emirati architecture and culture, particularly that of Abu Dhabi.
“The student had an interesting story prepared and wanted to have culture and architecture represented in it,” multimedia professor Omair Faizullah says. “But no matter what she did, she could not get the results she wanted. Instead, it kept generating a stereotypical form – like an Instagram picture – which is not exactly a representation of the area.”
Enter The Dis-Orientalist, which is being showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The project was developed as a collaboration among Faizullah, Lina Ahmad, Marco Sosa and Roberto Fabbri, faculty members from the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises. It amasses a data pool of images of architecture from Abu Dhabi in an AI model that offers a nuanced perspective of the emirate.
The project’s title is a pun, referring to an exotic and static perception of the region, as well as to a state of disorientation caused by AI.
“We are disoriented by this technology and how these technologies are coming into the field of architecture,” Fabbri says. “These new tools are changing the profession, and we are trying to understand how we should interact with that, but it is also changing teaching in schools and universities. That’s where we start putting those two meanings together.”
AI is only as good as the data its intelligence relies on. As such, the team set out to collect thousands of images of structures in Abu Dhabi, most of them examples of modernist architecture. The photographs, Ahmad notes, were sourced from Abu Dhabi Streets, an Instagram account run by Silvia and Alex, European nationals who have lived in Abu Dhabi for close to a decade.
“We went and looked at Abu Dhabi buildings that were mostly constructed in the late 1980s and the 1990s,” Ahmad says.
Fabbri adds: “We were interested in collecting the data because without a data set, there’s no project. The data set defines and determines the output of the project. Thanks to Silvia and Alex, we were able to put together 7,000 lesser-known images of Abu Dhabi.”
Through a grant from Zayed University, the four faculty members began developing an AI model that would come to generate images of new structures based on these “lesser-known” examples. This was no straightforward task, and required the team to develop a visual lexicon of architectural elements within the images – pinpointing what constitutes a door or a window. “The way that things are put together, especially in an architectural pattern, is all based on a canonical structure,” Faizullah says. “A window, door or facade can be put together in infinite configurations. The training involved feeding the AI all of these images, and asking the algorithm to start to understand what’s what. Especially with the architecture of the UAE, a lot of these terminologies are not very defined. We had to create our own method of introducing that kind of topology into the training.”
The technology, Ahmad adds, may also help identify what is “Abu Dhabiness”.
“We all live in Abu Dhabi,” she says. “We look at buildings and neighbourhoods, and we see what we call Abu Dhabiness. But what does that mean? I think that the software is one of the things that can extract the DNA of Abu Dhabi. It can also generate infinite examples of an impossible Abu Dhabi, which feels familiar but doesn’t exist in real life.”
So what are the implications for a technology such as The Dis-Orientalist? Faizullah says it has “tremendous educational potential, whereby students can understand the history of the region, its cultural heritage and visual language, and then use it to create new things”.
The platform, Ahmad adds, offers “an infinite example of regional architecture, something that’s vernacular, something that’s from the region, so students could keep looking, learning and feeding into their design”.
This may spark a resurgence of modernist elements in contemporary designs, but Fabbri adds that the team is not advocating a modernist renaissance, but rather proposing an educational platform that may inspire new techniques and trends in contemporary design.
“Perhaps if you have an intervention in the city centre, maybe then you want to harmonise the new intervention with the existing structure,” he says.
The project, the faculty members note, is still in its early stages and the aim is to make it as accessible as possible – or, as Ahmad puts it, “to democratise the conceptual process of conceptual design”.
“We’re also thinking of how we can use the tool to open it beyond architecture,” Ahmad adds. “So we’re starting to have this conversation and dialogues with different disciplines, and inviting them to contribute or think how this can be appropriated.”
The exhibit at the Venice Biennale is a sneak peek at The Dis-Orientalist. The faculty members are planning to offer a more comprehensive look at the project in a more immersive exhibition, this time presented locally.
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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).
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
