I’m going to try to put my childhood into visual context: I grew up in what most definitely was a museum and what most certainly seemed like an endless vernissage with artists, intellectuals, cultural aficionados, wealthy patrons and journalists mingling in our home.
This ambiance was largely due to my legendary mother, Sherwet Shafei, whose foray into the art world began in 1960 with Egyptian television. She hosted a weekly show on modern Egyptian art. My mother fell in love with the genre, became a confidant to its artists and avidly collected their work (making her collection one of the finest in its field).
In 1989, she took over Safarkhan Gallery, founded in 1968 as a space that exhibited Islamic art, and which she baptised as one of Cairo's – and the world’s – preeminent galleries to explore modern and contemporary Egyptian art. So, my life was and still is replete with visual delight and intellectual stimulation.
As a child, I remember staring in awe at the art around me. So intrigued, I was desperate to know what the artists were trying to say through their work. Amidst the sound of chatter, laughter, clinking glass and music, the five-year-old me remained oblivious to the many anonymous faces mingling in our home, save for one, a very gentle-looking one, and it belonged to Hamed Nada.
He smiled continuously and emanated a pureness and a warmth, as though there were an aura of kindness surrounding him. I guess he also stood out because of his height and the helmet of white hair on his head, which to me, made it seem as though he were glowing. Actually, he glowed because a light radiated from him.
Nada was always laughing; he laughed and talked at once, making him such a bubbly and pleasant person. Every time he showed up, I became giddy and just gravitated towards his energy.
He knew he was different [and so did we] and perhaps that made him feel like he had less to offer, meaning he struggled more
Mona Said,
director of Safarkhan Gallery
Nada was low-voiced because of a speech and hearing impairment, making it difficult to hear what he was saying, but it didn’t matter because somehow my parents and I understood. Nada dealt with it well, largely because he was a pure soul and one who accepted his fate.
He talked in such a cultured way, and always laced with humour. Very quickly, I got the impression that he wasn’t just an artist who frequented our home, but a sincere friend to my parents. I feel so honoured to say that he was my friend, too.
My mother, being her intuitive self, noted a strong connection between Nada and I, and in the name of further nurturing my art education, promptly arranged for weekly visits to his studio in Gamaliya, in Old Cairo, a Unesco World Heritage Site also known as Islamic Cairo.
Nada was born in the nearby Al Khalifa neighbourhood and was brought up in a devout home to a father who was a sheikh. The everyday sights and sounds of different areas in this religious vicinity, including the Al Sayeda Zainab Mosque, came to have a lasting impact on him – it can be felt in the djinns, symbolism and superstition within his stylised figures of later works.
At school, Nada gravitated towards art, psychology and philosophy, and as fate would have it, met Hussein Youssef Amin, an artist, mentor and scholar, who gathered his proteges at his home on a weekly basis and encouraged them to speak for those less fortunate.
In 1946, together with fellow artists including Samir Rafi, Kamal Youssef and Abdel Hadi El Gazzar, Nada formed the Contemporary Art Group, which celebrated Egyptian-ness through socially realistic works that tackled popular tradition and folk symbolism.
Two years later, in 1948, Nada joined the School of Fine Arts in Cairo, and in parallel, worked as an illustrator and critic to Al Thaqafa, a popular periodical. After graduating in 1951, the Egyptian working class dominated his paintings, and in 1957, he taught at the faculty of fine arts in Alexandria University.
He was awarded a scholarship in 1960 to study mural painting at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. He returned to Cairo where he taught at his alma mater, later heading its painting department and continuing to teach after his retirement in 1984. It was during this time that my visits to his studio began.
Where our home was a carefully curated, pristine and organised space, Nada’s studio was a chaotic, awesome expanse. Looking back, his bedlam reminds me of a verse in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.”
Immediately, I understood that his studio was his sanctuary; it was where he spoke through painting and where he reconciled the unkindness he’d seen outside. Washed with light, the space resembled an ancient Roman relic – at least that’s the sense I got because it felt packed with history and stories.
Being there was liberating for me on so many fronts: I could pick up brushes, dip my fingers in paint, open drawers and cupboards and never felt bored. In there, I felt like a friend, and he didn’t speak to me as a child. I wholly related to his paintings and why wouldn’t I? The cats, exotic birds, musical instruments, lamps, chairs and dancing people all looked like things I would draw.
The time between each visit felt like an eternity. As I yearned for the next trip, somehow, though it was palpable that his paintings oozed a rhythm and a prance, and transmitted an exchange between all elements, I started to feel like I could hear someone screaming, someone wanting to be heard.
I could sense there was pain, and I knew it came from Nada’s empathy with the plight of his countrymen, and his bad luck with women. He knew he was different [and so did we] and perhaps that made him feel like he had less to offer, meaning he struggled more.
The thing is, Nada contributed something that no one else did: a unique language, a Nada semantic, which he forced us to decipher. And once we did, we understood that painting for him was a healing mechanism, but it was an aide-memoire for us to really see the plight of our brethren. Some artists remain artists, others become great, and Nada was brilliant. I can still see him glowing.
Remembering the Artist is our series that features artists from the region
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jawan
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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
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
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
I Feel Pretty
Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Company%20Profile
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.