Forever is Now, an exhibition held recently at Egypt’s Giza Pyramids, received half a million visitors in only three weeks – an “unprecedented” outcome, according to its organiser, Art D’Egypte’s founder and curator Nadine Abdel Ghaffar. Massive installations and monumental artworks by local and international artists, such as French photographer JR, were erected in and around the ancient site, with the show’s star-studded opening attended by high-profile names and celebrities including Isabelle Adjani and Pharrell Williams.
Art D’Egypte, which creates exhibitions and community programming throughout the country, aims to rejuvenate historical spaces in Egypt – a country teeming with a rich and complex history – with modern and contemporary art, bridging the old and the new and making this art as accessible as possible to the public.
The organisation’s goals stem from a disconnect between the ancient art and archaeology of the country – present in public spaces that are seen more as relics than part of public life – and the large amounts of art being produced right now by emerging and established creatives. The two are not in conversation with each other enough and are also both at a distance from the Egyptian people.
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos from the Forever Is Now exhibition:
“We want to revitalise historical spaces and revive heritage by merging them with contemporary art, which makes us function a bit like a social enterprise,” Ghaffar said during a webinar on Sunday hosted by The Art Circle, a non-profit organisation of female international art collectors and practitioners founded in 2018 in Abu Dhabi. It was the second in a series of three talks focusing on the Middle East’s arts scenes, with this one on Egypt. The first, held over the summer, was on the UAE, and the last, on Saudi Arabia, will take place next year.
“We work on tangible spaces on-site but also the intangible through community programmes that engage with young people,” Ghaffar said. “The whole idea is to democratise art and make it accessible to all.”
Following on from Art D’Egypte’s previous shows at Manial Palace, the Egyptian Museum and various other Unesco World Heritage Sites, Forever is Now’s immense success – from the thousands of visits to expansive press and media coverage – revealed a hunger in Egypt to interact more with art. The show also served as a model for how the arts scene can engage practitioners and the public with success; it demonstrated how you can activate the past and animate the present simultaneously in order to strengthen Egypt’s cultural landscape, especially since it was held in conjunction with programmes involving the local community through volunteering opportunities and public art education lectures.
We need more galleries, institutions and museums so they can also make more acquisitions and support artists
Bahia Shehab,
artist, designer and historian
The feedback was overwhelming. After the exhibition, one of the participating artists, Moataz Nasr, who has previously exhibited at major shows such the Venice Biennale, received thousands of messages from Egyptians who had gone to see the Pyramids. After years of visiting the site with their families, they were overjoyed to re-experience it anew. “It was incredible,” said Nasr during The Art Circle’s discussion. “I realised I had missed something happening here over the years.”
What Nasr had missed was that desire for the public to engage with the art world. Earlier in his career, Nasr had felt unfulfilled exhibiting in his home country and left to work in more international spaces, where he had greater success. “Most of the time, I’ve shown my work outside of Egypt because I had this idea that people won’t really understand what I’m doing,” he said. “However, deep inside me, I wanted to meet and interact with my people. But at the shows here, the audience always numbered to no more than 1,000, which made interactions with the audience minimal.”
Visitors were also often the same niche people from the art world. While public interest is certainly changing now, as seen with Forever Is Now, there is still much to be done in terms of infrastructure to nurture it, he said. “We’re just missing a lot of things.”
Multidisciplinary artist, designer and historian Bahia Shehab, who also participated in the talk on Sunday, cited the Jameel network and its work both at London's Victoria & Albert Museum and in the UAE as a helpful parallel to look up to in terms of what healthy models of a country’s art ecosystem can look like, and what is currently lacking in Egypt. While Egypt has plenty of artists, most of whom are self-taught, the huge population simply does not have enough art schools to produce not only more artists but also curators and other kinds of cultural practitioners. "We need more galleries, institutions and museums so they can also make more acquisitions and support artists.”
The country also lacks enough writers, critics, journalists and publications to cover what is happening in the scene. “There is not enough documentation and this is important because that goes to the historians which then put it into books,” said Shehab. “And the books go back to the art schools and then the whole model is richer and more expansive. Books are important because they record memory."
Egypt has a well-documented ancient past, but its contemporary output also needs to be talked about, especially for the benefit of emerging creatives and educating the wider public.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Company%20profile
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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GAC GS8 Specs
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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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
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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The%20specs
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More from Neighbourhood Watch
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on animal trafficking
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
