In his mural History of the Future, artist Nemar Precioso Sencil celebrates the old and new.
The central figure of Sencil’s work, which won him this year’s Murals and Art Competition by Waterfront Market, is an Emirati child surrounded by markers of the UAE’s heritage and development over the past 50 years.
Architectural feats, from the traditional wind towers and forts to the towering Burj Khalifa, are represented alongside Expo 2020 Dubai's Al Wasl Dome and the soon-to-open Museum of the Future. But there are also small details on Emirati culture, such as a bowl of luqaimat and a woman crafting talli embroidery.

Sencil, 31, who is from the Philippines and has been living in the UAE for four years, describes his style as playing on “surreal art in a whimsical way”.
The artist says that his paintings are often based on his imaginations and dreams, while still considering the society around him. The results, he says, are “a little bizarre, but in a beautiful way”.
Now in its fourth year, the Murals and Art Competition is a collaboration between Waterfront Market, part of the Deira Enrichment Project in Dubai, and Dubai Culture.
In November 2021, Waterfront Market announced a call for entries for the competition, with the latest one asking participants to celebrate the UAE’s Golden Jubilee.
Sencil approached the theme by thinking about UAE leaders and imagining their “collective vision” for the country.
For his win, he has received Dh50,000 as prize money and his mural will be permanently displayed inside the market.
Working with traditional materials and digital paintings, Sencil says he next plans to have an exhibition of his work and share his skills with younger creatives. “I would love to teach children how to make art and continue sharing my artworks all over the world,” he says.

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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m; Winner: AF Al Baher, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Talento Puma, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,950m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Stakes Listed (TB) Dh500,000 1,950m; Winner: Mark Of Approval, Patrick Cosgrave, Mahmood Hussain.
4pm: Conditions (TB) Dh125,000 1,400m; Winner: Dead-heat Raakez, Jim Crowley, Nicholas Bachalard/Attribution, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Jebel Ali Sprint (TB) Dh500,000 1,000m; Winner: AlKaraama, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
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1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
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Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
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1. |
United States |
2. |
China |
3. |
UAE |
4. |
Japan |
5 |
Norway |
6. |
Canada |
7. |
Singapore |
8. |
Australia |
9. |
Saudi Arabia |
10. |
South Korea |
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
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