Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim will represent the UAE at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022.
Ibrahim is one of the UAE’s most prominent artists, part of the avant-garde that included Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi, Hussein Sharif and Mohammed Kazem. Together, they led the contemporary art movement in the UAE in the late 1980s up until the 2000s.
Born in 1962, Ibrahim’s work speaks to his profound connection to the natural land, specifically his home of Khor Fakkan. This translates to his use of materials such as clay, branches and stones, as well as the primordial structures and forms that take shape in his sculptures and paintings.
We have the space and the tools. What's important now is the message itself
The biennale will run from April 23 to November 27 2022, and Ibrahim says that his participation in the National Pavilion UAE is both an honour and a responsibility. Currently, he is working closely with the exhibition’s curator Maya Allison, executive director and chief curator of the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Art Gallery, and the pair are discussing themes and production.
“We have the space and the tools. What’s important now is the message itself,” says Ibrahim. “I am thinking about how to show my culture and present it to people from other nations. All the cultures in the world will be there, so I am thinking about how to start this dialogue between us and other cultures.”
His connection to nature
The artist spends 10 to 12 hours every day working on his art. As part of his process, he goes into the mountains on walks or camping trips to gather ideas and materials from the landscape. His connection to nature began in his teenage years, after picnics and trips gave him a newfound appreciation for his surroundings.
“When I looked at the mountains from far away, I used to see them as ugly, sharp and strong,” he recalls. “But when I got closer to them, I saw that there were a lot of colours inside, and I saw them as kind, not aggressive.”
“This was the beginning of my special relationship with nature, when I was 16 or 17. I began to deal with it as if it were a human being, as if there was a soul in it. I started to become a friend to it. When I'd go into nature, I would use natural materials like clay, branches, leaves, grass, stones, but I wouldn’t break the branches. I didn’t bother the creatures in the mountains. I just used the materials that I found in the land.”
Ibrahim’s body of work not only includes land art made in the mountains, but also abstract sculptures moulded from papier mache that bear elements of nature. Their forms mimic something ancient, even primal – shapes, arcs and lines that connect and intersect to spell out unknown symbols.
His geometric motifs are drawn from ancient engravings, including ones that depicted men on the backs of horses, which he discovered exploring the Hajjar mountains. The artist has incorporated these symbols into his work, more recently stripping them down to more minimalist forms – just lines and circles – and making them more abstract.
Distilling environments and objects into their essential form is part of how Ibrahim sees the world. “If I see, for example, three people sitting around a table, I can see the table as a square and the people as circles, and then I just connect them with lines. When I look at the things that surround me, I see them as that. The shapes come with everything,” he says.
As the project for the Biennale begins to take shape, Allison reveals that she and the artist are examining his works over the years. “He is prolific, and our main conversation to date is how best to approach this incredible body of work, as well as what possible new approaches he might want to take – he is incredibly curious about the world, and open to developing new approaches to his practice,” she said in a statement.
She describes his work, particularly his integration of land art into his sculptural practice, as having a “distinct visual style”, one that is “singular and instantly recognisable”.
The artist nominated Allison to be the curator for the Venice Biennale exhibition, marking a new approach for the National Pavilion UAE, which previously selected the curators first. The two have worked together on a number of shows in the past, including NYUAD Art Gallery’s But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community 1988-2008.
Considering his role in the art scene, Allison describes Ibrahim as “among the most active artists working in the UAE”. She adds that he has “mentored later generations of artists, and plays an active role in the growth of the UAE’s art community".
With Ibrahim’s selection for the National Pavilion UAE, the artist’s place in the country’s art history is further cemented.
In 2018, Sharjah Art Foundation celebrated him with a retrospective titled Elements, featuring works from across three decades.
His work has also been acquired by major institutions, including the British Museum, Centre George Pompidou, Sharjah Art Foundation, Art Jameel and Barjeel Art Foundation.
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
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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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.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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.
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Austria 2
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
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
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
