Mexican street artist Juandres Vera has painted a 3D mural of Mohamed Ramadan's in-game Free Fire character on a billboard in Cairo, Egypt.
As of April 16, players across the Middle East have been able to choose Ramadan's avatar, known in the game as "Maro", marking the game's first playable Arab character.
To celebrate the occasion, Vera created an 18x12-metre mural in 11 days in the Egyptian superstar's home country, with a digital version now also being displayed on a billboard in Casablanca, Morocco.
The artist, who holds the Guinness World Record for the largest anamorphic pavement art, is known for his special blend of street art via his trademark style of creating immersive aesthetics and realism.
He's no stranger to the Middle East, having participated in a month-long art festival in 2020 organised by Dubai Canvas and Brand Dubai in City Walk, which featured works from artists across the world with the theme of travelling through art. Vera's piece featured a sprawling eagle-eye view of Dubai's skyline, with the Burj Al Arab at its centre.
"It was an honour to be part of this exciting campaign," said Vera of the new Cairo project. "I'm so lucky to be able to incorporate my 3D mural art style with the most famous and trending video game Garena Free Fire and with the stunning number one Egyptian singer and amazing actor Mohamed Ramadan."
Ahead of the character's launch, Dubai's Burj Khalifa also celebrated by projecting a portrait of Ramadan's Maro. Two specially created light shows, which included a one-minute announcement, screened on the side of the world's tallest building in Downtown Dubai on April 14.
Watch the moment the Burj Khalifa lit up here:
Free Fire players across the Mena region can now play as Maro and claim rewards through a series of in-game events every day until Saturday, May 15, in celebration of the holy month.
The collaboration with Ramadan is part of Garena’s commitment to attract players in the Mena region by offering localised experiences.
Garena Free Fire has had a huge rise in popularity among users globally in recent years, and it was the most downloaded mobile game worldwide in 2020 across both iOS App and Google Play for the second year in a row.
The game reached 100 million daily active users at its peak last year.
Take a look through the gallery below to see more of Mohamed Ramadan:
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If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
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Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Match info
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Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
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The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
SPECS
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
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West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
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Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
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Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
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Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
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Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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The five pillars of Islam
