In the early 1970s, Hassan Massoudy received an offer to lead a calligraphy workshop in the deserts of Mauritania.
Seeking to escape a Parisian winter, he accepted. With his reed pens, brushes and ink bottles packed, he travelled to the North African country with his wife, Isabelle.
The trip marked the first time Massoudy had been in a desert since he left his native Iraq in 1969. Surrounded by the enigmatic expanse, Massoudy realised how much of the desert he carried within him. His wife, too, became mesmerised by the landscape's vastness and stillness.
In a way, Massoudy's newest release, Calligraphies of the Desert, has been in the works since then. The pocket-sized book, a compilation of artworks and texts, is as much a visual ode to the arid terrain – long misunderstood for its cruel, scalding antagonism to life – as it is an opportunity to view the desert in a new light.
Some of the earthy colours I used were actually derived from the desert
In the decade following that initial trip, the couple made periodical excursions to the deserts across North Africa, trekking across the sands of Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco. Sometimes it was Massoudy’s workshops that prompted their travels. Other times, it was simply the couple’s desire to explore the dunes rolling in continuum.
"We would be surrounded by them," Massoudy tells The National. "After nightfall, we'd stay in a large tent, where Isabelle would read poetic and literary texts by candlelight written by those who travelled the desert, from hundreds of years ago to our present day."
Upon returning to Paris, where the couple reside, Isabelle would visit libraries, reading and documenting whatever texts she could find about the desert.
“In turn, I began drawing calligraphy based on the texts,” Massoudy says.
Calligraphies of the Desert is a product of that collaboration. The Iraqi artist honours the landscape by taking the works Isabelle collected over the years and interpreting them through Arabic calligraphy. The texts include proverbs from around the world, as well as poetic reflections about the desert's symbolism by the likes of Rumi, Goethe and Abu Nuwas.
“The way lies beneath your feet” reads one of the quotes in the book in Arabic and English. Across the page from the proverb, in thin, precise lines, Massoudy's calligraphy evokes a sense of movement and progress.
Another artwork shows a broad, crimson semi-circle footed by an undulating calligraphy stroke that reads 'biir', the Arabic for well. On the page across is a quote by The Little Prince author Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which reads: "What beautifies the desert is that it hides a well somewhere."
Arabic calligraphy, in the way it braids and ebbs, may be the perfect artistic medium with which to pay tribute to the desert. But Massoudy wanted to do more than just visually allude to the landscape; he wanted the desert to actually form a part of the book.
Najaf was a small city then, one that was surrounded by the desert. Its narrow, dark alleys would suddenly be confronted by the sun's golden light
“Some of the earthy colours I used were actually derived from the desert,” he says. For instance, a brown ink was made using a thousand-year-old technique, which involves burning a clump of wool and leather in a bowl until a paste is formed. “We can then make tablets out of that paste. Mixing the tablets in water gives us ink," he says.
“We also had to see how to cohesively match the black calligraphy with the coloured ones facing it. Every page required discussion and dialogue.”
The texts found in Calligraphies of the Desert unpack many of the landscape's timeless associations, such as solitude and perseverance. But there is also another driving element within the book – the warmth of a home town Massoudy has not visited in more than 50 years.
The artist says he only began to think about what the desert meant to him after he left Iraq in 1969. The country at the time was undergoing major political upheavals as the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party established its ruling position. Distraught at the country’s political circumstances and tired of drawing calligraphy on store banners and other non-artistic commissions, Massoudy, then 25, left to study at France's National School of Fine Arts.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the world's top calligraphers. His public performances, which combine music, poetry and live calligraphy projected on a screen, have paved the way for a new generation of calligraphers, including French-Tunisian street artist eL Seed, who has credited Massoudy with revolutionising the art form.
Now in his late seventies, Massoudy affectionately recalls his home town of Najaf. The city, located about 160 kilometres south of Baghdad, was paramount, he says, to his relationship with the desert.
“Najaf was a small city then, one that was surrounded by the desert. Its narrow, dark alleys would suddenly be confronted by the sun’s golden light. It was situated 30 metres above the Euphrates, so it was constantly thirsty. The desert entered our city and we always wandered in the desert," he says.
Though the book’s title and contents may refer to the desert at large, Massoudy notes that each country has its own variant of the terrain.
"In the Mauritanian city of Chinguetti, when entering from the side of the valley, the sand is clean and amazingly white, like flour. In the city of Djanet in southern Algeria, there are high rocks sculpted by nature," he says.
"They resemble the works of the sculptor Henry Moore. It gives the feeling of being in an open-air museum.”
Calligraphies of the Desert is published by Saqi Books
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
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."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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 squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clinicy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Prince%20Mohammed%20Bin%20Abdulrahman%2C%20Abdullah%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%20and%20Saud%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2025%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20More%20than%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Gate%20Capital%2C%20Kafou%20Group%20and%20Fadeed%20Investment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
