When it comes to the UAE's art world, there is no news bigger than the developments on Saadiyat Island. Two world-famous institutions and a host of others, including the country's first national museum, have kept art aficionados' chins wagging for almost five years since the development was announced. But when it comes to what's happening at ground level, the difference is striking.
Although numbers are unclear, Abu Dhabi still has approximately one-tenth of the number of galleries of Dubai has and a dearth of initiatives for both emerging and established talent, leaving many asking how a city can build such establishments without having a grass-roots scene.
That's where Salwa Zeidan comes in. Zeidan is a Lebanese artist, sculptor and curator, who founded the first gallery in Abu Dhabi in 1994 and now, almost 20 years later, is leading the way again. Next week, she will reopen the space that bears her name at The Collection, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, just metres away from the construction site of the Louvre Abu Dhabi and its soon-to-be-cohorts the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
"When I opened in 1994, there was nothing in Abu Dhabi at all, with the exception of the Cultural Foundation, but it wasn't hosting regular exhibitions," recalls Zeidan. "I was the first gallery ever in the city and even now, I am really surprised, but, there are still very few galleries here."
Zeidan opened the original gallery in the centre of the city and in the first year she hosted the first solo show for the now well-known Mohammed Kazem.
"He was around 20 years old at the time and Sheikh Saif bin Zayed opened the show," says Zeidan. "Nobody had heard of him back then."
Hassan Sharif, who was Kazem's mentor and who is considered to be the father of the contemporary art movement in the UAE, was also regularly exhibited at Zeidan's gallery. In fact, it is Sharif whom she credits as the inspiration for opening the gallery in the first place.
"I was curating exhibitions in hotels and other places as well as having poetry and art evenings at my home and in the end Hassan suggested that I open the gallery," she says.
The 30-year friendship is very much alive and informs Zeidan's decisions today. Plus, a selection of Sharif's paintings will take pride of place in the new gallery.
Flying House 15 and 17 depict a cartoon-like car entering and then exiting the contoured road that Sharif has painted with his trademark thick brushstrokes. They are from an entire series that the artist created of cars – reflecting his documentation of the explosion of urban growth in Dubai.
The other works Zeidan has selected for New Beginnings, the opening show in her Saadiyat Island space, include ink drawings by Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, who like Sharif has been a part of the art scene for many years and has a distinctive style, and an installation by Hussain Sharif – Hassan Sharif's brother.
"Hussain is so talented, but he has cut all the cords between himself and the world and he doesn't want to talk to people or interact with anyone, but that doesn't mean that he is not alive; he communicates through his art," says Zeidan. "I want to bring his work out and show it to the world."
Fatema Al Mazrouie, another Emirati, is also represented with a series of drums that she has painted and decorated with a collage of images as a tribute to the singer Asmahan and an unusually abstract Reza Derakshani painting hangs on the back wall, enticing in visitors. There is also a smattering of works from international artists such as the Switzerland-based Dean Williams and the Syrian poet Adonis.
But the space is not only for established and familiar names, Zeidan emphasises.
"This space is new and I have many new ideas to bring in to the programme of the gallery as well as new artists. With these new talents, I really want to make a difference. I want to help artists and nurture them."
Positioning herself on Saadiyat Island will strengthen her relationship with these new artists, she says, and it is also a vital move for her own progression as gallerist, pioneer and leading figure in the UAE's art scene.
"It is really important to have a space on Saadiyat as this is going to be the art centre of the region," she says. "As for Abu Dhabi, yes it is a very difficult market, where there are not enough collectors and people prefer to go to Dubai to buy art, but it has become my home. I love this place. I can't imagine doing this anywhere else. I am satisfied here."
• Salwa Zeidan Gallery opens with New Beginnings on November 21 at The Collection, St Regis Saadiyat Island. Call 02 666 9656 or visit www.salwazeidangallery.com
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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.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
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
On sale: Available to order now
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
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
