The three men sit facing the camera in their basic dwelling. On the exposed brick wall behind them hang their simple belongings, which include a lantern and a washing pot. On the floor is a large dish and a flask, from which they share their meals.
They are part of a dwindling population of people who live and work in the Hajjar Mountains in Ras Al Khaimah.
The mountains, which interest geologists as they are made from igneous rock from the oceanic crust, have also captured the attention of Reem Falaknaz, an Emirati photographer.
Earlier this year, Falaknaz won a fellowship with New York University Abu Dhabi for the first batch of their Forming Intersections and Dialogues or FIND research programme, with a proposal to document mountain life in the UAE.
Her project, The Place of Perpetual Undulation, was initially aimed at covering the whole country but she soon realised there was so much to discover that she narrowed down her findings for the three-month period to Ras Al Khaimah only.
This month however, she has been accepted as one of nine fellows on the Arab Documentary Photography Program, part of the annual programme of the Beirut-based Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).
As part of this fellowship, the project has been funded for a further eight months so that Falaknaz can achieve her goal of expanding her photographic research from Ras Al Khaimah into Fujairah, Sharjah’s east coast and maybe even into Oman.
“Documenting mountain life has been done all over the world but not here in the UAE and what I have done so far is just the start,” she says. “I feel happy that I am getting a chance to explore this life that is disappearing and there is so much more for me to do.”
The images that she has taken so far were shown in an exhibition running parallel with the Emirates Photography Competition that opened in May on Saadiyat Island. Curated by the established photographer Tarek Al Ghoussein, it was the first hint for Falaknaz that her work will be of considerable importance to her and for future generations.
“Everything is transitory and momentary and I feel blessed to be able to continue this work and that people are opening up to me,” she says.
Falaknaz has been documenting the contemporary history of the UAE since she began practising photography. At Art Dubai last year, she completed a three-month residency in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood exploring the daily lives of the people who work in the Dubai ports and presented it at the art fair by exhibiting some of their most personal items, which her subjects had given to her as part of her research.
Her decision to pursue the mountain life came through her former job at a television station in Dubai. “I saw producers continually covering the same stories about the UAE such as pearl diving,” she says, “and while it is good that people are doing that, I believe there is room for much more.”
Being accepted to the AFAC programme is an important confirmation of these beliefs. The Arab Documentary Photography Program aims to support, financially and professionally, documentary photography projects that shed light on unknown narratives by supporting artists who are engaged and sensitive to their surroundings.
This is the perfect fit for that project, as many people in the UAE know nothing about these pockets of culture.
With the help of her fellow photographer Saleh Al Shehi, who is also interested in the mountains and agreed to act as her guide, Falaknaz discovered many subjects for her work.
“I found older people who grew up there and then left but had returned. I found a few who had always been there. I also found many people who visit on the weekends, as well as workers who were digging away at the mountains. The photos I have so far only tell a small part of the story. I hope that by next year, I will have many more.”
aseaman@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Racecard
7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m
9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
