Artists work on a wall at the O1NE in Beirut. Plans are underway to open a branch in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Sky Management
Artists work on a wall at the O1NE in Beirut. Plans are underway to open a branch in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Sky Management
Artists work on a wall at the O1NE in Beirut. Plans are underway to open a branch in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Sky Management
Artists work on a wall at the O1NE in Beirut. Plans are underway to open a branch in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Sky Management

Sky planning to launch O1NE in Abu Dhabi

A new Beirut nightclub features what could possibly be the world's largest, privately owned canvas - all covered in graffiti. The exciting part? A similar space is opening in Abu Dhabi.

  • English
  • Arabic

Graffiti is gaining traction in the region, so much so that a huge nightclub brand is turning its latest space into an artistic landmark.
The Beirut nightclub O1NE, owned by Sky Management and due to open in December, promises to "take clubbing to a whole new level". But what's more interesting is its facade, which features what could possibly be the world?s largest, privately owned canvas: a 2,500-square-metre wall covered in graffiti, created by 16 artists from the Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Venezuela, Germany and the UK.
"Graffiti is a rising trend in the world," says a statement by Sky Management, which also owns Sky Bar in Beirut. "It's increasingly seen as art and as a method of communication."
The company says it intends to inject itself into the local, contemporary art scene. But the fact that none of the 16 artists featured are from Lebanon has been met with criticism from some artists.
"Such a big work was done on our land, inside our capital, without letting us even know about it," says a local graffiti crew that requested anonymity.
Others are just glad to see such a large-scale art project in Beirut.
"Although I would have loved to see local artists participating in a project where paint and material are abundant, the artists chosen have a lot of experience in the field, so I understand," says Yazan Halwani, a 20-year-old artist gaining recognition for his work in Arabic calligraphy and portraiture.
The UAE might soon get its own graffiti-covered nightclub. Sky Management plans to open a branch of O1NE in Abu Dhabi next year. But it is unknown whether it will feature any of the UAE?s talented artists.
Commercial street art is not a new phenomenon in Lebanon. The brand Ashekman Street Art, formed by the twin brothers Omar and Mohamed Kabbani, has developed since 2001 from a hip-hop group to a clothing company.
"I don't agree with people saying that graffiti is commercialised," says Mohamed. "For Ashekman, graffiti is a passion and since we are a self-made crew, we took graffiti into another level and we currently run a street art/graffiti/design studio. But that doesn?t interfere with us tagging a wall almost every Sunday."
In 2011, the German-based company From Here to Fame - which specialises in hip-hop and street-art books - published Arabic Graffiti. In it, the Lebanese typographer Pascal Zoghbi and the German publisher Don Karl looked at the evolution of street art in the region.
"The criticism is always that street art should always be underground," says Zoghbi, "that we shouldn?t know anything about the artist. But it's not about that. If anything, all that is happening here for street art is a credit to Beirut."
This year sees the publication of an extended version of the book - an extra chapter about graffiti produced during the recent Arab uprisings and an update on graffiti in Bahrain. From Here to Fame is also releasing the book Walls of Freedom, which focuses on the street art from the Egyptian revolution.
artslife@thenational.ae

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Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

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Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).

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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

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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.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

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GAC GS8 Specs

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

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Name: Brendalle Belaza

From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

Arrived in the UAE: 2007

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus

Favourite photography style: Street photography

Favourite book: Harry Potter

Results:

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi

6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle

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

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

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Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.

Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.

Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.

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Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.

Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.

Plastic tipping points

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

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Price: Dh199

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
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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
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

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On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The Indo-Pacific
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

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Results:

Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.

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  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Match on BeIN Sports

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego  

Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh  

Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com

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Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

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Price: upon application

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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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