The Chalhoub Group, the company that first introduced many luxury brands to the Mena region, has opened a new exhibition at Expo 2020 Dubai, to showcase the technical know-how and expertise of French artisans.
Called The French Art De Vivre, A Dream to Share, it is housed in the France Pavilion, and will run until December 6.
It was created with the Chalhoub Group store Tanagra, and inside visitors can enjoy the skill of three of France’s most revered specialist houses: Baccarat, Bernardaud and Christofle, which craft fine crystal, porcelain and cutlery, respectively.
As a way to showcase their collective skills, the houses have each created an artwork for the occasion. Christofle has created a unique piece, a two-metre-tall Tree of Life artwork weighing almost 100 kilograms. The metal structure is comprised of 37 different elements, decorated with 142 gold or silver butterflies, each one cut and polished by hand. With the total structure almost a metre in diameter, it required almost 1kg of sterling silver and 21 grams of gold to complete.
It was created as a fusion of Europe and the Middle East, with Burj Khalifa at the centre of the sculpture. Once the exhibition is complete, it will be moved to its new home in the boutique in The Dubai Mall.
For Baccarat, Dutch artist Hans van Bentem has created Medicis Vase XXL, an artwork made from 13,000 clear crystal pendants, plus a single red piece, that is Baccarat’s signature. Standing 2.5 metres high, it weighs an impressive 300kg and is worth an estimated €500,000 ($579,500). The glow from LED lights refracts off the different facets of the pendants, octagons and prisms, to create a dazzling light show.
Bernardaud, meanwhile, has poured generations of knowledge into its piece, made in conjunction with American artist Jeff Koons. A one-third scaled-down recreation of one of Koons's most famous works, the 1994 sculpture Balloon Dog, the new version stands forty centimetres high, and has been carefully recreated in porcelain, rather than brass. Limited to a run of 799 pieces, it coincides with Bernardaud’s 160th anniversary.
Other works in the exhibition include an installation by Colombe Faber, called From Paris to Dubai, that has been created from tableware pieces from Bernardaud and Christofle, while The Botanic Fantasy by Sabine Blanchard leans on giant flowers, crystal stems and golden petals as a reimagination of humanity.
“The beauty and elegance of French craftsmanship inspired my parents greatly and led to the opening of the first Christofle boutique in Damascus, Syria, in 1955, laying the foundation of our family business," said Patrick Chalhoub, group president of the Chalhoub Group.
"Today, more than 65 years later, I feel extremely humbled that we are still the first to uphold the heritage of French art de vivre, mindfully infused with the UAE’s modernity, at one of the Arab world’s foremost events.”
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
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151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
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United States beat UAE by three wickets
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
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.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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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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Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Monchengladbach 1
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- 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."
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3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
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- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
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There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
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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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Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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