The work of Mohammed Ibrahim, who will represent the UAE at the Venice Biennale, not only includes land art, but also abstract sculptures molded out of papier mache and vibrant paintings. Photo by Augustine Paredes. Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE La Biennale Di Venezia
The work of Mohammed Ibrahim, who will represent the UAE at the Venice Biennale, not only includes land art, but also abstract sculptures molded out of papier mache and vibrant paintings. Photo by Augustine Paredes. Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE La Biennale Di Venezia
The work of Mohammed Ibrahim, who will represent the UAE at the Venice Biennale, not only includes land art, but also abstract sculptures molded out of papier mache and vibrant paintings. Photo by Augustine Paredes. Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE La Biennale Di Venezia
The work of Mohammed Ibrahim, who will represent the UAE at the Venice Biennale, not only includes land art, but also abstract sculptures molded out of papier mache and vibrant paintings. Photo by Aug

The UAE has something 'bold and confident' in store for the next Venice Art Biennale


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In February, I visited veteran experimental artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim at his studio in Khor Fakkan. Nestled in a quaint neighbourhood surrounded by the rugged terrain of Al Hajar Mountain range, Mohamed's studio was humble and inspiring. I wondered if the art connoisseurs, critics and curators outside the region were aware of the cultural richness and contemporary playfulness in his work. This week, when the National Pavilion UAE announced that Mohamed will represent the nation at the 2022 edition of the Venice Biennale, I was elated, to say the least.

The Venice Biennale is one of the world's most exclusive and critically rigorous cultural platforms. It recognises the most remarkable contemporary artists from around 90 participating nations. It is the longest running and most prestigious opportunity for countries all over the world to exhibit their best creative talents through a dedicated platform. Therefore, it is important to showcase that despite being a young nation, the UAE's art scene is deeply rooted in cultural heritage, landscape, traditions, values and infrastructural development following the discovery of oil.

Noura Al Kaabi and UAE’s veteran experimental artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s studio in Khor Fakkan. Credit: Ministry of Culture and Youth
Noura Al Kaabi and UAE’s veteran experimental artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s studio in Khor Fakkan. Credit: Ministry of Culture and Youth

Mohamed’s work explores the natural landscapes of the UAE, giving us a playful interpretation of the mountains, coasts and skies of his native Khor Fakkan. He has been at the forefront of the UAE’s avant-garde scene since he began creating works in the 1980s, alongside his peers such as the late conceptual artist Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi, Hussein Sharif and Mohammed Kazem.

Mohamed continues to explore new frontiers in cultural expression through distinctive shapes, colours and patterns that both children and adults immediately like. He treats his work based on a one-on-one relationship with the viewer, which changes from one canvas or sculpture to another.

During the preview of his recent solo exhibition Memory Drum at Lawrie Shabibi gallery, he looked at his sculpture Dancer Contessa (2020) and said: “With the pandemic I started naming my pieces for the first time. Maybe it’s the clarity of confinement where I get old memories resonating back to my thoughts."

Mohamed’s work is approachable and fulfils the definition of conceptual practice in the 21st century. I am very pleased that the legacy of these convention-defying artists has been given its due recognition in recent years, thanks to cultural protagonists tirelessly working across the UAE to promote the local narrative to the rest of the world.

Noura Al Kaabi and UAE’s veteran experimental artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s studio in Khor Fakkan. Credit: Ministry of Culture and Youth
Noura Al Kaabi and UAE’s veteran experimental artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s studio in Khor Fakkan. Credit: Ministry of Culture and Youth
Mohamed's work is approachable and fulfils the definition of conceptual practice in the 21st century

Whether it is through the National Pavilion UAE's stellar exhibition at the 2015 Venice Biennale, titled 1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates and curated by Sharjah Art Foundation president Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, or the homegrown show But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community from 1988-2008, curated by Maya Allison of the NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery with Bana Kattan and Alaa Edris, the audience is now better aware of the cultural discourse present in the UAE since the country's inception in 1971.

My sincere gratitude to Maya for bringing these notions to the forefront through the 2017 exhibition at the NYUAD Art Gallery, which surveyed the founding decades of this influential artistic community, and best wishes for her selection to curate the National Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Her insightful curatorial and research projects have been instrumental in documenting the UAE's history, including a previous collaboration with Mohamed as part of the Cultural Foundation's 2018 exhibition Artists and the Cultural Foundation: The Early Years. I am excited to see how Maya will continue a productive partnership with Mohamed as he has nominated her to curate his exhibition for the Venice Biennale.

Over nine exhibitions, the National Pavilion UAE has become a vital channel through which to highlight UAE artists on a global stage. It facilitates connections to art critics, collectors and global institutions that can transform careers and has prepared more than 175 interns for successful careers in the cultural sector.

Mohamed will join a stellar group of artists who have previously represented the UAE, including Hassan Sharif, Mohammed Kazem, Dr Mohamed Yousif and Nujoom Alghanem, whose 2019 solo presentation Passage was widely acclaimed.

The National Pavilion UAE is approaching its 10th anniversary next year and will mark the milestone with an architectural exhibition curated by Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto that presents an environmentally friendly salt-based cement alternative inspired by sabkha, the UAE's natural salt flats.

In light of its legacy and contribution to the national cultural landscape, the National Pavilion UAE’s curatorial strategy is increasingly focused on solo exhibitions from established artists such as Nujoom and Mohamed, whose work has reached an outstanding level of conceptual depth and technical skill over the past few decades.

The NPUAE’s curatorial approach is a bold and confident statement, one that cements the UAE’s position as home to a prominent community of international artists with long-established careers.

The aim of the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, Commissioner of the National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates, and in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, is to support the UAE’s culture and arts and promote cross-cultural exchange through initiatives such as the Venice Biennale that enables us to celebrate our artistic output and engage with international peers through a unique dialogue that is vital for our cultural community to develop further.

I look forward to Mohamed and Maya’s contribution to this significant yet often-untold story about our nation, and very much look forward to seeing the exhibition at the National Pavilion UAE in 2022.

Noura Al Kaabi is the UAE Minister of Culture and Youth

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

The burning issue

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.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:

Toss: India, opted to field

Australia 158-4 (17 ov)

Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24

India 169-7 (17 ov)

Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22

Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method

The five new places of worship

Church of South Indian Parish

St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch

St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch

St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais

Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais

 

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Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

Match info

Premier League

Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars

- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes

- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts

A meeting of young minds

The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:

435 – UAE

2,000 – China

808 – United Kingdom

165 – Argentina

38 – Lebanon

16 – Saudi Arabia

16 – Bangladesh

6 – Ireland

3 – Egypt

3 – France

2 – Sudan

1 – Kuwait

1 – Australia
 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Fixtures

50-over match

UAE v Lancashire, starts at 10am

Champion County match

MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am

Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Brief scoreline:

Crystal Palace 2

Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'

Huddersfield Town 0

Your rights as an employee

The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.

The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.

If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.

Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.

The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):

Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Match will be shown on BeIN Sports

Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster

WORLD CUP SQUAD

Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep

ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Alpha%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Beta%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Cupcake%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Donut%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Eclair%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Froyo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Gingerbread%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Honeycomb%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Ice%20Cream%20Sandwich%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Jelly%20Bean%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20KitKat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Lollipop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Marshmallow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Nougat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Oreo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Pie%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2010%20(Quince%20Tart*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2011%20(Red%20Velvet%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2012%20(Snow%20Cone*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2013%20(Tiramisu*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2014%20(Upside%20Down%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2015%20(Vanilla%20Ice%20Cream*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E*%20internal%20codenames%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

Volvo ES90 Specs

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

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

The bio:

Favourite holiday destination: I really enjoyed Sri Lanka and Vietnam but my dream destination is the Maldives.

Favourite food: My mum’s Chinese cooking.

Favourite film: Robocop, followed by The Terminator.

Hobbies: Off-roading, scuba diving, playing squash and going to the gym.

 

The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:

Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.

Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.

Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.

Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.

Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.

Saraya Al Khorasani:  The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.

(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)

Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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If you go

The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.


The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.


The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.