Amid the drab warehouses in Dubai’s industrial Al Quoz area, a vibrant art studio stands out with an open invitation to visitors to come in and meet some outstanding homegrown artists.
A riot of colour and thumping music greets those who walk in to Mawaheb, where striking canvasses are displayed on the walls of a high-ceilinged space with large windows and long, sloping rafters.
It has been almost a year since the popular studio reopened in February in its new location in central Dubai.
We want to bring awareness that this hidden gem is here in Al Quoz and open to all
Wemmy de Maaker,
Mawaheb director
The decade-old studio caters for people with disabilities aged 18 and above and had its original home in the city’s historic Bastaikya area.
Mawaheb, which is Arabic for talent, shut down during the coronavirus pandemic for more than a year from October 2020.
The much-loved studio is keen to reconnect with the larger UAE community, engage with people who want to meet artists with special needs, view and purchase their work.
The artists have a range of conditions from Down syndrome and autism to developmental disabilities.
Paint to music
Mawaheb’s current batch of 20 artists seems likely to grow. Many were part of the original group that has benefited from life skills courses taught alongside the art classes.
Verano Field, 29, from the UK, confidently chats with visitors about her abstract art propped against the wall.
“I did it on my own. I did it by myself with music, with my feet,” she said.
“I did the blue and pink one and mixed it up.”
Verano is among students who has gained the self-assurance and skill to teach enthusiasts how to move and paint with music when they sign up for corporate social responsibility events .
She intently listens to the melody and depending on whether it is a soulful tune or a lively rhythm, swirls in time to the beat and paints with her feet and body and wields the brush on large canvasses laid across the floor.
Sean McLennan stands proudly in front of a collage that brings together several of his works with carefully detailed geometric motifs.
In one distinctive work after a visit to the Dubai Safari, the 25-year-old Scottish artist painted perfectly proportionate animals in earthy tones that stare out from the canvas.
Rekha Kirpalani, the oldest student at 66, spent six months drawing tightly spaced small flowers that resemble intricate embroidery.
The elaborate painting of the Indian artist has been printed across a water bottle, among many items on sale in the studio’s café.
Marwan Al Khaja, a 22-year-old Emirati, waits patiently near an easel for the bold black and blue strokes on a canvas to dry before adding gold leaves.
Namrata Pagarani, 31, takes visitors to each of her paintings and explains how a few are inspired by Picasso.
“I am the artist of this painting but this one is from Picasso,” she said.
“In this, I painted flowers, bluebells, yellow buttercups and tulips from Holland.
“It is fantastic to paint.”
Connect with the artists
During workshops it is the students who lead the programmes, teach painting, yoga, sketching sessions, playing games and teaching sign language.
“When you come to Mawaheb you can see the talent and the capabilities of people,” said Wemmy de Maaker, the non-profit studio’s director.
“We want to invite everyone to connect with people of determination.
“Let’s be honest ― where can you meet people of determination if you are not in the field.
“In the cafe on Saturday, we have inclusive dancing, book readings and board games, all in a relaxed environment.
“Our students learn to present themselves to people they have never met.
“It’s a learning for visitors because they realise you can have a conversation with people of determination and that they are talented people.”
The sessions include collaborating on art with the students.
“So the corporate organisation goes home with a beautiful big painting that they created with the students,” she said
“It becomes a talking point because they hang it in the office and it becomes a reminder of the event. When guests come in and see the artwork, they tell the story.
“This has an impact and it helps build a lot of awareness.”
Co-working cafe space
Ms de Maaker aims to grow the number of students, promote the cafe and the weekend interactions.
“We want to bring awareness that this hidden gem is here in Al Quoz and open to all,” she said.
“The cafe is a co-working space, so people can sit here, have lunch, coffee and also meet people of determination.
“We want to build this community, with everyone working with and for people of determination.
“We want to collaborate with institutes, schools, individuals and bring in the mainstream.”
The studio has two levels with students seated around tables or working on easels on the ground floor and space for workshops or corporate events on the upper floor.
The cafe has stacks of products, from cushions to T-shirts, bottles, mugs and date boxes for Ramadan decorated with art produced by students
“All the canvasses reflect the students and the way they see life around them,” said art teacher Clizia Zepparalli.
“Mawaheb is really unique because we try to give students a different way to grow, feed their skills, their dream.
“We use each one’s uniqueness to create art.
“The goal is to create beautiful art but it’s also the medium through which they can grow.”
Angelina Lawless, one of Mawaheb’s artists nods as she listens to her mentors.
“People will get to know us,” the 35-year-old said.
“I have sold four paintings. I like talking to people. I like singing, dancing and karaoke.”
The studio is collaborating with students from New York University Abu Dhabi to present an inclusive exhibition on January 28-29 that is part of the Quoz Arts Fest.
Details about Mawaheb’s weekend programmes and the upcoming exhibitions are available on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
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Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
THREE
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The burning issue
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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
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
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
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Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Living in...
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
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- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- 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."
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
RACE CARD AND SELECTIONS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
The National selections
5pm: RB Hot Spot
5.30pm: Dahess D’Arabie
6pm: Taamol
6.30pm: Rmmas
7pm: RB Seqondtonone
7.30pm: AF Mouthirah
Civil%20War
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
