The new Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. Around 1,000 guests attended the launch of the museum, which will open to the public on Dec 1.
The new Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. Around 1,000 guests attended the launch of the museum, which will open to the public on Dec 1.

Khalifa hails Qatar's new Museum of Islamic Art



ABU DHABI // Qatar's new Museum of Islamic Art was hailed as a cultural centre for the entire region by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, at its official opening this weekend. Sheikh Khalifa joined other leaders and dignitaries from across the region and beyond at the unveiling of one of the world's finest collections of Islamic art, as guests of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, the emir of Qatar. The multimillion dirham museum, which houses a collection spanning 13 centuries, is the latest example of efforts across the Arabian Gulf to promote the region as a cultural centre.

"The museum, with its rare exhibits depicting rich Islamic history, will serve as a cultural centre for all countries of the region. It is an important addition to the treasures of Arab and Islamic civilisations," Sheikh Khalifa said at the opening, WAM, the state news agency, reported. "This auspicious event provides an opportunity for the countries of the region to further strengthen their cultural ties and to reflect the bright picture of our Islamic civilisation."

Sheikh Khalifa was in Doha on an official visit, leading a delegation including Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Abdul Rahman Mohammed al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development. To coincide with the visit, a special book was released yesterday detailing the history of bilateral relations between Qatar and the UAE, according to WAM. The publication covers previous state visits made by the rulers of both countries, as well as key areas of co-operation in the political, economic and cultural fields.

The Museum of Islamic Art will open to the public next Monday. Its inaugural exhibition, Beyond Boundaries: Islamic Art Across Cultures will run until Feb 22. Rare manuscripts, ceramics and precious stones from across the Islamic world form part of the extensive collection, which dates from the 7th centuries. With almost 45,000 square metres of exhibition space, the museum also aims to become a centre for the study of Islamic art.

The huge limestone building housing the collection was designed by IM Pei, the Chinese-born architect known for works including The Louvre's glass pyramid. Mr Pei, 91, is said to have drawn inspiration for the new museum from buildings including the Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun in Cairo. While Islamic art now has a major new home up the coast in Qatar, Abu Dhabi too is developing into a cultural centre.

Currently taking shape on Saadiyat Island's Cultural District are the Sheikh Zayed National Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum, the Maritime Museum and a performing arts centre. "The aim of Saadiyat Island must be to create a cultural asset for the world," said Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, on the island's website, "a gateway and beacon for cultural experiences and exchange. Culture crosses all boundaries and therefore Saadiyat will belong to the people of the UAE, the greater Middle East and the world at large."

Gallery One at the Emirates Palace hotel, where a scale model of the Saadiyat Island's cultural developments is positioned nearby, has hosted recent exhibitions including the The Arts of Islam and Picasso Abu Dhabi: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris. The latter was the first public exhibition of Picasso's works in the Middle East. @Email:zconstantine@thenational.ae

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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D 
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India

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Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

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
MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')

Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

Launched: October 2019

Employees: 50

Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Company%20Profile
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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

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Profile of Hala Insurance

Date Started: September 2018

Founders: Walid and Karim Dib

Based: Abu Dhabi

Employees: Nine

Amount raised: $1.2 million

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers

 

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia