Iraqi architect Rifat Chadirji has died in London, aged 93.
Chadirji, often called the father of Iraqi architecture, was responsible for the design of more than 100 buildings across Iraq, including the Tobacco Monopoly Headquarters and the Central Post Office in Baghdad.
Born in Baghdad in 1926, he was an important cultural figure between the 1950s and 1970s and came from an influential family. His father, Kamil Chadirji, founded and became president of the National Democratic Party.
Perhaps his most culturally significant work was the arched Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, which was later replaced by a statue of Saddam Hussein.
Later, the world watched as US forces destroyed Hussein’s likeness in the square after capturing Baghdad in 2003.
A rebuild was mooted in the early 2000s, but never came to fruition.
He won the Aga Khan Chairman Award in 1986, a triennial architecture prize awarded to those those who “successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence".
Chadirji was an opponent of the Baathist regime and was jailed for his political views under Saddam Hussein’s rule of Iraq. He left Iraq for a post at Harvard University in 1983 and only briefly returned after the US invasion.
He was a prolific photographer, documenting Iraqi life on a huge scale. Many of his more than 100,000 images chronicling Iraq’s modernisation drive have been exhibited in countries across the Middle East.
“I felt that many things were disappearing, and I wanted to document them before they did," he told arts magazine Ibraaz in 2016. “This is what motivated me to create a sort of archive of these things."
In 1977, he won a competition to design Abu Dhabi's new national theatre, but the extent of his involvement in the final product is a matter of some debate.
His work attracted worldwide acclaim, in 1982 and 198 respectively he was awarded honorary fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the American Institute of Architects.
In more recent years, he won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2008 and Tamayouz Excellence Award 2015 before having an award named in his honour.
The Rifat Chadirji award was launched in 2017. Entries must highlight the current challenges facing communities in Iraq and respond to local community needs. The inaugural 2017 competition challenged entrants to work on housing projects for Mosul, a city destroyed by ISIS. It was won by Anna Otlik from Wroclaw in Poland out of 223 entries submitted by firms, practitioners and students from 42 countries.
Iraq’s Prime minister designate, Mustafa Al Khadhimi paid tribute to his friend Chadirji on Saturday, calling his passing a “a loss for Iraq and humanity".
“He was a model for devotion to national architectural identity, and his legacy reflects how architecture can define cities and nations," Mr Al Khadhimi wrote on Twitter.
“May he rest in peace. Our thoughts are with his family."
Iraqi President Barham Salih added his voice to the tributes, saying with Chadirji's death the "world loses its modern lung, which breathes modernity and beauty," adding he left behind "much to the heritage of this country".
Fellow architects have also paid tribute to Chadirji on social media.
Nasser Rabbat, an architect and historian, reflected on Chadirji on Twitter, describing him as “a thinker, author, critic and rationalist architect with a refined aesthetic sensitivity, he combined traditional elements and constructivism in ultra-modernist compositions."
Author and architect Esra Akcan added her tribute, writing: “Another very sad day for architecture. Let’s preserve and restore his buildings in Iraq that have been destroyed due to wars."
Noura Al Kaabi, the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, passed on her “deepest condolences" to Chadirji’s family and loved ones.
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi reflected on Chadirji’s life in a series of Tweets, which he concluded by posting a photo of himself with the architect and his wife, author Balkis Sharara and Iraqi architect and academic, Ahmed Al Mallak.
“Yesterday the world lost one of the greatest living architects, the legendary Rifat Chadirji who was born in Baghdad in 1926," he wrote to begin his tribute. “There is so much to say about him that I felt overwhelmed even starting a thread. Where does one start?"
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results:
5pm: Baynunah Conditions (UAE bred) Dh80,000 1,400m.
Winner: Al Tiryaq, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Abdullah Al Hammadi (trainer).
5.30pm: Al Zahra Handicap (rated 0-45) Dh 80,000 1,400m:
Winner: Fahadd, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi.
6pm: Al Ras Al Akhdar Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m.
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7pm: Al Khubairah Handicap (TB) 100,000 2,200m.
Winner: Empoli, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
RESULTS
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The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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.
The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1
Alonso (62')
Huddersfield Town 1
Depoitre (50')
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20profile
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French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
