Ramy El Zaghawy's mural on Khaleej Al Arabi Street. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport
Ramy El Zaghawy's mural on Khaleej Al Arabi Street. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport
Ramy El Zaghawy's mural on Khaleej Al Arabi Street. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport
Ramy El Zaghawy's mural on Khaleej Al Arabi Street. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport

Why are Abu Dhabi's public spaces being painted with street art?


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi Canvas is being expanded to decorate more public spaces across the capital with artworks that celebrate UAE heritage and culture.

The initiative is organised by the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and commissions artists living in the UAE to produce the works.

Abu Dhabi Canvas has already adorned several areas, including murals on King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street and the Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, as well as vibrant bus stops on Corniche Street, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street and Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street.

The Abu Dhabi Canvas initiative commissions local artists to produce artworks for the city's public spaces. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport
The Abu Dhabi Canvas initiative commissions local artists to produce artworks for the city's public spaces. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport

As part of the expansion plan, five Emirati artists will be transforming several walls, pedestrian crossings and utility boxes in the Rabdan area. Each of the artists will draw from different aspects of local culture. Abdulla Al Mansouri will present works showing the Arabic coffee pot and cup as a motif. Mohamed Al Jneibi, meanwhile, will transform two crosswalks with horses and geometric designs. Ahmad Al Ali’s work will feature abstractions of falcons and elements reflecting pearl diving, astronomy and education. Mohammed Al Shamsi will depict a traditional dhow across several works. Finally, Aysha Al Hamrani will feature traditional motifs, including falcons, gazelles and palm trees.

The initiative will also decorate Abu Dhabi’s Delivery Riders Hubs, which are service points for delivery personnel fitted with air-conditioning, drinking water and phone charging facilities. This part of the project will begin with implementing four pieces that were selected from among 1,000 artworks created by students. The works were featured earlier this year at the National Art Expressions exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

Islam Mohamed's mural at Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport
Islam Mohamed's mural at Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street. Photo: Department of Municipalities and Transport

The Abu Dhabi Canvas expansion comes as part of a collaboration between DMT and the Mubadala Foundation, the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.

“Through our partnership the Mubadala Foundation and ADEK, we will further enhance our city’s public spaces by infusing art into everyday infrastructures,” said Salem Al Kaabi, Director General of Operational Affairs at DMT. “These projects aim to create additional vibrant, engaging spaces that resonate with our community and reflect our shared values through the Abu Dhabi Canvas initiative while celebrating the UAE’s rich cultural and artistic heritage.”

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULT

Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

Pad Man

Dir: R Balki

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte

Three-and-a-half stars

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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MATCH DETAILS

Liverpool 2

Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)

Genk 1

Samatta (40)

 

The specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 849Nm

Range: 456km

Price: from Dh437,900 

On sale: now

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Stats at a glance:

Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)

Number in service: 6

Complement 191 (space for up to 285)

Top speed: over 32 knots

Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles

Length 152.4 m

Displacement: 8,700 tonnes

Beam:   21.2 m

Draught: 7.4 m

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD

Updated: October 07, 2024, 11:33 AM