Abu Dhabi Art has announced an exciting line-up for this year’s event, with more than 80 galleries from 28 countries representing 300 artists, through 900-plus artworks.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Rita Aoun, Executive Director of Culture at the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi, said the event, opening on November 16, has created a multidisciplinary platform, reflecting global discourse and experimental ideas.
The art fair, now in its 14th year, has significantly supported the development of Abu Dhabi's creative industries, Aoun said, offering visitors an opportunity to discover contemporary cultural practices, while supporting talent from across the region.
“It's also [been a] constant witness of significant development of the capital’s cultural scene. It continues to evolve with its own artistic and cultural identity, to reflect and showcase the cultural dynamics of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE, but also of the region," said Aoun.
"The reason is to continue to contribute to a strong creative economy. The UAE as a whole, as a nation, has been heavily invested in the cultural and creative sector, as the country's leadership has long recognised the importance of fostering a robust cultural economy.
"Today, more than ever, the Department of Culture and Tourism is working to cultivate a cultural ecosystem and embrace culture as a lived experience, advancing it as a public good, and protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions to achieve sustainable goals."
Abu Dhabi Art, she said, plays a crucial role in this. This year's fair will feature 33 new galleries joining from Colombia, France, Tunisia, Italy, Nigeria, South Korea, Italy, Morocco, Turkey, the UAE and beyond.
Highlights include Focus: New Tomorrows, a collection of galleries and artists curated by art historian and philosophy professor Rachida Triki spotlighting the artistic evolution of North Africa. Triki said: "Today, there is a dynamic art scene in Tunisia and North Africa, with the creation of new art centres and new galleries."
With this in mind, when curating New Tomorrows, Triki said she "insisted" on highlighting the emergence of new artistic practices across North Africa through different mediums. "My concern during this curatorial process was both to preserve the aesthetic dimension of the works, and to show in its diversity, the creative energy that animates the artists who are markers of the future in our region."
The fair has also appointed gallerist Jade Yesim Turanli and journalist Riccarda Mandrini as guest curators, bringing in galleries from Turkey and beyond. Turanli said it was an honour to be taking part alongside three female curators and a female director. "It's really empowering to see how female art people are present, and so many in Abu Dhabi — I have seen this over a decade now. And I'm really happy to be a part of it."
Meanwhile, author and cultural historian Omar Kholeif has curated My Life in the Metaverse, an expansive showcase exploring the history and aesthetics of digital culture. The multidisciplinary approach includes a variety of media, from sculpture and painting to video and NFTs by internationally renowned artists, including Sophia Al Maria, Cory Arcangel, Andy Warhol and more.
This year’s Beyond: Emerging Artists is showcasing the works of three emerging artists living in the UAE, including Sarah Al Mehairi, Majd Alloush and Mohammed Khalid — each bringing a unique perspective to an exploration of borders, home, man-made territories and geographical mapping.
Artist Commissions in Cultural Sites will have new works by Abdullah Al Saadi, Marinella Senatore, Shilpa Gupta and Conrad Shawcross displayed across historical sites in Al Ain, Al Hosn and Manarat Al Saadiyat. The site-specific works are placed in a way that aims to spark a dialogue with their surroundings, bridging the gap between the historic and contemporary.
Seven other established artists will also exhibit their work as part of the fair's In and Around programme, including Shaikha Al Mazrou, Ngozi-Omeje Ezema, Farah Al Qasimi, Slimen Elkamel, Farid Belkahia and the aforementioned Al Saadi, Senatore and Shawcross — joined by three art students who took part in The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award competition.
Works by the Iranian artist Farideh Lashai will also be exhibited as part of the Afloat Over Undulations showcase, featuring six video installations. Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi Art Pavilion will exhibit the winning student design for a pavilion created for Abu Dhabi Art, as will The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award.
Abu Dhabi Art will also feature a dynamic programme of art workshops, masterclasses, tours, talks and performances, as well as the art and tech display Are We Microcosm?. The event also includes CookBook Abu Dhabi, a culinary art experience featuring renowned chefs Kasper Kurdahl, Maksut Askar, Ivan Brehm and Sahar Parham Al Awadhi, working alongside artists Caique Tizzi, Greta Alfaro, Hicham Berrada and Emeka Ogboh.
Abu Dhabi Art will open to the public at Manarat Al Saadiyat at 5pm on November 16 and run until November 20. Entry to this year’s event is free of charge. Tickets can be booked upon pre-registration via tickets.abudhabiart.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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
Mobile phone packages comparison
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
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
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
The%20specs
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The view from The National
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The%20specs
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- 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."
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
