• The seventh Xposure International Photography Festival was held in February 2023 at Expo Centre Sharjah. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
    The seventh Xposure International Photography Festival was held in February 2023 at Expo Centre Sharjah. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The festival highlighted the full breadth of subjects that photography can cover, including space travel to portraiture, as in the works of Gabriel Wickbold
    The festival highlighted the full breadth of subjects that photography can cover, including space travel to portraiture, as in the works of Gabriel Wickbold
  • The event comprised 68 group and solo exhibitions, including a show dedicated to the works of Michael Aboya (pictured)
    The event comprised 68 group and solo exhibitions, including a show dedicated to the works of Michael Aboya (pictured)
  • The Douglas Dubler exhibition at the event
    The Douglas Dubler exhibition at the event
  • The festival gave a platform to established international photographers as well as emerging names, including Emirati photographer Ali Sultan Aljoker, whose works are pictured
    The festival gave a platform to established international photographers as well as emerging names, including Emirati photographer Ali Sultan Aljoker, whose works are pictured
  • The works covered a range of topics, including Abir Abdullah's searing exploration of the effects of climate change on everyday people
    The works covered a range of topics, including Abir Abdullah's searing exploration of the effects of climate change on everyday people
  • The festival also gave visitors the chance to engage with the latest technologies by established brands
    The festival also gave visitors the chance to engage with the latest technologies by established brands
  • The festival is one of the few in the region exclusively dedicated to the art of photography
    The festival is one of the few in the region exclusively dedicated to the art of photography

Xposure International Photography Festival launches its largest event to date


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

Photography has come a long way since French inventor Nicephore Niepce captured the world’s oldest photograph, View from Window at Le Gras 200 years ago. The heliographic image — which comprised a greyish blur of hardened bitumen, revealing the vague form of a rooftop slanted in between two buildings — is believed to have required an exposure time of at least eight hours to produce.

Today, having gone from daguerreotypes to roll films, and from Polaroid to digital camera systems, it’s ludicrous to think that an image once could have taken so long to capture, when we can snap a high-definition photograph instantaneously with our phones.

From documentary work to artistic expression, this growing power of photography was the subject of intense discussion during the first day of this year's Xposure International Photography Festival. The event, which opened at Expo Centre Sharjah on Thursday, is one of the few in the region that is dedicated exclusively to photographers, exhibiting the full breadth of what the medium can offer in a contemporary setting.

This year's event, the seventh outing for the annual festival, is its biggest yet. It features more than 100 photographers from around the world in 68 spectacular solo and group exhibitions. There are images that touch upon photography’s ability to freeze time, as in the works of Hanaa Turkistani from Saudi Arabia.

Then there are those that show the emotive power of portraiture, including works by Gabriel Wickbold from Brazil and Dan Winters from the US. Documentary works by Abir Abdullah from Bangladesh and James Balog from the US bring us uncomfortably close to the searing effects of climate change.

While the event provides a platform to emerging names from the world over, visitors can also see see older works that have become ingrained in the public concsciousness, including an image of Muhammad Ali after his first-round knockout of Sonny Liston during the 1965 World Heavyweight Title fight — at their sharpest and most defined.

“Studying images deepens our understanding of facts and reminds us that beauty can be found even in the most challenging circumstances,” says Tariq Saeed Allay, director general of the festival’s organising body, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau.

“Beauty is everywhere around us and our mission is to see it, live it and appreciate it. The message we aim to convey at Xposure is that photographs stir emotions and rectify perceptions while guiding our priorities as human beings.

“Since its inception, this festival has been serving as a reminder that beauty exists amid chaos, and what makes our journey sustainable is Sharjah's unwavering vision and commitment. And also the fact that all of you join us every year to be enthusiastic global messengers of art, entertainment and creativity.

Dan Winters speaks at the opening of the Xposure International Photography Festival. Antonie Robertson / The National
Dan Winters speaks at the opening of the Xposure International Photography Festival. Antonie Robertson / The National

"Our collective resolve to utilise this medium as a promoter of noble values is what brings us closer to our objectives. We support responsible creativity that benefits humanity, preserves our ability to inspire and instils a sense of security and hope in our hearts,” he added.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, attended the opening ceremony, where three acclaimed photographers spoke about the developments of the medium and the potential it has to incite change.

“Photography will be 200 years old in the next three years,” Winters said during the event. Renowned for his portraits of celebrities including Barack Obama and Angelina Jolie, as well as photos exploring a bygone era of space travel, Winters said he was looking forward to seeing how the medium would develop in the coming years, considering how far it has come since its inception.

The Dan Winters exhibition at the Xposure International Photography Festival. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Dan Winters exhibition at the Xposure International Photography Festival. Antonie Robertson / The National

“Roughly 50 billion images are made every year now, as phones have become image-making machines. I’m interested to see where all this goes and whether it impacts photography’s key role of documenting.”

Karen Zusman said she turned to photography after travelling to Myanmar, where she witnessed horrendous incidents of child trafficking and labour.

While looking for ways to turn global attention to the issue, the self-taught photographer realised she needed to visually document the cases. “Two days after PBS broadcast the story, five state officials were arrested and charged with human trafficking,” Zusman said. “I learnt an important lesson — to become an effective storyteller, I needed to be a photographer.”

Zusman’s photography highlighted the plight of children working in Myanmar and helped bring education to them. “I went back to Myanmar and with a dear Burmese friend we co-founded a non-profit organisation that provides free education to child labourers. In Myanmar, child labour is a huge issue, but the reality is if the children do not work, the families do not eat.”

Zusman showed her photographs of the Black Lives Matter movement during the opening event. Antonie Robertson / The National
Zusman showed her photographs of the Black Lives Matter movement during the opening event. Antonie Robertson / The National

Her next project was in Cuba, in the midst of which she was stuck in the US due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While in the US, she joined the Black Lives Matter movement in New York’s Bronx area following the death of GeorgeGeroge Floyd, and found herself photographing children in predominantly black neighbourhoods.

From there came the birth of her Superpower of Me project, as part of which she photographs children at various beaches and offers poetry writing lessons to her young subjects, encouraging them to write about the superpowers they have. Zusman said she will now be taking the project to Zanzibar next, with a smaller group of children.

The last photographer to speak at the opening event was Balog, who stressed that the world today has a surplus of information and a deficit of attention.

“As photographers, we can utilise our perceptual process to help people pay attention through captivating visual storytelling,” he said.

The James Balog exhibition at this year's Xposure International Photography Festival. Antonie Robertson / The National
The James Balog exhibition at this year's Xposure International Photography Festival. Antonie Robertson / The National

Balog spoke about the unique and delicate connection between humans and nature, as he sifted through his striking archive of nature-inspired photographs.

The Earth Sciences major turned the audience’s attention to a phernomenon called Human Tectonics, saying: “Humans are capable of altering the structure of the earth’s crust, not just earthquakes and volcanoes, as we are going through what Nasa calls Earth Fever. In the past 20 years, the average temperature of the earth has increased by 1ºC each year, and more in some areas. So, climate change is not an abstraction.”

The photographer presented stark visual evidence through timelapse videos shot between 2007 and 2022 of glaciers in Iceland and Canada, showing how severely they had melted in only under two decades, sending more water into oceans, elevating sea levels and making hurricanes and floods more devastating than ever.

Gabriel Wickbold's portraits on display. Antonie Robertson / The National
Gabriel Wickbold's portraits on display. Antonie Robertson / The National

In fact, one of the festival’s key events this year is the Conservation Summit. It will focus on the effects of climate change and the role of photography in documenting the shifts.

Winters, Zusman and Balog will host individual talks, delving deeper into the processes and inspiration behind their work, alongside dozens of established photographers.

The Xposure agenda includes 41 seminars and panel discussions, as well as edutainment events hosted at its Stage X. Moreover, 63 workshops will enable photography enthusiasts and budding shutterbugs to learn how to take images under different circumstances and utilising advanced technologies.

Xposure International Photography Festival is at Expo Centre Sharjah until Wednesday. The event is free to enter; more information is available at xposure.ae

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net

Profile Idealz

Company: Idealz

Founded: January 2018

Based: Dubai

Sector: E-commerce

Size: (employees): 22

Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)

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."
Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

Scoreline

Bournemouth 2

Wilson 70', Ibe 74'

Arsenal 1

Bellerin 52'

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

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David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

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 

The%C2%A0specs%20
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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Results

2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m

Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m

Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.

4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.

Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.

54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m

Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
Most wanted allegations
  • Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
  • Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
  • Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer. 
  • Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
  • Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
  • John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
  • Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
  • Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
  • Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain. 
  • Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
  • James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
  • Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack. 
HOSTS

T20 WORLD CUP 

2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland 

ODI WORLD CUP 

2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh 

CHAMPIONS TROPHY 

2025: Pakistan; 2029: India  

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.

 

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
 
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
 
Don’t be afraid to negotiate

It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
 
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
 
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.

Company%20Profile
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GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match

Updated: February 10, 2023, 2:02 PM