Foundry, an art space located in Downtown Dubai, is presenting five new shows with more than 10 artists beginning this month.
Among its latest presentations is an exhibition by Emirati artist Juma Alhaj, who contemplates the relationship between art and language. Raised between the UAE and US, Alhaj is a Sharjah native.
His meditative and abstract paintings are drawn from the artist’s own spiritual experiences, and his works reference ancient religious texts, as well as personal letters and notes. As such, his pieces can be interpreted from both universal and personal perspectives.
Another highlight is a curated section by Niharika Momtaz for Bangladesh Art Week, which will also have a presentation at Gulf Photo Plus that opens on Wednesday. As part of the event, Bengali artists such as Tayeba Begum Lipi, Ashfika Rahman and Yasmin Jahan Nupur will be featured, highlighting the country's artistic diversity.

Inside Foundry’s The Room, Zihan Karim showcases a video projection installation titled Parallel Expansion. The artist uses Mars as an entry point towards exploring concepts of space, encompassing macrocosms, planets, eclipses and unidentified moving objects.
In another Gallery 8, the private collection of Mojgan Endjavi Barbe, titled Once Upon a Time, will be on view. The group of works crosses various mediums, including calligraphy, photography and hand-sewn textile installations. Embedded are codes and signs from the artists and the visual storytellers included in the work who share their visions of the world.
The final section of Foundry’s new exhibitions is an NFT showcase curated by Morrow Collective. It is a hybrid show of physical and NFT formats with eight artists, centred on a curatorial theme of the circle as a metaphor for movement and speed, hinting at the acceleration of technology in the digital realm.
Titled Into the Revolution, the show features works by Saule Suleimenova, Ruba Salameh, Hazem Harb, Huma Shoaib Bashar Alhroub, Fethi Sahraoui, Abdullah Dhiaa Al-deen and Fink 22.
The shows are now on view at Foundry Downtown Dubai.
More information is at foundry.downtowndubai.ae
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
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Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
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- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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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.
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