'Refraction Bends Light Rays Towards Cooler Air' by Ahaad Alamoudi, whose work is part of Bawa Gallery's first NFT art exhibition. Courtesy the artist and Bawa Gallery
'Refraction Bends Light Rays Towards Cooler Air' by Ahaad Alamoudi, whose work is part of Bawa Gallery's first NFT art exhibition. Courtesy the artist and Bawa Gallery
'Refraction Bends Light Rays Towards Cooler Air' by Ahaad Alamoudi, whose work is part of Bawa Gallery's first NFT art exhibition. Courtesy the artist and Bawa Gallery
'Refraction Bends Light Rays Towards Cooler Air' by Ahaad Alamoudi, whose work is part of Bawa Gallery's first NFT art exhibition. Courtesy the artist and Bawa Gallery

A new wave of NFT art is taking shape in the Gulf


Alexandra Chaves
  • English
  • Arabic

A new wave of NFT art from the Gulf is set to enter the virtual realm as more artists and gallerists from the region join in on what seems to be a crypto art gold-rush.

NFT art, or digital art that is tokenised on the blockchain and purchased using cryptocurrency, made headlines in March following a Christie's auction where a digital artwork by artist Beeple sold for a staggering $69.4 million.

The main benefit of NFT art is that it puts the artist first, having control over how the works are distributed with an element of transparency is ideally the future of the art industry

It wasn't just the price tag that caught the world's attention, but the technology through which the artwork was sold, too. NFTs, which stands for non-fungible tokens, are digital certificates that authenticate ownership of certain digital assets – videos, music, drawings, or even tweets, memes and articles – through blockchain technology.

In the region, a number of people, including Bandar Al-Wazzan, founder of Gallery Bawa, a digital art gallery in Kuwait, have seen an opportunity to be a pioneer for dealing crypto art.

On Thursday, Bawa launched its latest exhibition titled Suadi Old Man Calling The Camels In The Desert and they run to him like baby run to his mother, then they start Kissing and huging him [sic], a solo show with Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi and also the first NFT art exhibition presented by a gallery in the Gulf.

It features six works by Alamoudi, including video compositions of footage found on the internet that humorously reflect upon the kingdom's changing identity.

"Initially, I thought that I would never be a part of that industry," Alamoudi says about entering the NFT space. "Having said that, I believe knowledge is empowering and I'm interested in what this system means for the future of the art world."

Al-Wazzan set up Bawa as an online gallery six months ago with the desire to spotlight Khaleeji artists. The show with Alamoudi had been in the works for months, with the artist and Al-Wazzan expecting to sell prints of the videos via the gallery website. But the Christie's sale changed everything, and Al-Wazzan quickly reconceived the exhibition, "minting" (a term for creating something on the blockchain) the artist's videos and stills into NFTs.

Still from 'Fly Right into the Future' by Ahaad Alamoudi. Courtesy the artist and Bawa Gallery
Still from 'Fly Right into the Future' by Ahaad Alamoudi. Courtesy the artist and Bawa Gallery

These videos and stills are currently priced in the range of 0.8 to 0.9 Ether, or $1,870 to $2,100 at the time of writing. Collectors can purchase the works on OpenSea, an online marketplace for NFTs that requires users to possess a digital wallet, where their cryptocurrency is stored. Often, NFTs are sold using Ether, a cryptocurrency built on the Ethereum blockchain.

For Al-Wazzan, NFT technology offers a huge opportunity for digital artists, because it allows for the existence of an original in a virtual world filled with copies. So while artworks that come in the format of jpegs, gifs and video clips can be downloaded and duplicated, the possessor of the certificate still maintains his or her ownership of the asset.

"It's going to change the art market in the next 10 years," Al-Wazzan says. "Anyone can enjoy and download the NFT, but only one person can own it. And that's a human thing in the end. You can own a replica of the Mona Lisa and hang it on your wall, but you will always know that the original hangs in the Louvre. That's the same for NFTs as well."

Other gallerists, such as Sunny Rahbar, founder of The Third Line in Dubai, says it is important to look past the current buzz around NFTs to see if its revolutionary promises are valid.

"I've started to really educate myself on it," she says. "These prices are perhaps what is baffling people … I realise that right now it's kind of like the Wild West, but I do think this technology is very useful for our industry, especially when it comes to provenance and for these contracts where artists continue to get paid in the resale of their work, which doesn't happen in the traditional art world."

Rahbar is referring to one of NFTs’ greatest advantages over traditional art deals – the ability for artists to make money on the secondary market. Typically, when an artwork is bought from a gallery by a collector, he or she can resell the piece privately or at auction for a higher price, without the artist sharing in the profit. With NFTs, however, artists continue to earn a percentage of profit for every resale, and because the NFT is tied to the blockchain, every transaction is logged.

This feature is what drew artist Alamoudi to agree to Bawa's NFT show. "The main benefit is that it puts the artist first, having control over how the works are distributed with an element of transparency is ideally the future of the art industry," she says.

NFTs can also be created for physical artworks, proposes Rahbar, so that all future sales can be recorded. “This is a way of safekeeping artworks,” she says. “It can be a beautiful relationship between the digital realm and the physical one.”

One of the gallery's represented artists, Amir H Fallah, minted his own NFT titled Immortal independently in March. The Tehran-born artist, who lives in California, typically creates paintings and installations, but his venture into NFT shows that more traditional forms of art can adapt to the digital sphere, too.

Even pre-Beeple, artists in the Gulf have sold their NFTs on online marketplaces. Amrita Sethi, a banker-turned-artist, for example, minted her artwork with platform Terra Virtua in October 2020, corresponding with the opening of World Art Dubai last year.

Sethi’s knowledge in finance helped her get in on the game early. She says that the excitement around NFTs will normalise, and the process of collecting the digital works will mirror the way it is done in the physical world, with collectors following the trajectory of creators they like.

Still, some artists and galleries remain wary of the rapid rise of NFT art. For Rahbar, she is willing to explore its potential, especially since the pandemic pushed much of the art world to embrace virtual shows. "I really think with social media and online programming we have already been on this path, and artists are doing this for themselves anyway," she says. Tapping into the crypto art collector network could bring more revenue for artists, she points out.

Currently, The Third Line is in the process of working on NFTs with its roster of artists and participating in collectives for digital shows in the UAE.

Joel Dietz, a crypto entrepreneur who recently moved to Dubai to set up NFT art initiatives, says he wants sceptics to focus on the communities involved in NFTs, rather than just the technology. “Get to know the people who are doing it, not just as a gif or jpeg on the internet... Obviously there’s a lot of speculation involved, but the actual energy and personality of the people behind it are what draws me back.”

Among the biggest concerns with NFTs, and cryptocurrency in general, is its impact on the environment. Since it was established, the Ethereum blockchain has resulted in 96,200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to ArtNews. The percentage of which NFTs, and specifically NFT art, is responsible and will be responsible for these emissions is not clear.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Joel Dietz as the founder of MetaMask and on the founding team of Ethereum. This has been corrected.

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting

-      Don’t do it more than once in three days

-      Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days

-      Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode

-      Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well

-      Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days

-      Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates

-      Manage your sleep

-      People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting

-      Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert

The Indoor Cricket World Cup

When: September 16-23

Where: Insportz, Dubai

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470hp%2C%20338kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20620Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh491%2C500%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

India cancels school-leaving examinations
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

TYPES%20OF%20ONLINE%20GIG%20WORK
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDesign%2C%20multimedia%20and%20creative%20work%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELogo%20design%2C%20website%20design%2C%20visualisations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20management%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELegal%20or%20management%20consulting%2C%20architecture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EResearch%20support%2C%20proofreading%2C%20bookkeeping%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESales%20and%20marketing%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESearch%20engine%20optimisation%2C%20social%20media%20marketing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EData%20entry%2C%20administrative%2C%20and%20clerical%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20entry%20tasks%2C%20virtual%20assistants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIT%2C%20software%20development%20and%20tech%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20analyst%2C%20back-end%20or%20front-end%20developers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWriting%20and%20translation%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EContent%20writing%2C%20ghost%20writing%2C%20translation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOnline%20microtasks%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImage%20tagging%2C%20surveys%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20World%20Bank%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS

England v New Zealand

(Saturday, 12pm UAE)

Wales v South Africa

(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)

 

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah. 

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL CARD

6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m

7.05pm UAE 1000 Guineas Listed $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.40pm Dubai Dash Listed $175,000 (T) 1,000m

8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m

8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m

 

The National selections

6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold

7.05pm Final Song

7.40pm Equilateral

8.15pm Dark Of Night

8.50pm Mythical Magic

9.25pm Franz Kafka

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

INDIA SQUAD

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)

Company%20Profile
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