• A French non-commissioned officer photographed by Paul Castelnau on March 25, 1918 in Aqaba, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    A French non-commissioned officer photographed by Paul Castelnau on March 25, 1918 in Aqaba, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • Fayz Bey el Azm, companion of Prince Faisal, taken by Paul Castelnau on March 2, 1918 in Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    Fayz Bey el Azm, companion of Prince Faisal, taken by Paul Castelnau on March 2, 1918 in Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • The governor of Aqaba, known as the kaimakam, photographed by Paul Castelnau on April 4, 1918, in Aqaba, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabeColour
    The governor of Aqaba, known as the kaimakam, photographed by Paul Castelnau on April 4, 1918, in Aqaba, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabeColour
  • Father Arthemios at Hilandar Monastery taken by Fernand Cuville in September of 1918 in Mount Athos, Greece. Fernand Cuville, BabelColour
    Father Arthemios at Hilandar Monastery taken by Fernand Cuville in September of 1918 in Mount Athos, Greece. Fernand Cuville, BabelColour
  • A Bedouin chieftain in front of the camp of General Djaafar Pasha taken by Paul Castelnau on March 9, 1918 in Ma'an, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    A Bedouin chieftain in front of the camp of General Djaafar Pasha taken by Paul Castelnau on March 9, 1918 in Ma'an, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • A Druze fighter in the Kingdom of Hejaz, taken by Paul Castelnau on March 3, 1918 in Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    A Druze fighter in the Kingdom of Hejaz, taken by Paul Castelnau on March 3, 1918 in Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • Two Bishari girls in Aswan, Egypt, photographed by Auguste Leon on January 20, 1914. Auguste Leon, BabelColour
    Two Bishari girls in Aswan, Egypt, photographed by Auguste Leon on January 20, 1914. Auguste Leon, BabelColour
  • Portrait of a man taken by Franklin Price Knott in 1912 in Sfax, Tunisia. Franklin Price Knott, BabelColour
    Portrait of a man taken by Franklin Price Knott in 1912 in Sfax, Tunisia. Franklin Price Knott, BabelColour
  • An Afghan silversmith photographed by Frederic Gadmer in 1928 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Frederic Gadmer, BabelColour
    An Afghan silversmith photographed by Frederic Gadmer in 1928 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Frederic Gadmer, BabelColour
  • A fruit and vegetable merchant in front of a pottery shop in a market taken by Gervaise Courtellemont between 1909 and 1911 in Tunisia. Gervaise Courtellemont, BabelColour
    A fruit and vegetable merchant in front of a pottery shop in a market taken by Gervaise Courtellemont between 1909 and 1911 in Tunisia. Gervaise Courtellemont, BabelColour
  • The first air show at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, photographed Leon Gimpel on September 30, 1909. Leon Gimpel, BabelColour
    The first air show at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, photographed Leon Gimpel on September 30, 1909. Leon Gimpel, BabelColour

BabelColour: Meet the man breathing new life into early colour photographs from the Gulf region and beyond


Samia Badih
  • English
  • Arabic

When you cast your eye over the images Stuart Humphryes posts on social media, you'd think they were modern-day fashion shoots for a magazine. But they're not. In reality, many of them were taken more than a century ago, yet they're sharp, beautiful and full of colour.

Humphryes, 50, who's known as BabelColour on social media, transforms archival snaps into what you'd assume are images taken on a mobile phone or a digital camera.

"I don't actually colourise because I work with early colour photographs that were taken in colour. I enhance what is already there," he tells The National.

Every day, after finishing his 9 to 5 job in London, Humphryes dedicates his evenings to this creative pursuit. The local government worker, who has a background as a colouriser, spends hours editing images and videos in his spare time.

Click through the gallery below to discover five exclusive photographs by BabelColour shared with 'The National':

  • A chief Druze fighter of the Arab forces of the Kingdom of Hedjaz, taken on March 2, 1918 by Paul Castelnau in Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    A chief Druze fighter of the Arab forces of the Kingdom of Hedjaz, taken on March 2, 1918 by Paul Castelnau in Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • A photo of the ordinance of Captain Pisani, leader of the French group in Aqaba, taken on March 23, 1918 by Paul Castelnau in Wadi Musa, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    A photo of the ordinance of Captain Pisani, leader of the French group in Aqaba, taken on March 23, 1918 by Paul Castelnau in Wadi Musa, Jordan. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • A photo of a Muslim Bedouin taken on August 2, 1918, in Jerusalem. BabelColour A photo of a Muslim Bedouin taken by Paul Castelnau on August 2, 1918, in Jerusalem, Palestine. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
    A photo of a Muslim Bedouin taken on August 2, 1918, in Jerusalem. BabelColour A photo of a Muslim Bedouin taken by Paul Castelnau on August 2, 1918, in Jerusalem, Palestine. Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
  • The great colonnade at dusk in Palmyra, Syria, taken by Frederic Gadmer on October 17, 1921. Frederic Gadmer, BabelColour
    The great colonnade at dusk in Palmyra, Syria, taken by Frederic Gadmer on October 17, 1921. Frederic Gadmer, BabelColour
  • A photo of a court of a khan in Homs, Syria, taken by Frederic Gadmer on October 21, 1921. Frederic Gadmer, BabelColour
    A photo of a court of a khan in Homs, Syria, taken by Frederic Gadmer on October 21, 1921. Frederic Gadmer, BabelColour

It was in June this year that Humphryes changed his Twitter account to BabelColour and started sharing these images online for the first time. Since then, the response has been overwhelming. In less than three months, he has gained more than 100,000 new followers, receiving messages from people around the world (sometimes in so many different languages he had to use Google Translate) praising his work.

"The more people joined me, the more varied my photographs became. So I started repairing and enhancing photographs from across the world, from the Middle East and Africa to India."

By making them more contemporary and modern it breaks down the barriers of time. So people look at the photographs and they can relate to them as if they are real people they could meet today, rather than ghosts from another period

This led to him starting an Instagram account a few weeks ago, something he never imagined he'd do considering he doesn't even own a mobile phone or a tablet. His account already has more than 10,000 followers.

"With these photographs, I'm not trying to make them look like they were taken in 1918," he says. "I'm trying to make them look contemporary; I'm trying to make them look like they were taken on an iPhone today rather than 100 years ago."

What Humphryes does goes beyond image editing and Photoshop. Instead he is tricking people into seeing the works in a completely new way.

"It's not really a case of restoration. It's a case of changing them so that people's perception of them changes – by making them more contemporary and modern, it breaks down the barriers of time. So people look at the photographs and can relate to them as if they are real people they could meet today, rather than ghosts from another period," he says.

The very first colour photographs were taken at the start of the 20th century using autochrome plates that captured colour. While the process was considered to be a successful first attempt at moving away from black-and-white photography, the autochromes were fragile and colours didn't age well. Humphryes, however, works with a digital version of the autochrome to boost the colours that have faded within it.

A Bedouin chieftain in front of the camp of General Djaafar Pasha taken by Paul Castelnau on March 9, 1918 in Ma'an, Jordan. Albert Kahn Collection, Paul Castelnau, BabelColour
A Bedouin chieftain in front of the camp of General Djaafar Pasha taken by Paul Castelnau on March 9, 1918 in Ma'an, Jordan. Albert Kahn Collection, Paul Castelnau, BabelColour

"Imagine there's a piece of music playing and it's quiet, you can barely hear it. Well, if you turn the volume up, you are increasing the level of the sound, but you are not adding any new music," he explains. "What I'm doing with colour is I'm boosting it so it becomes clearer to see with the naked eye. I'm not adding any of my own."

Most of Humphryes's work is done using software widely available on the market today, such as Adobe, which he uses to remove grain and dirt from an image, repair any damage, balance the light and boost the colour. He then uses AI technology to make the photo look like it was taken on a modern camera.

For example, this 102-year-old portrait of Fayz Bey el Azm (companion of Prince Faisal, who led the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War), taken by French photographer Paul Castelnau in Jordan, looks barely a decade old.

A photo of Fayz Bey el Azm, companion of Emir Faycal, taken on March 2, 1918, by Paul Castelnau in what is known today as Jordan. Original image from Albert Khan Collection / Paul Castelnau / BabelColour
A photo of Fayz Bey el Azm, companion of Emir Faycal, taken on March 2, 1918, by Paul Castelnau in what is known today as Jordan. Original image from Albert Khan Collection / Paul Castelnau / BabelColour

Today, Humphryes receives messages from teachers asking for permission to use photographs he's enhanced in their classes, something that brings him much joy.

"People seem to see the First World War very much as a black and white war. Seeing images of the soldiers in colour is a completely different experience, so I'm very happy for teachers and children to engage in history in a new way, because they do see differently in colour."

He has also received many requests to edit personal photos, which he has had to politely decline.

Stuart Humphryes is known as BabelColour on Twitter and Instagram. Stuart Humphryes
Stuart Humphryes is known as BabelColour on Twitter and Instagram. Stuart Humphryes

"People ask me every day, but I explain to them that if I do it for them, I have to do it for other people," he says. "At the moment, I don't have that capacity."

However, he is thinking about what the future of this project could hold.

"Everybody seems to be clamouring for a book," he says. "I would love to do a book or just something so that it's in a physical medium that people can purchase and own."

While the prospect of a book intrigues him, it's the technology at our fingertips that he describes as "exciting".

"It makes you wonder where we're going to be in five years' time and 10 years' time."

'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Marathon results

Men:

 1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13 

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30 

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43 

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01  

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)

Saturday

Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)

Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)

Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)

Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

if you go
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The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

RIDE%20ON
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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

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.

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The chef's advice

Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.

“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”

Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.

The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.