HALA ELKOUSSY The Egyptian visual artist was a winner of last year's Abraaj Capital art prize in the UAE. The prize is unique in rewarding artistic proposals rather than finished art. Elkoussy's large-scale work, Myths and Legends Room, above, is on show at the headquarters of the Greater London Authority.
RANIA STEPHAN The documentary filmmaker from Lebanon made The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni, which explores the mysterious death - thought to be suicide - of the iconic Egyptian actress in London in 2001. She fell from a window on the Edgware Road. The film, which premiered in Sharjah, also deals with the representation of Arab women.
AHMED BIN SHABIB Co-founder with his twin brother, Rashid, of Brownbook, a Dubai-based magazine exploring the Arab place in the modern world. Just 27, the brothers have also established Shelter in Al Quoz, which offers office space and support for budding entrepreneurs, especially in the arts and creative fields.
KHALID MEZAIA The 26-year-old graphic artist and illustrator from Dubai has spent a month working in the UK with Karima Al- Shomely at the Shopopolis Project in London's biggest shopping mall, Westfield in Shepherd's Bush. The pair was sponsored by the Emirates Foundation. He works for the Tashkeel centre in Dubai, which promotes young artists. Mezaina describes coming to London as "a dream come true".
KARIMA AL-SHOMELY The artist from Sharjah studied in London and is now back as part of Shopopolis. She studied at the Chelsea College of Art & Design and plans to return to do a PhD at the University of Cambridge if she can find sponsorship at home.
