The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has launched a new book series that was developed in collaboration with five Emirati calligraphers and designers.
Titled Emirati Art – Pioneers Among Us, the series is comprised of five books that aim to promote local art and culture. The books document the contributions of five artists, Abdul Qader Al Rais, Najat Makki, Abdul Raheem Salem, Mohamed Yousif Ali and Mohammed Mandi. Each book tells the story of one of the artists, featuring their accomplishments and the works that marked their career.
The books will be available at the ALC pavilion at this year's Abu Dhabi Art, taking place from November 17 to 21 at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The ALC is participating under the theme of Visual and Print, and it will showcase a collection of its most prominent publications, which include books on visual arts.
“The ALC is committed to its role in documenting Emirati art history and promoting prominent works and the artists who created them,” said Ali bin Tamim, head of the ALC.
“This is in line with the leadership’s vision to advance the Arabic language and encourage its use in cultural and creative fields around the world.”
Bin Tamim said launching Emirati Art – Pioneers Among Us so close to the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations creates an opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of Emirati visual artists and calligraphers who have “made their mark on the local and international art worlds".
“Their creations helped mould a distinct national artistic identity and chart a path for the art sector in the UAE,” he said.
The series is launching under the ALC's Esdarat project, which aims to shed light on Emirati talents and produce references for future generations.
The five books in the series
The publications issued as part of the Emirati Art - Pioneers Among Us offer samples of each of the five artists’ work that reflect their years of activity, evolution as artists and the part they played in enriching the art scene in the UAE.
Each book includes a foreword by a prominent art critic commenting on the artist’s work, followed by a collection of their paintings, sketches, or sculptures. There is also the artist’s biography; a brief overview of their career and the exhibitions they participated in; and personal photographs.
The volume focusing on Salem is titled How Many Colours Are There in Black. Born in Dubai, Salem is a fine arts pioneer in the UAE whose works have been displayed in biennials across the Arab region and the world. He earned a Bachelor of Literature and Fine Arts from the University of Cairo in 1981 and worked as an arts teacher, as well as president of the Emirates Fine Arts Society.
Day After Colour is a book about Makki who was born in Dubai She studied fine arts at Cairo’s Helwan University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1982, then a master’s in composite studies in ancient Egyptian civilisation in 1988, and finally a Doctorate in fine arts philosophy in 2001. She won the prestigious State Appreciation Award in Science, Literature and Arts in 2008.
Titled Sculptor of Memories, the third book focuses on Ali, an assistant professor at the Fine Arts and Design College at the University of Sharjah. Born in Sharjah, he received a doctorate in fine arts from Roshni University in India, and went on to win many awards, including the State Appreciation Award in Arts.
Emirati artist Al Rais is the subject of the fourth book, titled The Spirit of Beginnings. Al Rais is a fine arts pioneer in the UAE. His works fuse abstract and figurative art and are visibly inspired by the UAE’s local landscape, as well as Arab heritage and crafts.
The artist also draws inspiration from traditional Gulf architecture, the desert landscape and the sea. Born in Dubai in 1951, Al Rais played a notable role in establishing the Emirates Fine Arts Society and is a member of Sharjah Art Foundation. He held his first solo exhibition in 1974.
The final book of the series documents the career of Mandi under the title Journey of a Pen, a Line, and a Sketch. Mandi is an artist and calligrapher at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.
He teaches Arabic calligraphy at Bait Al Khatt at the Cultural Foundationand writes about Arabic calligraphy in newspapers and magazines. Mandi has taken part in numerous local and international exhibitions, earning several licenses from prestigious calligraphy institutions.
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History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
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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
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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.
