Increasing numbers of Emirati artists are embracing entrepreneurship as they seek to turn their passion into a viable livelihood.
Painting and handicrafts, featuring Emirati designs and local techniques, were on display at the first Abu Dhabi Global Entrepreneurship Festival.
The event, held at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre, presented the resources available to both Emiratis and residents in the emirate.
Emirati artists told The National that creating art as a side project was no longer enough - they wanted it to become their main source of income.
Ghaleya AlMansoori, founder of Kenaz Art Studio, spoke about bringing art workshops using traditional techniques and materials to underserved communities.
"I really wanted to take my passion of art to a bigger scale to impact and inspire all the people around the UAE and to let them also appreciate art in a very creative platform," Ms AlMansoori said.
"We are trying to inspire the other entrepreneurs to think about the creative businesses and to have an impact behind their business. We involve communities in different programmes, such as painting with coffee and traditional Emirati spices and using water colours.
"So we are trying to mix those kind of techniques with the different materials to stay sustainable and also to let them know about the vocabulary and the names of our different elements."
Her goal is for art to be accessible to everyone, no matter their age or location.
"The goal is to reach everywhere in the UAE and to also shorten the gap between contemporary arts and tradition and heritage," Ms Al Mansoori said.
For Mouza Al Kaabi, 14, art is a way to highlight Emirati culture. Despite her age, she already runs three brands, including an art studio.
On display at Wednesday's event were her unique paintings, some painted on rugs, with Emirati motifs like falcons and Arabian horses.
"When I was five years old, I really loved drawing and mixing the colours," she said. "Then when I was eight, I started learning with teachers from inside and outside the country who taught me new techniques.
"I used to go to live meetings with different artists. Then when I was 10, I decided to open an art studio and bring all of the art teachers that taught me.
Mouza uses her platform to inspire other people her age to not limit themselves. Her greatest goal is to pass along what she has learned as a young entrepreneur.
"I want to be the ambassador of entrepreneurship for kids," she said. "I want to support them in their business industry, and I want to teach them some lessons I had when I was young."
Bringing generations together
The Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) has been supporting Afghan women carpet weavers since 2010, but this year launched a new programme in the UAE, Zuleya.
The programme, in collaboration with Ma'an and the Family Development Foundation, is for senior citizens in Al Wathba to continue the heritage of handicrafts and provide them stable incomes.
"We are adding these traditional elements like sadu, khoos, and tali to be a touch of Emirati weavers in the carpet itself," project head of FBMI Khaled Al Turki said. "We're going to be in Miza in Mina Zayed, and we're going to start selling this product by next year locally and inshallah to the entire world."
The main initiative has the goal empowering the women throughout countries like Afghanistan, Tanzania, Comoros, with the aim to reach 50 countries around the world.
"The aim is supporting and empowering women, and [to make the business] sustainable," he said.
"We are looking at how to transfer these kind of projects to business, how to get money from this project to supporting the people that are working with us."
