Take a look at one of the first UAE mosques designed by a woman


Georgia Tolley
  • English
  • Arabic

Commuters driving on Umm Suqeim Road in Dubai cannot help but notice a new, almost luminescent, addition to the industrial landscape.

The Mosque of the late Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash gleams white in the sunshine, its contemporary, clean lines stark and beautiful against the backdrop of car repair centres and cement works in Al Quoz.

But the building is unusual for another reason - it is one of the first mosques in the UAE to be designed by a woman.

We wanted to create a haven, almost a jewel amongst the gritty, industrial warehouses around here
Sumaya Dabbagh,
Dabbagh Architects

Sumaya Dabbagh, the founder of Dabbagh Architects, grew up in Saudi Arabia and studied her craft in the UK and Paris before moving to the UAE.

Ms Dabbagh is one of very few Saudi female architects of her generation and among a handful of women architects leading their own practice in the Gulf region. She was disappointed to discover she was one of the first females in the UAE to create a mosque.

"I feel sad about it. I think more women should be doing this, it's a shame. I hope to see more women designing public buildings and participating in the development of our cities," said Ms Dabbagh.

"Women are very good at building communities and bringing people together and collaborating, and it would be a very positive thing for our industry to have more of that."

Ms Dabbagh previously cut her teeth on cultural projects, including the much-feted Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah. The project was awarded an Architecture MasterPrize (2020), among others, and was nominated for the Aga Khan Awards (2018).

The Gargash Mosque, which can host 1,000 worshippers, was a new challenge.

"We wanted to create a haven, almost a jewel amongst the gritty, industrial warehouses around here," said Ms Dabbagh.

"We wanted to create something that has a reference to Islamic architecture, but in a more contemporary way. So we reinterpreted a lot of the traditional Islamic patterns, and really simplified and simplified and simplified until we came to this triangulated pattern that we have used throughout."

The resulting structure is quietly masterful, and an oasis of calm alongside the hustle and bustle of the busy highway.

Break with convention

From the moment worshippers enter the gate of the mosque, they are taken on a journey from the outer material world, through a shaded courtyard, to the ablution area, and then into the prayer hall, where the transition to contemplation can be completed.

Triangle-shaped windows puncture the walls of the mosque allowing in dynamic shards of light, and carefully-chosen passages from the Quran are stencilled onto the walls around the mihrab, and moulded into the exterior facade of the building.

The purpose of the outer calligraphy was to create a metaphoric protective band around the mosque, and the verse, "The Most Merciful" instills a sacred energy throughout the building.

Many elements in the design of the Gargash Mosque depart from the norm. There are no traditionally shaped windows - a design quirk which took time for the planners to accept, and the minbar where the imam stands to lead the prayers is set to one side, leaving the mihrab niche empty bar a shard of light from an overhead skylight.

Furthermore, the minaret is designed as a separate body, just apart from the main mosque building.

Ms Dabbagh placed sustainability at the heart of the project, sourcing the cladding and aluminium locally, and the stone from Oman, something that proved a blessing when imported building materials were delayed by the blockage of the Suez Canal and Covid-19.

Responsible development is one of the key drivers of Ms Dabbagh's practice, along with her determination to break the stereotypes commonly held about the Gulf and Arab women.

"I just hope that more and more women continue to practice and are supported to practice, to create more relevant architecture because I think the more diverse the product, the richer it can be," she said.

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Price: from Dh850,000

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(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)

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2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
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2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)

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Launched: 2008

Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools

Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)

Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13

 

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Director: Michael Bay

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco

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How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
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  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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Directed by: Pete Doctor

Rating: 4 stars

Results

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s

3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s

4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s

5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s

7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004

8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100

9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692

10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km

On sale: now

Price: Dh149,000

 

Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
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  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
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Updated: September 26, 2021, 9:07 AM`