The Arab Hall of the newly renovated Leighton House looks into the Narcissus Hall. Photo: Will Pryce / Leighton House
Lord Frederic Leighton had a range of interests, from Arab motifs to old master paintings, to his exquisitely rendered canvases. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
'Oneness' by Shahrzad Ghaffari, commissioned for Leighton House. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
The stage and piano in Leighton's studio. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
A Lord Leighton display case in the entrance hall. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
De Morgan display case in the Wolfson Room. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Drawings gallery and Holland Park Circle display case. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Leighton's bedroom. Photo: Kevin Moran / Leighton House
The Silk Room. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Drawing room. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Staircase hall. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Mashrabiya screen in the Silk Room. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Detail of Leighton's studio and view into Winter Studio. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Exterior view of the staircase. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Detail of Iznik ceramics in the dining room. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Leighton House exterior. Photo: Jaron James / Leighton House
Leighton's library. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Drawings gallery. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Exhibition gallery. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Lord Leighton's 'Studies of a Foot and Toes' (1850-60). Photo: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Emilie Russell Barrington 'Girl Seated' (1885). Photo: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Solomon J Solomon 'Conversation Piece' (1884). Photo: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
In a trip to Leighton House, the king will see a vast mural by an Iranian artist, visit the centre’s famous Arab Hall and hear about the progress made by the Turquoise Mountain, a charity he founded to revive historic areas and traditional crafts at risk of being lost.
Leighton House, a museum in Holland Park, west London, which pays homage to Middle Eastern and Victorian era art, was recently restored and opened to the public.
What is on show?
There is an 11-metre high mural by Shahrzad Ghaffari on the Helical Staircase.
The piece, inspired by a poem written by 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, explores the themes of unity and common humanity.
A view into the Winter Studio at the west London museum. Photo: Dirk Lindner / Leighton House
Ghaffari was also due to be at the centre on Thursday. For the mural, she used Rumi’s words as inspiration, painting them on the walls in colours that are a nod to the museum building itself — blues similar to the turquoise tiles and reds reminiscent of the external brickwork.
King Charles will also view furniture commissioned by Turquoise Mountain and handmade for the museum by Syrian and Jordanian artisans in Amman.
He will visit the Arab Hall, home to a renowned collection of Islamic tiles and mosaic floors.
What is Turquoise Mountain?
Turquoise Mountain, a charity founded by the king in 2006 — when he was Prince Charles — helps revive historic areas and traditional crafts.
It began operating in Afghanistan and has since expanded into Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Myanmar.
In particular, it helps artisans, including Afghan carpet weavers, to set up businesses and preserve their skills to be passed down to future generations.
Turquoise Mountain has restored more than 150 buildings and trained 15,000 artisans across Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Middle East.
What is Leighton House and the Arab Hall?
Leighton House is the former home and studio of leading Victorian artist Lord Frederic Leighton.
It is in what was then the rural enclave of Holland Park, now one of the most expensive places to live in the city.
Leighton House started as a relatively modest brick dwelling and has been extended over the years.
A large, glass-enclosed studio was designed to let in as much light as possible, vital in the smog of late 19th-century London.
At the centre of the house is the Arab Hall. Arranged as an enclosed courtyard, the walls are covered in Iznik tiles that the well-travelled artist had bought in Syria, Egypt and Turkey.
Nooks provide space for lounging and a water feature adds to the tranquillity. Above, a small mashrabiya overlooks Leighton’s fantasy of Ottoman Empire life — a classic example of British Orientalism.
After 18 years of painstaking conservation and restoration at a cost of £8 million ($9.6 million), the museum reopened in October.
Who was Lord Leighton?
Born in 1830 in Yorkshire and raised in Germany, Lord Leighton used a range of artistic interests, from Arab motifs to old master pieces, to paint exquisite canvasses.
He had an affinity for poignant vignettes: Michelangelo nursing his ailing servant; a young girl feeding berries to her mother, lounging in bed; and a couple on their honeymoon, leaning in towards each other.
At 26, he made a headline-grabbing debut at the Royal Academy with a painting of the Madonna being carried through the streets of Florence. Prince Albert was so taken with the artwork he convinced his wife Queen Victoria to buy it.
Later, Lord Leighton was elected president of the Royal Academy and used his influence over an 18-year period to raise the profile and importance of artists in Britain's cultural landscape.
After his death in 1896, the furnishings of his house were sold in a Christie’s auction lasting eight days. Many of those items had been tracked down and reinstalled for autumn's reopening.
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.
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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
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
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