Amid the pomp and protocol of US President Donald Trump’s arrival at Zayed International Airport, an artwork spotted at the presidential terminal sparked curiosity.
The work, by Emirati artist Zeinab Alhashemi, comprises six sculptural forms made of steel, acrylic, stone and, the artist's signature material, camel hide. The work is titled Between Our Ancestors and Us.
The installation served as the backdrop to president Trump’s airport arrival. Media were positioned in between its towering forms, overlooking the area where Trump sat with President Sheikh Mohamed.
Alhashemi’s installation at Zayed International Airport has not been publicly revealed before, and it is believed to have been developed specifically for the presidential terminal.
Between Our Ancestors and Us pays tribute to the dromedary camel and its significance in the history and culture of the UAE. Traditionally, known as ships of the desert, camels were a vital means of survival, used in transportation and trade, and as source of sustenance thanks to their meat and milk. The animal remains culturally important today, and is regarded as a symbol of resilience and Bedouin heritage.
Alhashemi is known for the use of camel hide in her work, particularly with Camoulflage, a series she began in 2015. The first work in the series, which featured an abstract rendition of a desert in camel hide, was presented in the exhibition Emirati Expressions during Abu Dhabi Art.
“It brought a lot of interest and attention,” the artist told The National in 2022. “The public wanted to get closer to the work, not knowing exactly what material it was made with. The minute they realised it was camel skin, they started asking so many different questions.”
Another famous example from the series is Camoulflage: The Fourth Pillar, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Richard Mille Art Prize and exhibited at Louvre Abu Dhabi’s annual Art Here. That same year Alhashemi presented Camoulflage 1.618: The Unfinished Obelisk in the desert beside the Pyramids of Giza as part of Forever is Now 2, an exhibition organised by Art d’Egypte. She also created boulder-like sculptures faceted with camel hide for Desert x AlUla 2022.
Elaborating on her fascination with the material, Alhashemi said there was a similarity between camel hide and the shades of desert sand.
“If you zoom into the leather itself, you’ll find it’s almost like a sand dune, in terms of its curves and shades,” she said. “My interest in nature is always bringing in its geometry from a micro level and a macro level.”
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
