The photographers presenting their work at this year's Slidefest Palestine event in London offered a strongly-worded rebuke to western media outlets about the photojournalism they commission in Gaza and the West Bank.
Dubai’s Gulf Photo Plus launched the event on Wednesday at the University of Greenwich’s Stephen Lawrence Gallery, focusing on photographers from or working in Palestine: Tanya Habjouqa, Maen Hammad, PhotoKegham/Ozge Calafato, Samar Hazboun and Rehaf Batniji.
Habjouqa and Hammad, who shoot individual projects and freelance for western media outlets, highlighted the problems of media access and misrepresentation across Palestine.
Foreign journalists fly into Ramallah, and events are frequently misrepresented. But my role is not to take a photo and leave. I’m part of this community
Maen Hammad
Foreign reporters, as well as those from the West Bank, are effectively banned from Gaza. The images published in the media are mostly from local photographers, or stringers for newswires such as AP and Reuters. But Habjouqa, who lives in East Jerusalem, says that some media outlets have been shying away from using their work recently.
“I am extremely frustrated by the access to photographers in Gaza,” she says. “Many US outlets are not hiring because of what they call the ‘duty of care’ – they do not want to be responsible if something happens.”
Foreign media are allowed in the West Bank but coverage of the territory is often not a priority for media outlets. Israel is also seen to be actively containing the narratives emerging from Palestine. It shut down Al Jazeera’s Palestinian bureau last week, raiding its East Jerusalem offices, and the Israeli military often stages press events.
“Foreign journalists fly into Ramallah, and events are frequently misrepresented,” says Hammad, who splits his time between Washington DC and Ramallah. “But my role is not to take a photo and leave. I’m part of this community.”
The questions of press freedoms and the challenges faced by photojournalists in accurately depicting the region are by no means new to Slidefest, but they have achieved a crucial significance given the live nature of the conflict, and made the event particularly emotionally charged.
Gulf Photo Plus launched Slidefest Palestine in 2009 in Dubai, after they looked for a place for photographers to come together and present recent projects.
GPP’s director, Mohamed Somji, explains that the presentation format makes it more intimate than an exhibition, and usually entails around five photographers showing new work to an audience.
Since 2009 there have been more than 30 gatherings, mostly at Alserkal Avenue but also in sites abroad such as Cairo, Riyadh, Jeddah and Bahrain.
This year's event showed the breadth of work being produced in Palestine, from photojournalism to efforts to preserve historical archives, and included a tribute to the photographer Majd Arandas, who was killed by an Israeli air strike in November.
In one of the most harrowing accounts, Samar Hazboun from Bethlehem showed her project about women who are forced to give birth at checkpoints. This is often because something has gone wrong during their labour and they are delayed by the Israelis while trying to get to the hospital.
More often than not, they lose their babies. In other cases, the infants suffer complications with lasting effects on their development.
Often, the only proof the women have of the episodes are the baby clothes that they had prepared for their children, and in rarer cases, a death certificate.
Hazboun is currently photographing Gazans who had travelled to the West Bank for medical care before October 7 and remained trapped there because the war has made their return impossible.
One woman is in the West Bank because her fourth child needed heart surgery. A few months ago she received the news that an air strike had killed her three older children in Gaza.
After Hazboun’s presentation, many audience members were in tears.
The Turkish media scholar Ozge Calafato presented the work Studio Kegham, which was set up in 1944 by the Armenian photographer Kegham Djeghalian and became the main photography studio for Gaza.
Armenians were prohibited by the Ottomans to take up many professions and many became chemists – and then, when the chemical processes of photography were introduced, ran most photography studios in the Ottoman Empire.
An air strike in October destroyed the archive and killed Marwan Tarazi, who had been looking after it. Since then, Kegham’s grandson, an artist, has taken over the project.
He now has only three small boxes left – which he discovered only recently by chance – and has put out a social media call to Gazans to help crowdsource images from their families that were taken at the studio.
The night closed on the work of Rehaf Batniji, a Palestinian photographer who was able to flee Gaza in December. Her work is also being shown in Alserkal Avenue’s current Venice exhibition, When Solidarity Is Not a Metaphor.
She presented images that she took on the day of October 6 showing the beaches of Gaza off Al Rashid Street. They show fishermen’s huts, cobbled together out of bits of corrugated metal and polyester blankets, and views on to the calm sea.
“Sometimes I see the blue sky and the blue beach and I can’t imagine that there is aggression and oppression elsewhere,” she said. “I will never post anything about the worst times and the bad things. I will only post things with positive vibes, because that is what we need to remember.”
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
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.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
The%20Hunger%20Games%3A%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Songbirds%20%26%20Snakes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Francis%20Lawrence%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ERachel%20Zegler%2C%20Peter%20Dinklage%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Tom%20Blyth%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
