For the first time, Abu Dhabi has begun to set out what visitors will encounter inside Guggenheim Abu Dhabi – the long-awaited cultural landmark designed by Frank Gehry on Saadiyat Island.
At a briefing, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, described a museum that will look far beyond the familiar western canon, expanding the story of contemporary art to include regions and movements often left in the margins.
Although the institution will include works by figures such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Al Mubarak said they will appear in a very different context to what audiences may expect.
“They're going to be within that collection, but right next to them, you'll have amazing contemporary artists that maybe, unfortunately, the vast public don't know much about – artists from South-East Asia, artists from Asia, artists from North Africa, Central Africa and the Arab world,” he said.
The ambition, Al Mubarak said, is to create a museum that is genuinely global, in its collection and its worldview.
“Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is going to be a lot more than a museum. It’s really a civic space. It’s a place that brings people together with music, food, dance and, of course, contemporary art.”
The collection will focus on work from the 1960s to the present day, with contemporary art from an international perspective rather than through a Euramerican lens.
“The collection itself is truly global,” Al Mubarak said. “It was imperative for us when we were assembling that collection that it focuses on contemporary artists who have not been given the light they deserve, whether it’s because of their geographical location or their gender. We want to be unbiased in that.”
He added that indigenous art will be “highly, highly focused” within the museum’s holdings, placing it in dialogue with global art movements and with works across the wider Saadiyat Cultural District.
The building is conceived as a space that breaks from traditional gallery models.
“Frank Gehry has worked with us in creating a beautiful architectural feat,” Al Mubarak said.
The museum will feature gallery types that differ from standard white cubes, allowing for site-specific installations, commissions and hybrid programming.
“Some will be given specifically for artists to be commissioned for an entire gallery. The cones will have amazing commissions. You will have galleries that will continuously have rotating artists. You will have spaces where we marry live performances with art.”
Al Mubarak said the project was an attempt to imagine a museum for the decades ahead, not simply a contemporary version of an established formula. “As much as possible, we’ve looked to think about, what does the 22nd-century museum look like?”
That includes the way visitors encounter the work. Al Mubarak said the team is exploring the use of technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence alongside human storytelling to deepen audience engagement.
“We’re using AR and AI in some cases and human storytelling of course. I don’t want a visitor at the Guggenheim to come and say ‘this is a beautiful Warhol’, with a little panel that tells them this Warhol was painted at this time and that’s it, thank you very much.
“That’s easy, that’s boring. What I want to know is, what was Warhol thinking at the specific time? Where was he living? What was going on with the environment around him?”
Around the museum, themes will guide how works are placed in relation to one another. “In some cases, there are collective routines, such as connectivity and belonging. Some of them are specifically focused on themes based on emotion. Some of them are based on time,” Al Mubarak said.
All of this, he emphasised, is about offering visitors a new way of seeing contemporary art – one that reflects how globalised artistic production truly is, while also challenging hierarchies of visibility. “Any visitor will come here into a voyage of knowledge,” he said.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is in its final stages of preparation. When it opens, it will join Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and the coming Zayed National Museum to form a unified cultural district on Saadiyat – one that Al Mubarak says is designed to connect people as much as it displays art.
The specs
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
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Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
Poacher
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Nick's journey in numbers
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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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.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
