An art centre in Brussels is presenting a snapshot of time that most of the world was unable to see: the moment after the destruction of Aleppo. Grand arches falling into piles of rubble, streets blocked by shards of concrete, empty door frames with not a person to be seen: this was Aleppo after its four-year battle, which ended in December 2016. The Syrian city's eastern parts were evacuated, and its extraordinary historical monuments damaged or destroyed.
Soon after the battle, in April 2017, Yves Ubelmann and his team at the French start-up Iconem headed to Aleppo. Their goal was to capture images of as much of the city as they could.
They concentrated on the Old Town, staying in the one hotel that had just reopened. Aiming to take two levels of data, they attached cameras to drones to get an aerial view of the damage. They also headed out on foot into the empty winding corridors of Aleppo’s famous souq and into the abandoned houses, affixing gadgets to long poles if the terrain was too unsteady for them to venture out on.
They photographed 10,000 images in total, generating enough to create a 3D map of more than three quarters of the Old Town. Now, for its exhibition Aleppo, A 5,000 Year Journey, on view at the Villa Empain in Brussels until January 31, the team has rendered this data into a series of images and videos mapping the destruction.
“Yves is a war reporter for culture,” says Louma Salame, director of Villa Empain, an art foundation housed in an Art Deco villa.
“He has created a new, revolutionary approach for a database of universal cultural patrimony.”
Iconem, which Ubelmann founded in Paris in 2013, documents sites threatened by conflict to gather information about important artefacts and historical buildings before they are completely destroyed.
In 2015, the team flew long-range drones over Mosul to shoot images of the walled Iraqi city while it was still under the capital of ISIS control, launching the devices from the Peshmerga borderline.
These shots are some of the last remaining images of Mosul before the 2016-2017 campaign to retake the city from ISIS.
After the Palmyra offensive in April 2016, Iconem flew drones to document the ancient city’s famous theatre, capturing images before ISIS unleashed a second round of destruction on the site.
Ubelmann says Iconem are conservators of the last resort, moving in when it is clear that a site or objects of world historical value cannot be protected, either by soldiers on the ground, or because of a lack of resources.
“When I was an architect [before starting Iconem], I was working in Syria, Iran and Afghanistan with archaeologists, and I was shocked by the fact that artefacts from these sites could disappear completely from one year to another,” Ubelmann says.
“They are not protected. Sometimes there was a very old element from antiquity that was there just a few months ago, and you could not see it any more in the field, because of many reasons: because of looters, because of urban spread, because of climate change. That is why I decided to work on this new technique of imagery, because for many sites, there is no other solution.”
Iconem’s team of programmers use algorithms and forms of AI modelling to reconstruct what the monuments and artefacts would have looked like in 3D. They use the results as stand-ins for world patrimony that would otherwise have been irretrievably lost – as well as to aid in the reconstruction of historical sites.
It's not only a matter of archiving historical knowledge, it's a matter of building the future of these countries
“When there is a conflict, it’s very important to have a good understanding of your past,” Ubelmann says.
“When the community is struggling, it’s important to have the right evidence of how the country was a long time ago, and how you can build an identity through this past. It’s not only a matter of archiving historical knowledge, it’s a matter of building the future of these countries.”
The data is particularly useful in the case of Aleppo. Unlike a site such as Palmyra, Aleppo is a living environment. Inhabitants came back to the city within months, and in the rebuilding efforts removed rubble with historical value or erased information about the original construction of ancient buildings. Concrete, especially, can hide historical details and it can be almost impossible to remove.
“In Aleppo, it was important for us to document the destruction at this time, before the cleaning, before the restoration,” Ubelmann says. “These monuments make us understand how this building was destroyed, and give policy experts about cultural heritage an idea of what is remaining on the site after the battle.”
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, for example, has relied on Iconem’s documentation in its project to restore Aleppo’s souq, which once measured 13 kilometres.
Iconem also exhibits its work to the public, such as its touring show two years ago for which it created large-scale impressions of Mosul, Aleppo, Palmyra and Leptis Magna in Libya.
For Aleppo, A 5,000 Year Journey, a 16-person team made large-scale videos and images of key sites in Aleppo, including the Old Town, its souqs, the Umayyad Mosque, the 15th-century Hammam Yalbugha and Beit Achiqbash, an 18th-century house in the Christian quarter.
Some of the show’s renderings are photorealist. In others, Iconem has used small triangles of changing colours to denote the buildings’ shapes, underscoring the fragility of the city. The two layers of their imagery – those captured by drones and those captured on foot – also enabled them to generate a bird’s-eye view of the entire Old Town.
Rendered as if in night-time, the bomb craters are shown under spotlight spotlit. spotlit. They are deep enough that they appear, as if in another life, to be perfectly round, innocuous municipal pools.
Aleppo, A 5,000 Year Journey is particularly poignant for Villa Empain. The art centre was established 10 years ago as an exhibition site by the Boghossian Foundation, a philanthropic organisation run by the Boghossian family, who are generational Armenian jewellers. After they left Armenia, they settled in Aleppo, Beirut and eventually Belgium. Brothers Jean and Albert, who have carried on their father's business, were born in the Syrian city.
For them, as for everyone who visited Aleppo before its destruction, Villa Empain director Salame says, “Aleppo exists only in our memory.”
Aleppo, A 5,000 Year Journey, at the Villa Empain in Brussels, runs until January 31
Company%20profile
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Poacher
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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.”
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
More on animal trafficking
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
RESULTS
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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)
