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Fattah moved from Egypt to Dubai in 1980 after answering a newspaper advert that sought a calligrapher.

Calligrapher Abdul Fattah with some of the many Arabic language street signs he has written. All photos: Erika Rasmussen for The National

Since he was a child, Fattah has had a talent for calligraphy, which he describes as a 'gift from God'.

He shows his intricate designs at his home in Dubai, where he has worked since 1980.

Fattah has worked there since 1980.

He sorts through photos of some of the hundreds of street signs he has written over the years.

Fattah moved from Egypt to Dubai in 1980 after answering a newspaper advert that sought a calligrapher.

Calligrapher Abdul Fattah with some of the many Arabic language street signs he has written. All photos: Erika Rasmussen for The National

Since he was a child, Fattah has had a talent for calligraphy, which he describes as a 'gift from God'.

He shows his intricate designs at his home in Dubai, where he has worked since 1980.

Fattah has worked there since 1980.

He sorts through photos of some of the hundreds of street signs he has written over the years.

Fattah moved from Egypt to Dubai in 1980 after answering a newspaper advert that sought a calligrapher.

Arabic Language Day: meet the calligrapher behind Dubai's first street signs

In 1980, Abdul Fattah came across a job advertisement in a local newspaper in his native Egypt to work for Dubai Municipality

December 19, 2021

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