This week’s editorial musings
from magpie’s nest
The quote: Admire more, most people don’t admire enough | Vincent Van Gogh …
Aaaand … we’re back after two weeks of unpicking stuff the bad folk did to our website and then patching up the patches that inadvertently muddied the waters further. SO here’s a bumper edition of the comment section …
Hear history Sharjah Art Foundation’s Radial Histories: Art and Exchange in Sharjah 1960s-1980s is a six-part podcast series on the history of visual art in Sharjah and the UAE up to the early 1990s. It mixes oral histories, archival recordings and scholarly commentary; episode one is an explainer, but the other five do get meaty on the what, when and why of the early contemporary arts scene here. On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami and other major podcast platforms. Recommended …
Safe and sound The UAE has been climbing steadily up the Internations Quality of Life Index to rank 2nd for 2025 (as rated by expats, though we don’t know how many contributed). Personal safety, political stability and dining options were rated highly; even the UAE’s worst-performing subcategory in the index receives an above-average result – 20th (out of 46 destinations included) for Environment & Climate. Spain topped the overall list.
And for nationals, the UAE passport has retained its top score in Arton Capital’s Passport Index – its total of 182 is the highest score in the Index’s history. The Index effectively measures ease of access to other countries, such as visa-free entry …
Opps 1 A raft of Dubai Design Week applications – deadline 15 June for Abwab and Urban Commissionsopen calls, 31 July for installation proposals, 15 Aug for activations and applications to the UAE Designer Exhibition. All listed on the Opportunities page …
Opps 2 Third edition of Art Jameel’s Research and Practice Platform – grants of AED 10,000 to help creatives through current troubles; no deliverables required. Deadline 31 July; info here …
Opps 3 ArtDep, which curates art events and projects “designed to bring art closer to everyone”, is looking for new speakers (art historians, lecturers) for upcoming events. CV and short intro to prartdep@gmail.com …
Opps 4 Sharjah Architecture Triennial is looking for six interns to work on the upcoming third edition of the Triennial (opens Nov). Start date now, duration six months; there’s a stipend (amount unspecified). Deadline to apply 14 Jun. Info here …
Write on paperdiwan has just started a Slow Sundays meetup for writers – 10am-12pm at Spill the Bean in JVC, every Sunday to 20 Aug: “pull up a chair and start writing. Don’t forget your pen & paper” …
Read on We’ve been reading the inaugural print version of Wired ME, The Connection Issue, and it’s good – makes the most of the good graphics they commissioned, lots of regionally-oriented material (we were expecting more reprinting from Wired USA), most of it commendably thoughtful about where technology is taking us: particularly good articles on Drake (and others) appropriating Arabic culture, and how Arabic is helping creators bypass AI-powered content moderation online …
Learning the orchestra The UAE National Orchestrahas introduced Tashyeed, a first step in its wider learning and community mandate: it’s a 13-month part-time programme that will support professional development of 17 Emirati musicians. Participants have already been selected through “a focused evaluation process”. More initiatives are promised for the development of Emirati composers, schools outreach, and international collaboration …
VR trip extended Louvre Abu Dhabi has extended the run for its Quantum Dome Project – a clever collective VR adventure from Imperial Rome through Medieval Baghdad to Mughal India: adults AED 40, under 18s AED 20 – to the end of the year …
Read on We’ve been reading the inaugural print version of Wired ME, The Connection Issue, and it’s good – makes the most of the good graphics they commissioned, lots of regionally-oriented material (we were expecting more reprinting from Wired USA), most of it commendably thoughtful about where technology is taking us: particularly good articles on Drake (and others) appropriating Arabic culture, and how Arabic is helping creators bypass AI-powered content moderation online …
Good looking The UAE’s top portrait snapper Waleed Shah has reactivated his clever Covid-era Mowjood proposition: “I’m out of work and probably so are you. So if you can afford to put food on my table please do”. Have a photo session with him at his house in Reraam for just AED 50 (“literally just to keep it real and not to get fake bookings”) and he’ll make you look like a rockstar. Then you and he post and write about it “and hopefully someone will notice for when work starts coming back”. Call him on +971 50 614 2063 …
What Uber has The Uber Lost & Found Index for Dubai is headed by the obvious stuff – phone, luggage, wallet, headphones – but of course there are the amusing oddities: a full-sized massage table, boxing belts and ski goggles, and a TV remote control (who needs to take one for a ride?) …
Bye bye Barasti Barasti is closing this month for a six-month redevelopment, returning in 2027 as “a fully reimagined beachfront destination” with “multiple zones catering to different moods and audiences” (we remember it when it was just a bar). A day-long Last Orders celebration on 21 June is AED 150 to include 3 food items and 5 drinks, which looks a good deal …
Kids’ writing ELF’s competitions for kids are now open with the theme Heroes. The Letter Writing Competition invites a letter to someone “you wanted to thank, honour, or better understand” as a hero; entries should be handwritten on a single side of A4 (“try using your best handwriting”), submitted in the appropriate age category (8-10, 11-13, 14-18); deadline 8 Jan 2027.
And the OUP Story Writing Competition asks “what does a hero look like to you?” Stories in English or Arabic, again submitted in age category (11 and under: 500 words max, 12-14: 1,000 words max, 15-18: 1,500 words max). Deadline 10 Dec …
Spider’s Web casting H72 Productions is auditioning for Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web, second only to The Mousetrap as her most successful play. Sarah Potter directs, it’s showing in September, and there are eight adult roles to be filled. Auditions 13 and 14 June, 4.15-6pm at The Junction Academy, Al Moosa Tower 2 on SZR; info here …
More laughs There’s yet another new regular comedy gig in Dubai – this one in Bur Dubai on Sundays, promising “a lively mix of fresh stand-up comedians, crowd interaction, open mic moments, and occasional performances by popular comedy acts”. No word on who’s on the bill, but (a) it’s free and (b) there’s 30% off on F&B and 40% on spirits. First outing is this Sunday …
Permissions to play Vinyl Souk is looking for input on how to improve the local music ecosystem: if you work in hospitality, events, music, culture, or entertainment and have experience navigating artist permits, they’re interested in your views on permit structures and their impact across different parts of the sector …
Doomscroll 1 The number of UAE companies planning to cut staff numbers has more than tripled to 25%, up from just 7% three months ago, says a ManpowerGroup survey of 546 employers. Geopolitics and economic uncertainty were the reasons most cited …
Doomscroll 2 Saudi authorities expect to spend $16bn canceling NEOM contracts over the next five years, says Semafor (reporting “people familiar with the matter’). The kingdom has reportedly spent $64bn on NEOM so far, with little to show for it apart from bits of the OXAGON industrial city (where the port has gained significance given the closure of the Strait of Hormuz) …
Doomscroll 2 Saudi authorities expect to spend $16bn canceling NEOM contracts over the next five years, says Semafor (reporting “people familiar with the matter’). The kingdom has reportedly spent $64bn on NEOM so far, with little to show for it apart from bits of the OXAGON industrial city (where the port has gained significance given the closure of the Strait of Hormuz) …
Made in the UAE JD Malat’s Made in the UAE open call attracted 300+ applicants. The lucky few are Ahmed Emad, Elizaveta Pugacheva, Samo Shalaby, Anila Ashraf, Sasan Nasernia, Camelia Mohebi and Yousif Albadi; their exhibition opens today …
Not so bad … The Microsoft Work Trend Index suggests that decision-making is now the biggest workplace AI use case, accounting for nearly 28% of AI activity – people increasingly rely on AI for analysis and judgment rather than simple automation. The data suggests AI is evolving from a productivity tool into a thinking partner, while human-centred tasks like coaching, advising, and relationship-driven work remain less affected …
… but take no chances Give AI chatbots as little as possible by turning on temporary chats or incognito mode – that way chats won’t be saved and won’t be used to train the models. ChatGPT: look for the Temporary Chat toggle in the upper-right corner of the app or website. Claude: Tap the little ghost in the upper-right. Gemini: tap the pen icon at upper-right …
Beautiful eateries The Prix Versailles people have unveiled their list of the world’s 16 most beautiful restaurants for 2026. Dubai scores via Nobu One Za’abeel, with “a monumental custom lighting system” and “unbeatable views” …
Cruisin’ Drive around a foreign city, listening to a local radio station and watching local dashcam footage with Drive & Listen. Dubai’s included; Delhi and Havana are recommended …
Useful app of the week PawPause is a macOS menu bar app that detects when your cat is walking across the keyboard and pauses input system-wide before it posts gibberish or fires a shortcut. Essential stuff. Find it here …
Something for the weekend Eyeball is a simple and fiendishly addictive game: click the point on a horizontal line where exactly you think the number sits. Try it here …
Things we didn’t know no.94 Only 62 men have ever scored in a World Cup Final since the competition started in 1930 …
Earworm of the week Massive Attack / Tom Waits : Boots on the Ground
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