This week’s editorial musings from magpie’s nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quote:<\/mark><\/strong> If you are like most people, then like most people, you don’t know you’re like most people Daniel Gilbert<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n ZNM to open this year<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0December 2025 has been confirmed for the\u00a0opening of the Zayed National Museum<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on Saadiyat. The PR emphasises the institution\u2019s research brief but also highlights some star exhibits \u2013 including\u00a0the world\u2019s oldest natural pearl<\/a><\/strong>, 8,000 years old and found on\u00a0Marawah Island; and the\u00a0Blue Qur\u2019an<\/strong><\/a>, dating from AD800-900 and so called because its pages are indigo-dyed sheepskin\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond artists<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Abu Dhabi Art<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has named\u00a0Alla Abdunabi<\/strong>,\u00a0Salmah Almansoori<\/strong>, and\u00a0Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum<\/strong>\u00a0for its\u00a0Beyond Emerging Artists<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0commissions programme. They\u2019ll be mentored by\u00a0Issam Kourbaj<\/strong>\u00a0and will show their new work at Abu Dhabi Art this November\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Road to joy<\/mark>\u00a0<\/strong>The rumble strip on nearly a kilometre of the E84 highway heading into Fujairah will play you the\u00a0Ode to Joy<\/strong>\u00a0bit of Beethoven\u2019s Ninth, so our man just had to try it.\u00a0Fujairah Fine Arts Academy<\/strong>, which is responsible for the installation,\u00a0says<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0you get the best performance if you can maintain a steady\u00a0100kph\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Come for the art …<\/mark><\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Seems that\u00a0arts and culture<\/strong>\u00a0are the leading reasons for visits to Qatar (28.5% of visitors said that was what they wanted), the UAE (26.6%) and Saudi Arabia (24.5%), displacing such previous attractions as\u00a0beach resorts<\/strong>\u00a0(just 9.8% in the UAE) and glitzy\u00a0retail<\/strong>\u00a0(10.9%: presumably they didn\u2019t ask the influencers and D-list celebs who clutter up Europe\u2019s lifestyle TV shows). The figures are in\u00a0a report by PwC Middle East<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0travel data firm Mabrian Technologies aimed at GCC destination management companies; it advocates \u201ca shift away from static, asset-led development\u201d (beach resorts, malls) in favour of \u201cdynamic, visitor-centric ecosystems that drive longer stays, deeper engagement and increased economic impact\u201d\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n … Bring your money …<\/mark><\/strong> The EU obviously likes what the UAE is doing on\u00a0financial regulation<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 it has voted to remove the UAE from\u00a0a list of countries that pose a high risk<\/strong>\u00a0for money laundering and terrorist financing. By a total coincidence, the UAE and the EU are in advanced discussions on a free-trade agreement\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n … Fly Business<\/mark><\/strong> This will be a shock to some \u2013 Dubai is one of the world\u2019s more desirable cities for wealthy individuals. The\u00a0Julius Baer 2025 Global Wealth & Lifestyle Report<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is based on an analysis of the cost of a basket of goods and services for what it calls \u201cliving well<\/strong>\u201d in 25 cities around the world, thus indicating the relative cost of maintaining a high-net-worth lifestyle there. Dubai comes 7th, behind (in ascending order) Shanghai, \u00a0Zurich, \u00a0Monaco, HK, London, and Singapore. The greatest YoY price rise in Dubai\u2019s basket: Champagne, up 33.6%. Greatest price fall: business class flights\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saudi at the Pompidou?<\/mark><\/strong> Will the five-year refurb of the\u00a0Centre Pompidou\u00a0feature a dedicated Saudi gallery? That\u2019s one possibility floated by a\u00a0Quotidien de l\u2019Art\u00a0story<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0reporting a 25-year agreement between KSA and the Pompidou that involves more than\u00a0\u20ac50m of Saudi money<\/strong>\u00a0in exchange for a number of services and benefits, including reserving what\u2019s termed a \u201csection\u201d of the Paris building for Saudi Arabia. The staff union says it has not agreed to \u201cthe promotion of a Kingdom\u201d\u00a0…\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now read on<\/mark><\/strong> Dubai Culture is running a\u00a0Second-Hand Book Fair<\/strong>\u00a0alongside the Dubai Public Library Summer Camp at\u00a0Al Twar Library<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Deira on 14-15 August. \u201cThe fair promotes the concept of book sustainability\u201d it says here, and we\u2019re promised \u201csymbolic prices\u201d of not more than AED\u00a010 per book\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last chance to see<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong> Eltiqa: How to Work Together?<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a powerful exhibition of 100+ artworks by the Gaza-based Eltiqa artists\u2019 collective exploring its history, solidarity, resilience and creating art under stress. Highly recommended, but finishes on 20 July…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Past lives<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/strong> The\u00a0Faya<\/strong>\u00a0landscape \u2013 near Sharjah\u2019s Mleiha Archaeological Centre, where the desert meets the Hajar mountains \u2013 has been added to the 1,250 or so properties on the\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage List<\/strong><\/a>. It\u2019s only the UAE\u2019s second entry (along with the\u00a0Al Ain<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0sites) and it\u2019s there because of evidence of human occupation from the Middle Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods (210,000\u20136,000 years ago) that demonstrate how hunter-gatherers and pastoralists adapted to hyper-arid environments. (It\u2019s\u00a0a stunning landscape and makes a great day out\u00a0…)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four head for the Gulf<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/strong> Four leading art market players have launched a consultancy called\u00a0New Perspectives Art Partners<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to target top-tier (aka deep-pocketed) collectors and institutions. Those involved are\u00a0Ed Dolman<\/strong>, former CEO of Phillips;\u00a0Brett Gorvy<\/strong>, co-founder of L\u00e9vy Gorvy Dayan and former international head of postwar and contemporary art at Christie\u2019s; Hong Kong art advisory specialist\u00a0Patti Wong<\/strong>, a former chairman of Sotheby\u2019s Asia;\u00a0Philip Hoffman<\/strong>, founder \u00a0of The Fine Art Group and former deputy chief executive of Europe at Christie\u2019s; and Dolman\u2019s son\u00a0Alex<\/strong>, a former auction specialist at Sotheby\u2019s and Phillips who co-launched Dolman Partners with his father. Each partner will maintain their own independent practice but will also combine to \u201cdeliver highly personalized, strategic guidance across acquisitions, sales, collection management, investment, collateralization, and more\u201d. Speaking to\u00a0The Peak Magazine<\/a>, Gorvy said they would operate in a similar fashion to a management consulting firm: \u201cNew Perspectives assembles to meet specific client needs to provide unbiased strategies across all available platforms to maximize the potential of their assets\u201d. The Gulf will be a particular focus, targeting sovereign families, major art trusts and estates, and global collectors\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Useful app of the week<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Real-world weather<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0if you live in New York, you can now use the wisdom of crowds (as moderated by AI) to decide whether it’s going to be nice out today\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something for the weekend<\/mark><\/strong> You Were Just Selling Lemonade<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is a fun satire on capitalism. Make the numbers go up, but there will be consequences\u00a0…\u00a0Try it here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things we didn\u2019t know no.94<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0In 2023, migrants around the world\u00a0sent $626 billion back home<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(nearly\u00a0three times larger than global foreign aid\u00a0in 2023)\u00a0and paid\u00a0$51bn in fees<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to do so (average money transfer fee: 6.3%)\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earworm of the week<\/mark> <\/a><\/strong>Throwing Muses : Summer of Love<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"