An avid art collector, curator and founder of the Burjeel Art Foundation, Al Qassemi has a comprehensive appreciation for the strides the UAE has made to cement its place in the wider arts world. He sat with The National’s Melissa Gronlund to share that appreciation in this podcast. Read more »
The National
Sultan Al Qassemi: Taking a ‘Warrior’s Break’
At a recent panel discussion in Dubai celebrating the eight-year anniversary of the foundation, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi noted how few people can recognise even iconic works of modern Arab art history. This press feature in the National discusses the importance of Al Qassemi’s project, Barjeel Art Foundation, in raising awareness about modern Arab art. Read more »
Despite the venom spewed by renegades, we are united
Can the GCC truly be certain that all its member states consider the security and integrity of other member states their top priority? There should be no room for doubt – but sadly there is. Read more »
‘Change we can believe in’? Not for the Middle East
Mr Obama’s policies have allowed for an overall regression in democracy in the Arab world. It’s high time for fresh faces and fresh ideas from the White House to deal with outdated policies that have clearly failed in effecting a genuine change in the Middle East. Read more »
2010 shines as a celebration of ‘Kulluna Khalifa’
One need only look to the thousands of UAE citizens who thronged to Al Rawda Palace in Al Ain during September 2010 to see that this year was the year of Sheikh Khalifa. Read more »
An independent intellectual sphere is vital to the Gulf
Perhaps no Arab is better known as a public intellectual than the great late Arab American scholar Edward Said, whose writings and lectures resonated across the world. Said once wrote: “The role of the intellectual is not to consolidate authority, but to understand, interpret and question it.” Read more »