From Tunis to Dubai: Bechir Boussandel’s poignant glass works
Emirati cuisine, contemporary art and global runways.
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.
This week we are highlighting three events: a solo exhibition of glass works by Tunisian artist Bechir Boussandel, an exhibition by Emirati artist Maitha Abdalla at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Dubai Fashion Week in September.
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Happy reading,
Rebecca
P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.
1. Leading the week: ‘Tempted by Other Suns’
Bechir Boussandel’s glass artworks at Tabari Artspace in Dubai. Courtesy of Tabari Artspace
Following its debut in the Tunisian capital, this two-part solo exhibition presents a series of glass-blown works by Bechir Boussandel, developed in collaboration with B7L9 Art Center in Tunis and supported by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation. Drawing their inspiration from Tunisia’s “berbasha” as they are known locally or individuals who collect waste to survive, the poignant yet fragile works mark a departure from Boussandel’s predominant practice of works on canvas.
The glass works in their multitude of various shapes and colors can be found on the floor of Tabari Artspace in Dubai. The French-born artist of Tunisian descent was inspired to make them after he encountered a Senegalese man who collected plastic bottles to pay for his journey to Europe. Boussandel followed him to a waste depot and began to see his journey not as one of despair and misfortune, but one filled with ambition, hope and the determination to survive. His is the dream of many in North and Sub-Saharan Africa to travel to Europe in the hopes of a better life.
The title is taken from the words of French philosopher Claire Marin: “Like migratory birds, we are always tempted by other suns.”
A few of the glass pieces feature metal birds symbolizing migration. Boussandel renders them stationary, rather than in flight — a metaphor for entrapment between the urge to escape and the pull to remain, imposed by restrictive socioeconomic forces.
The works originate from a single sketch of a water bottle with a bird perched on top. From that initial sketch, Boussandel expanded his practice to explore themes of marginalization, precarity and the illusion of what lies beyond a nation’s borders.
Date: Through Sept. 5
Location: Tabari Artspace, Dubai, DIFC
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant
An interior view of Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant. (Courtesy of Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant)
If you’re looking for local Emirati cuisine in a setting of traditional architecture and decor, head to Dubai’s historic Al Fahidi district for an authentic culinary experience. Opened in 2020, Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant is housed in a restored heritage house and features rustic Arabian design, staff in traditional attire and live music. Be sure to try traditional dishes such as Harees, a slow-cooked blend of wheat and meat topped with ghee; Thareed, a spiced bread soup from Mecca poured over crumbled flatbread; and Luqaimat, sweet dumplings drizzled with fragrant syrup.
Location: 79 Al Mussallah Road, Al Fahidi, Dubai
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
An installation view of ‘Between Metamorphosis and Reality’ by Maitha Abdalla. Courtesy of the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
- ‘Between Metamorphosis and Reality’ by Maitha Abdalla
Emirati artist Maitha Abdalla is known for her multimedia and performance practice, which explores the confines of daily reality and the realm where life and fantasy converge. Her work often incorporates themes of gender, psychology, and cultural and social norms. A comprehensive display of her work — including painting, film, photography and sculpture — is currently on view at Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation. Here, the artist navigates the space where the figurative and the abstract blur, and where real life merges with the fantastical and the uncanny — prompting viewers to question the very nature of reality.
Date: Through Aug. 30
Location: Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi
Find more information here.
- ‘It Starts Where it Ends’ at 421 Arts Campus
Colombian artist Ana Escobar Saavedra’s first institutional solo show at Abu Dhabi’s independent 421 Arts Campus — a space dedicated to supporting emerging artists — explores the nuances of identity through linguistics and philosophy. At the core of her practice is a linguistic duality from Spanish, her mother tongue, in the verbs “ser” and “estar” — both meaning “to be” but conveying different nuances. “Ser” suggests permanence, while “estar” refers to a transient state of being. This tension surfaces in her work, expressed through pieces made of marble and granite — materials traditionally associated with historical preservation. Saavedra reshapes them to evoke the body, particularly the skin, as a vessel of transformation, with textures suggesting evolving scars and shifting colors over time.
Date: Through Sept. 7
Location: Warehouse 421 Abu Dhabi
Find more information here.
- Dubai Fashion Week
Once again, Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) returns to Dubai Design District with a captivating and expanded spring/summer 2026 edition that pushes the boundaries of fashion while also honoring tradition and heritage.
The September edition builds on the success of its Fall/Winter showcase, with the aim to elevate Dubai as a major capital for global fashion and cultural dialogue. This season, Germany, the Netherlands and Croatia make their official runway debut at DFW. Among the newcomers are Maison Novague from Germany, Chic & Holland from the Netherlands and XD Xenia from Croatia. For Couture, a diverse lineup includes Maison Rizman Ruzaini from Malaysia, Heba Jasmi, Michael Cinco and Kresha Bajaj from India, and Erick Bendaña from Nicaragua, as well as Maison Novague and Chic & Holland.
Date: Sept. 1-6
Location: Dubai Design District
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: ‘Daybreak in Gaza’
Edited by Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller, “Daybreak in Gaza: Stories of Palestinian Lives and Culture” poignantly captures the rich cultural tapestry of the Gaza Strip, even as it faces relentless assault. As its cultural heritage is being eroded, the book preserves the voices and memories of artists, doctors, students, shopkeepers, teachers and many others who speak of their homeland across generations.
5. View from Dubai
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, August 23, 2025, around 6:20 pm. Photographed by Sueraya Shaheen
“I took this photograph on my last day in Abu Dhabi, at Mamsha, my (now) favorite beach. At first I didn’t notice it, as I walked straight into the water, without looking left or right, but when I did, I was in awe. I moved closer to take it all in, you either love or hate a [Frank] Gehry design. No debate here. Of course I shot in color, but the sunset stole the show. So I converted the image to black and white, giving them equal billing.”
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has been under construction since 2011 and it is expected to be completed to open in 2026.
Sueraya Shaheen, a Syrian American photographer, photo editor, and arts and culture consultant based in Washington, travels extensively across the Middle East and North Africa. Her distinctive practice, rooted in documentary-style portraiture infused with fine art sensibilities, centers on artists within their environments.
6. By the numbers
- Around one in five UK millionaires are considering relocating to Dubai as the United Arab Emirates increasingly emerges as a top global safe haven for the wealthy compared to London, according to a survey of over 1,000 British millionaires from investment migration consultancy Arton Capital.
- Over 250,000 UK nationals presently reside in Dubai, according to the same survey.
- According to the report, off-plan property sales to British buyers in Dubai doubled in the second quarter of 2025 year-on-year.