From desert to stage: Perform Sharjah returns

Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.

This week we spotlight the launch of the new season of “Perform Sharjah,” presenting contemporary performances across the emirate of Sharjah and its coastal town of Khorfakkan; the opening of Emirati sister-owned The Meld Concept in Dubai; and Tunisian contemporary calligrapher Nja Mahdaoui’s solo exhibition at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in Abu Dhabi.

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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: 'Perform Sharjah' kicks off autumn program

“Magec/The Desert,”  RadouanMriziga, 2025. (Image courtesy of the artist. Photography by Louka Van Roy)

From large-scale, theatrical production to intimate showings, “Perform Sharjah’s” new season kicks off this weekend with an exciting and impressive lineup of local, regional and international performances that highlight the multifaceted, diverse and rich contemporary performing arts scene across the region. On show is a selection of new and returning performances staged in public and community spaces across Sharjah and the coastal town of Khorfakkan. 

A highlight this year will be the launch of Music on the Barge, transforming Khalid Lake and its surrounding park with three musical nights on a purpose-built stage.  Additionally, this year the event also features two ambitious co-productions. These include Selma & Sofiane Ouissi’s “Laaroussa Quartet," which models its choreography after the gestures of women potters creating traditional clay dolls called “laaroussa” in Sejnane, a town in northwest Tunisia. The performance is staged in the courtyard of Al Qasimiyah School, where the show seeks to amplify the motif of cultural transmission. Another is Radouan Mriziga‘s “Magec/The Desert,” which — through movement and performance — seeks to tap into the hidden wisdom of the surrounding landscape. The choreography is set against a mix of text and sounds, while the performance pays reverence to the desert as a teacher to be respected and not exploited as a resource.  

An act returning this season is Ahmed El Attar’s Arabic adaptation of Duncan Macmillan’s acclaimed one-act play, “Every Brilliant Thing," which formed part of “Perform Sharjah’s” inaugural edition in 2022. Actress Nanda Mohamed takes the lead in this interactive performance about living with depression, and she is open to the participation of audience members in both Sharjah and Khorfakkan, thus lessening the distinction between actor and spectator. 

Date: Oct. 11 to Nov. 30

Location: Various in Sharjah and Khorfakkan

Find more information here.

2. Word on the street: The Meld Concept

A view of The Meld Concept in Dubai. (Photo courtesy of Oculis Project)

Blurring the lines of fashion, gastronomy and culture, The Meld Concept, founded by sisters Afra and Shama Al Ghurair, opens Oct. 16 in a reimagined 1970s villa in Jumeirah. Designed by VSHD Design, the structure is a reflection of the city’s ongoing cultural transformation and fosters an environment that nurtures intimacy, creative exchange, community and craftsmanship. With its minimalist aesthetic, the space is designed to evoke calm and serenity through textured surfaces and natural light. It houses the sisters’ abaya label, Fold, along with curated homeware from Kadi Boutique and a rotating coffee station, currently featuring Emirati brand Bayn Coffee. 

Location: 35 32B Street, Jumeirah 1 

Find more information here.

3. Dubai diary

Nja Mahdaoui. Untitled. Graphic Research. 1968. (Image courtesy of the artist)

• Choreographer of letters by Nja Mahdaoui 

This exhibition presents the work of acclaimed Tunisian contemporary calligrapher, Nja Mahdaoui, and presents both traditional and modern works exploring the evolution of Mahdaoui’s work. Marking the artist’s first retrospective survey over the last six decades, the show has been co-curated by Michaela Watrelot, head curator and director of exhibitions at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, and Mahdaoui’s daughter, Molka. The focused retrospective surveys over six decades of practice by the Tunisian master who, through his work, transcends Arabic calligraphy and transforms it into a visual and abstract contemporary art form.

“Internationally renowned as a 'choreographer of letters,' Mahdaoui is widely recognized for his pioneering role in the development of calligraphic abstraction, freeing the letter from its linguistic constraints, to reveal its endless creative potential,” Watrelot says in the opening press release. 

The exhibition also goes beyond Mahdaoui’s “oeuvre” to show how calligraphic abstraction has worked to define global perceptions of Arab art and its identity and heritage.

Date: Oct. 24 to Jan. 25, 2026

Location: Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, Al Saadiyat Island, Cultural District, Abu Dhabi 

Find more information here.

• ‘Body Geometry’ by Iranian artist, designer and philosopher Banafsheh Hemmati

This enticing exhibition displays the work of Iranian artist, designer and philosopher Banafsheh Hemmati and marks her first solo exhibition in Dubai. With work that lies at the intersection of art, design and philosophy, Hemmati presents contemporary creations that serve as both sculptural pieces and wearable jewelry, inspired by the fundamental patterns of Islamic geometry.

Date: Until Oct. 31

Location: Satellite Gallery, Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)

Find more information here.

• ‘Inside Out ‘25’ by Elias Izoli

In this exhibition, Syrian painter Elias Izoli presents a solo exhibition where he incorporates imagery of the circle to reflect on life’s daily struggles. Using bold brushstrokes and a vibrant color palette, Izoli’s heightened canvases portray the tension of his protagonists through their intense and often traumatic expressions despite their playful occupations. Think tightrope walkers, trapeze artists and clowns.

Date: Until Nov. 7

Location: Ayyam Gallery, Alserkal Avenue

Find more information here.