Each one of Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s artworks is a fragment of an uplifting and vibrant world, complete with its own ecosystem, animals and even weather.
His papier-mache sculptures are eight-legged insects craning their necks to the sky or arboreal forms stretching in neon and pastel hues. Microbial beings spangle his canvases with polychromatic verve. His towers are covered in curious, barnacle-like creatures. His chairs are life forms in themselves.
Ibrahim has long been a staple at local art fairs and group exhibitions, but only slivers of his wondrous and fantastical world are typically presented at these events. In his solo exhibition at the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi, the artist reveals that world in its full, lively wonder.
Two Clouds in the Night Sky is a celebration of the contributions of a pioneering figure on the UAE’s contemporary arts scene. The exhibition, running until February 22, is not Ibrahim’s first solo, but it does represent a full circle in the artist’s career.
Among the first works in the exhibition is an untitled 1989 painting. It is immediately clear that the work is distinct from the other pieces within the exhibition. The colour palette leans towards earthy tones, and the forms within the piece are depicted in dizzying swirls. The painting is dynamic, and though it is clear that it represents the artistic vision that Ibrahim would develop and perfect in the decades that followed, it is a wholly separate work.
Untitled (1989) was displayed in Ibrahim’s first solo exhibition in 1991, which was first shown at Qasr Al Thaqafa in Sharjah before being presented at the Cultural Foundation, marking his earliest major institutional recognition.
The piece is the oldest in Two Clouds in the Night Sky, and a rare example from that period. That isn’t surprising, given Ibrahim set fire to most of his works in the late 1990s.
As such, though the exhibition is sprawling and brings together a stunning diversity of work – from sculptures and paintings to installations – it would be amiss to call Two Clouds in the Night Sky a retrospective.
“It is more of a landmark show,” says Noor Al Mehairbi, who co-curated the show with Medyyah Al Tamimi. “I didn’t really show his works from a strict chronological view. Instead, I highlighted his recent practice.”
The exhibition is organised into four sections, each reflecting a distinct mode through which Ibrahim engages with the natural world and the subconscious.
In Transit, the first and largest section, unfolds as an immersive environment in which papier-mache sculptures and paintings are gathered into a dense, forest-like formation.
The curation is shrewd, trying not to spotlight any singular work but rather communicating a larger, enveloping ecology of forms. Clouds, insects, trees and Ibrahim’s recurring cypher-like shapes appear as coexisting life forms, encouraging viewers to experience the space as a living landscape rather than a sequence of discrete objects.
“I wanted it to follow the same shape as one of his cypher forms, so that you could experience his work as a topography,” Al Mehairbi says. “You can experience it from the second floor, looking down or think of yourself as a body existing within these forms.”
The space also presents one of Ibrahim’s newest works, commissioned especially for the exhibition. An architectural intervention within the central space, Time/Place/Void comprises four colourful interconnected rooms inscribed with Ibrahim’s signature line drawings. Walking from room to room, being enveloped in reds and greens and blues, is a giddy and uplifting experience.
It is perhaps this installation that most succinctly distils Ibrahim’s practice. The linear markings recall the drawings he once produced alongside office work, discreetly folding them away in his desk, while the physical act of moving through the saturated spaces alludes to the travel that has shaped his more recent work.
“I think of it like you’re entering other dimensions, or other portals into his mind, into his thought process, but also into our own internal geographies,” Al Mehairbi says.
The second section, Traces Made Visible, exclusively features Ibrahim’s monochrome works. It is through these that the artist pares his practice down to its most elemental forms. The section is simultaneously a palate, or rather palette, cleanser, allowing viewers to appreciate the vibrancy of the preceding and successive works, as well as a means to admire the more formal aspects of Ibrahim’s practice – his fantastical touch on papier-mache and his mastery of lines and the way they suggest movement.
Ibrahim’s Sitting Man series is at the heart of the third section, Shapeshifters. The core image of the series – of a man sitting with his head out of frame – originated from an accidentally cropped photograph of Ibrahim’s longtime friend and mentor, Hassan Sharif. Ibrahim has produced numerous versions of the painting.
“It is a meditative act,” Al Mehairbi says. “Repeating a line over and over again, or even with the Sitting Man series, repeating an image over and over again.”
The final section turns towards Ibrahim’s enduring relationship with land. Archival materials delve into projects such as Draped Trees (1996) and Khorfakkan Circles (2004), where Ibrahim intervened directly in the mountains of his native Khor Fakkan and used the landscape as an active artistic medium.
“He was doing land art even before he thought about it as an artistic category or a genre,” Al Mehairbi says. “It was about leaving a mark and letting the land speak.”
The section also presents recent sculptural works, including a newly commissioned interactive work. “It only seemed natural to have an interactive format,” AlMehairbi says. “How could you look at all these works and not feel the texture?”
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20and%20Alex%20Pastor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGeorgina%20Campbell%2C%20Mario%20Casas%2C%20Diego%20Calva%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Europe’s rearming plan
Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
Create new “instrument” providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
Engage the bloc’s European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Full list of brands available for Instagram Checkout
Adidas @adidaswomen
Anastasia Beverly Hills @anastasiabeverlyhills
Balmain @balmain
Burberry @burberry
ColourPop @colourpopcosmetics
Dior @dior
H&M @hm
Huda Beauty @hudabeautyshop
KKW @kkwbeauty
Kylie Cosmetics @kyliecosmetics
MAC Cosmetics @maccosmetics
Michael Kors @michaelkors
NARS @narsissist
Nike @niketraining & @nikewomen
NYX Cosmetics @nyxcosmetics
Oscar de la Renta @oscardelarenta
Ouai Hair @theouai
Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices
Prada @prada
Revolve @revolve
Uniqlo @uniqlo
Warby Parker @warbyparker
Zara @zara
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE’s implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
Where%20the%20Crawdads%20Sing
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOlivia%20Newman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daisy%20Edgar-Jones%2C%20Taylor%20John%20Smith%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20David%20Strathairn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
SUZUME
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Makoto%20Shinkai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Nanoka%20Hara%2C%20Hokuto%20Matsumura%2C%20Eri%20Fukatsu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) – points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) – retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) – TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) – RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsCompany%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5