Dubai: Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, inaugurated the Carpet and Art Oasis, a main event of Dubai Shopping Festival, at Dubai Festival City, which included the unveiling of a carpet portrait named “Thank You Khalifa”.
The portrait is 8.5 metres tall and three metres wide, comprising 30 pictures of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and some stunning UAE monuments.
The nation’s map is places in the middle of the carpet-portrait as an expression of love and loyalty to the UAE and its leadership. The move is in line with the ‘Thank You Khalifa’ initiative that was launched by Shaikh Mohammad on the anniversary of his accession as Ruler of Dubai.
This year’s Oasis features collections of exquisite Persian silk rugs, handcrafted in renowned rug-making regions in Iran like Qom, Tabriz and Esfahan, as well as the famous Afghan wool carpets; alongside the exotic cashmere carpets and other art items on display by exhibitors from Turkey, India, China, Turkmenistan and Pakistan.
The Oasis, which opened on Thursday, is being held this year under the theme “The Beauty of Spinning Art”, derived from the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy and the fascinating way it blends with oriental carpets to create true pieces of art.