Sumayyah Al Suwaidi is a pioneer, and with her unique works, she changes the UAE creative scene, making her stand out and receive several awards. Starting her career back in 1996, Al Suwaidi has since been able to make a name for herself internationally, with her work having been showcased in various high-profile exhibitions across the globe. With every stroke, every hue, every feel, and every shade, each of her pieces is a dazzling combination of colours, textures, and contrasts all deeply rooted in respect to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. From her early days to having her work auctioned by Christie’s, Sumayyah has constantly pushed the boundaries of digital art, making her one of the most influential Emirati artists of her generation.

With a passion for digital art that started to take shape in 1996, Sumayyah Al Suwaidi developed into one of the most influential UAE artists in a period of over twenty years. Her work continues to break traditional arts by presenting digital additions to her practice. It has also made waves not just locally but also internationally, setting a new benchmark for Emirati art. Sumayyah began her career in digital art when the medium was at its infancy in the UAE. She drew her inspiration from a world outside, with an urge to speak in a new language, and released her first collection of works in 2001. That collection, a tribute to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, marked a turning point in her career. The series revealed her capability of combining elements of photography, texture, and digital manipulation into complex pieces that told stories beyond surface beauty.

The rise to prominence for Sumayyah Al Suwaidi was rapid. She began her career in 2003 when, for the first time, she showed her work in Abu Dhabi along with some of the most celebrated artists of the UAE. This was the beginning of a career that would involve prestigious exhibitions not only across the UAE but also internationally. Her works have been exhibited in galleries in cities such as London, Paris, New York, Beijing, and Kuwait, which showcased Emirati digital art on an international platform. One of the turning moments in Sumayyah’s career came in the year 2012 when her works were auctioned by Christie’s in Dubai during the Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian, and Turkish Art Part II sale. Such a milestone not only cemented her standing as a leading artist but also opened the doors of opportunity in the international art market. In just a year later, her work was going to be showcased in the Sotheby’s Galleries in London under the Three Generations exhibition, going further to reinforce her ability in pushing the bars set in art.

Sumayyah Al Suwaidi’s works are draws from her experiences of growing up in the UAE. Her art often reflects elements of identity, heritage, and culture, going on to fully explore the metamorphosis on the role of women that the Arab world has lately undergone. She is integrating traditional motives with up-to-date skills, creating a unique speech between past and present. Her works are characterized by a deep understanding of storytelling. Every piece, regardless of origin-from personal to commenting on times of change-allows the viewer to spend more time with the work. Elaborate use is seen in the layering of textures and patterns to symbolize the complexity of human emotions, while vibrant colours reflect the richness in Emirati culture.

The influence of Sumayyah goes beyond the borders of the UAE into leading galleries and exhibitions all over the world, including New York, Paris, and Beijing. All international recognitions raised her profile as an artist and focused new-born importance on digital art from the Middle East. Her work, which spans tradition into modernity, is a testament to the creative potential of digital art. By wedding technical innovation to cultural storytelling, Sumayyah has developed a body of work that resonates with audiences both within the UAE and beyond.

The journey of Sumayyah Al Suwaidi from enthusiastic little girl to a global persona within the world of digital art is an inspiring tale of creativity, innovation, and cultural pride. She has not only changed what it means for one to be an artist in the United Arab Emirates with her pioneering work and sheer devotion to the craft, but she has also created a pathway for the next generation of Emirati youth to explore limitless possibilities within digital artistry.

Al Rawahi revolutionized the energy sector with his novel approach toward the regeneration of batteries, waste reduction, and extending the life of critical power systems. With over 15 years invested in the energy industry, his foresighted management received appreciation in many ways, including a coveted slot among Forbes Middle East’s list of Inspiring Business Leaders. At Saudi Aramco, Nasser is committed to driving the future energy landscape through innovation, sustainability, and technical excellence for generations to come.

Nasser Al Rawahi founded Hexagon Battery Regeneration with a passion to disrupt the energy industry by bringing back to life batteries that would otherwise be discarded. Since incorporating Hexagon in 2014, Al Rawahi has been at the helm in defining the strategic direction of the company toward ensuring that it meets the rising global demand for alternative energy. Combining his expertise in engineering and sales with a passion for innovation, Hexagon has grown to become among the leading companies in battery regeneration-a company initiative which introduces both economic and environmental benefits to businesses and consumers alike.

It all began with a sound combination of technical and managerial education for Al Rawahi to rise to the pinnacle in the energy industry. With a BSc in Aviation Management from Emirates Aviation College, Dubai, supplemented by a Higher Diploma in Aircraft Technology/Engines and Airframe from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, Al Rawahi brought together a rare combination of engineering know-how and business acumen. Later, he earned an Executive MBA from the reputed IE Business School in Spain, further whetting his ability to lead a growing company in a very competitive industry.

Before setting up Hexagon, Al Rawahi spent upwards of 15 years working with international multinationals in the energy sector, during which he shouldered management roles, both in engineering and sales. This position and experience allowed him to develop his skills even more and understand some of the challenges and opportunities within the industry. Al Rawahi realized there was further development required to reach more sustainable solutions and he found a gap in the market regarding battery regeneration-a process which reduces waste and lengthens the life of batteries simultaneously, hence is economically feasible and friendly to the environment.

With Al Rawahi at the helm, Hexagon Battery Regeneration created a splash in quick time-not only within the UAE but beyond. It has assisted businesses in saving costs by offering maximum battery life using state-of-the-art regeneration technologies; hence, it is a very important ingredient in their energy systems. This is how Hexagon has turned out to be the fulcrum in the energy market, especially when industrialists and governments have started thinking about sustainability with environmental stewardship.

Under his leadership, Hexagon has received wide acclaim for its innovative approach and business success. In 2015, a year into founding the company, Al Rawahi was featured among Forbes Middle East’s list of Inspiring Business Leaders in the UAE, a fact that further cemented his status as one of the pioneers in energy-related businesses and the rising importance of battery regeneration both as a tool against waste and for sustainability.

Part of the reason Hexagon has been so successful has to do with Al Rawahi himself and how he views leadership: As founder, he is heavily involved in overseeing the strategic direction of the business, and the main thing he pays most attention to is how Hexagon will maintain its edge above competitors on technology and customer service. His technical background lets him make informed decisions about the company’s products and services, while his business acumen makes sure Hexagon continues to attain growth and success in a very competitive market.

As the world moves into a green future, Al Rawahi and Hexagon lead the process in proving that one doesn’t have to make a choice between innovation and sustainability. With his leadership and determination, Nasser Al Rawahi isn’t just regenerating batteries-he’s regenerating the way we think about energy and sustainability.

Over the past decade, Salem Al-Qassimi has been a resident visionary in the worlds of design and education, commanding respect throughout the UAE. As Founder and Principal of the dynamic platform Fikra, which merges design education, entrepreneurship, and cultural innovation, Al-Qassimi has established himself as one of the most influential voices in the Middle East’s rapidly growing design community. His multidisciplinary practice, which was deeply steeped in keen sensitivity and appreciation of contemporary cultural identity, continues to inspire new generations of designers and thinkers across the world.

Salem Al-Qassimi is not just a graphic designer; he is a front-runner who has been pushing boundaries regarding design education and discourses of culture within the UAE. It is his brainchild, Fikra that brings creative people together, giving them a place to experiment, learn, and interact with design holistically and effectively. Al-Qassimi has thus created a multifaceted platform through the Fikra Design Studio, the Fikra Campus, and the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial-celebrating design both as a profession and as a form of cultural activity.

Fikra: A Platform for Design Innovation

Established in 2006, Fikra Design Studio was initially set up as a boutique design house offering branding, graphic design, and creative consultancy. Along the way, Fikra evolved into a full-fledged platform that supported design education and community. The launch of Fikra Campus in 2017 marked a new chapter for the company-it brought together designers, students, and creative professionals under one roof to share ideas, participate in workshops, and work on projects that have pushed the envelope on traditional design.

Probably the most relevant program that comes under Fikra is the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial, which was started in 2018. The Biennial is the first of its type within the Middle East; it celebrates the role graphic design plays in shaping contemporary culture. It gives a unique platform for designers, artists, and cultural practitioners to present their work, have critical discourses, and discuss the intersection of design with societal issues. It immediately placed the UAE on the map of being in the circle of global design hubs, and the Biennial made its mark as a pioneering event in that respect.

Education has always been part of the core at the heart of Al-Qassimi’s mission. A designer who taught the subject for over a decade at leading institutions like the Rhode Island School of Design and the American University of Sharjah, Al-Qassimi is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of designers. His teaching philosophy puts great stress on cultural context to design and allows students to investigate their identities through their creative work. Al-Qassimi’s avant-garde approach makes students realize that design is not about creating something for people to look at; rather, it is a medium through which stories could be told, complex problems solved, and culture expressed.

Thought Leader in Design and Culture

Apart from being a great educator and entrepreneur, Salem Al-Qassimi is a thought leader in design. He frequently speaks at conferences, universities, and exhibitions around the world about issues at which design, culture, and society intersect. His work has cropped up in a number of international periodicals, and he has written numerous articles, reviews and essays on topics as diverse as Arabic typography to the development of design education in the Arab world.

Design is deeply rooted in the mind of Al-Qassimi regarding his notion of creativity as an energetic tool in cultural dialogue. To a large extent, through Fikra and his academic work, he has sought to question the design conceptually conceived conventionally by offering nuance, which is necessary for any kind of historical and rich diversity that has characterized the region of Arabs. His efforts have placed him as a leader in the Middle East’s design community, arguing for Arabic design to be much better known worldwide.

Salem Al-Qassimi deploys design to tell stories, build communities, and bridge cultures. In this respect, through Fikra, he has certainly etched his mark into the UAE design landscape, pushing thinking outside of the box into new realms of possibility in design and education.