At an event renowned for falcons, rifles, and desert customs, the arts section provided a vibrant expression of the UAE’s identity.
On Saturday, August 30, thousands of Abu Dhabi residents and visitors attended the opening of the International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2025). From falconry to drones, desert culture to conservation, there was something captivating at every turn. However, many found themselves lingering in the arts pavilion, where heritage, innovation, and luxury merged beautifully.
One standout exhibit featured two dazzling diamond portraits of UAE leaders, capturing the attention of many. Nearby, a Syrian designer based in the UAE showcased a monumental mixed-media tribute to the nation’s President. Additionally, sculpted falcons, gilded rifles, and a winged lion, created by a Dutch artist whose life changed after a robbery, shone brilliantly.
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Diamond Portraits
Fakhri Tarabein, a pioneer in jewelry fusion and diamond coating, proudly presented “the world’s first and largest diamond plates,” featuring full portraits adorned with over a million micro-diamonds of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai.
“These portraits contain over a million micro-diamonds,” Tarabein explained, noting each contains over 184 carats of natural diamonds and weighs more than 180 pounds, with frames plated in 24-karat gold. “The most challenging part was transitioning the diamonds. It took 12 months to select the stones for this quality image.”
The portraits, crafted with Italian artisans in Verona, are certified by the Italian Gemological Institute and priced at Dh600,000 each. “This diamond coating technique is an Emirati innovation transforming luxury into art,” Tarabein proudly stated.
Tarabein’s journey to ADIHEX started with his jewelry passion in the 1990s and collaboration with Italy’s Ferrari family to develop micro-diamond surfaces. His creations include diamond-coated football boots for Cristiano Ronaldo and diamond-detailed cars, as well as “Diamond Whispers”—a diamond-coated gold-plated falcon crafted for this year’s ADIHEX. He also presented a gold football trophy with Roman and Mediterranean influences and mother-of-pearl inlays, described as “the soul of the wind” and “a bridge between East and West.”
Leather, Mosaic, and Heritage
Nearby, visitors admired a different portrait: a vast mixed-media work of Sheikh Mohamed, created by Syrian-born artist and designer Rania Al Boaini.
“I enjoy working on important subjects innovatively,” she said, noting the artwork took nearly a year and a half to complete. “This painting reflects his high morals and Emirati culture,” she remarked, revealing the portrait’s value at Dh120,000.
The piece combines gazelle and camel skin with Italian leather, mosaic glass, crystal, and shell, creating a textured surface that shifts between military camouflage and geometric abstraction. “No one has made mosaic from leather before,” Al Boaini explained. “I sought harmony and diversity to reflect the UAE.”
Creating it was challenging. The massive canvas was set horizontally in her small studio. “I had to draw it that way,” she recalled. “It was difficult—not easily seeing if proportions were correct. I constantly stepped back and took photos.”
The process involved cutting the image into squares and piecing it together, a method both exhausting and rewarding. Al Boaini noted its durability allows display indoors and outdoors, if housed in a cooled protective case.
From Robbery to Reinvention
Elsewhere in the arts pavilion, gold-plated sculptures of falcons, rifles, and a winged lion gleamed like jewelry. Their creator, Dutch sculptor Michel Van Den Born, attributes the precision of his work to his background in goldsmithing.
“I finish my sculptures like jewelry,” he said. “Originally, I was a goldsmith. But in 2008, an armed robbery in my atelier in Holland changed everything. I decided to pursue my true passion.”
This turning point led him to full-time art, blending goldsmithing techniques with sculpture. His works, popular among Middle Eastern royal families, are known for their meticulous detail.
“The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are great markets,” he noted. “People here appreciate unique creations.”
