Stories I Want to Tell
Time for Tea: Reminiscing Routines
New in our invisible cities column, Farah Fawzi Ali uses the medium of tea-infused memories in different cities to weave a tender personal essay
Two Poems
Two poems by Rabha Ashry watch a girl rebel against what is expected of her, playing with the ties that bind her to her bed, a boy, to God. With artwork by Zayn Qahtani
You Give Me That Contact High
The UAE, like many countries, has grown increasingly entranced with hip-hop culture, streetwear, and their history. This cross-cultural interest manifests in the arrival of the "Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop" exhibition at Manarat al Saadiyat, reviewed here by EIC Vamika Sinha
A Homecoming
In this short story by Cassandra Mitchell, a girl stands on her balcony alone with her thoughts. The city of Abu Dhabi reads her mind and asks, “Who cares that you’re happy?”
Sentimental City: Caring for Mina Zayed
In a city designed to be unsentimental, Vamika Sinha reflects on the need to care for community space and history in the wake of announcements to redevelop Abu Dhabi's Mina Zayed – an essay incorporating text and photographs by herself and Myriam Louise Taleb
City of Service
This street photography series captures the people and places that help run Abu Dhabi's daily economy
Abu Dhabi City Planning
Emily Broad's new poem reflects on a city "built on the backs of movement."
Sign of the Times: A Photo Essay
Street photography scenes of Abu Dhabi, UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic, by Vamika Sinha.
mina port (abu dhabi, uae)
New in milk & vodka, a poem about a woman walking alone through an Abu Dhabi port.
Amma, Acha & Malayalam ft. english
“This new city gentrifies her tongue; / he wonders if he can build “ – Aathma Nirmala Dious’ new poem weaves her parents’ lives and history with their migration to the Gulf from Kerala, India.
Appa
“remind / my taste buds that they are alive” – in this evocative poem, Thirangie Jayatilake relishes the foods that connect her to families and cities.
The Islander
A short story set in downtown Abu Dhabi, about a lonely figure who lives with a local tailor.
Red is the Blood of the People
This play was written and performed for Abu Dhabi's Short and Sweet festival, and won four awards including "Best Overall" and "People's Choice".
Japanese Connections at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
A review of the new Japanese art exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
On belonging
Dayin Wijaya traces his journey from Holland to Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Brew: Café Culture in UAE's Capital City
Can the modern coffee spot be, or strive to be, a miniature prototype of Abu Dhabi itself, this “multicultural crossroads” we all love to speak of in the brochures?
Maid
Observing a woman at an Al Ain bus stop.
Beats on the Beach: A True Story
An eyebrow-raising, sardonic take on when men approach women, unasked.
eldorado cinema
Vamika Sinha writes from outside one of Abu Dhabi’s now-shut landmarks: Eldorado Cinema.