Two specially-commissioned paintings will be unveiled this week to celebrate the signing of a “Sister City” agreement linking Dundee with Dubai.
One will hang in the Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Blackness Road, Dundee and the other will be presented to the Municipality of Dubai.
They are the work of Dundee Artist, Eddie Lange who was asked by the Institute’s Principal, Professor Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi to create something that would symbolise the new relationship between the two cities.
Mr Lange is no stranger to the Gulf region of the Middle East having spent time touring there in the 1970’s. While there he painted portraits of various rulers including Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, the father of Dubai. That portrait still hangs in one of the Shaikh’s palaces.
His latest pair of pictures illustrates both cities’ links with the sea. It shows the famous RRS Discovery and an Arab Dhow sailing towards each other with the logo of the Al-Maktoum Institute outlined in the water between them. In the background is the skyline of both cities showing Dundee landmarks, the Tay Bridge, the Law Hill and Discovery Point alongside those from Dubai including the Burj al-Arab Hotel, a traditional house and the Dubai Tower.
Professor El-Awaisi said: “We are delighted with Eddie’s paintings. We wanted something that would illustrate the new links between Dundee and Dubai and I believe he has done that brilliantly.”
Professor El-Awaisi and Dundee’s Lord Provost, John Letford, will present one of the paintings to Mr Qassim Sultan Al-Banna, Director-General of the Municipality of Dubai, when they sign the “Sister City” agreement in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
The agreement recognises the enhanced relationship between the two cities that has come about since the Institute was established in Dundee two years ago. And it says the two cities will now develop their link through a common understanding and the exchange of ideas, resources and people.
The Al-Maktoum Institute has already led two senior delegations from Scotland to Dubai and has established relationships with universities, the Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Economic Development department, the department of health and medical services and private companies.
Professor El-Awaisi and Lord Provost Letford will be joined in Dubai by three other members of a delegation from the Al-Maktoum Institute, Lord Elder the Institute’s Chancellor, Lord Sewel, representing Aberdeen University and Joyce McVarrie from the Scottish Executive. They will be following up a number of contacts that were made on previous visits. The party from the Al-Maktoum Institute will then travel back to Scotland on the first direct flight from Dubai to Glasgow at the weekend. They will be accompanied by Mr Mirza Al-Sayegh, private secretary of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Mr Al-Sayegh is also the chairman of the Al-Maktoum Institute’s board. He said: “The decision by Emirates Airlines to establish daily flights to Glasgow has come about since the Institute was established in Dundee. In addition we have been able to link Edinburgh University with the British University in Dubai and we are in discussion with Aberdeen University to create a new educational project. We want to establish Dundee as a centre of excellence for Arabic and Islamic Studies. The growing reputation of the Al-Maktoum Institute is also helping to build better relationships between Dubai and the rest of Scotland. “The signing of the ‘Sister City’ agreement and the new direct flights will be of enormous benefit in that effort.”
