Work
01Identity · CampaignDubai · 2008
A star with one corner open. The name completes it.
Almost 1,000 staff voted for the mark.
A shape with something to say.
Identity, guidelines and launch campaign. A US$2.3M launch campaign. The staff chose the star from four options, as Gulf News and Khaleej Times reported. The launch opened with no name at all: only the star, drawn in the picture.
02Live · FilmDubai · 2022
A lens, the brackets and an eye: one picture.
Live six days after confirmation.
Play the film2:34See beyond. Idea, launch environment and materials, with MCX. The launch grew from one sheet. One wall at The Space, Dubai: measured 17 June, drawn 25 June, built 27 June.
03Campaign · Live · FilmAl Dhafra · 2019–20
Built from nothing.
Six zones on open sand, for 16 days.
Play the film1:01Campaign, TVC and six zones built on open sand, three large and three small. A US$1.04M contract. One question on everything: Ready? The key visual, the film and the outdoor. Every race of the festival on one dune.
04Identity · Campaign · FilmA New York client, led from Dubai · 2020–22
Make standards clear.
Three films, then a seven-month retainer.
Repositioning, identity and three films. We began with a plan, not a logo: three phases. Identity and toolkit, then a year of campaigns under one mark: for schools, for teachers, for children. Campaign line: It’s time.
05Campaign · Live · FilmCoca-Cola Arena, Dubai · 2019
Make room for six acts.
One night at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai.
Campaign and visual system, with MCX. One square per act, from a letter to an arena. Coca-Cola Arena is the venue.
06Campaign · IdentityUAE Ministry of Education · seven emirates · 2018
Give growth a language.
40M hashtag views in two days.
Campaign brand, social content and the walk. A national week against bullying, across seven emirates. The mark: two figures, seven leaves.
07Identity · CampaignAbu Dhabi · 2009
The gate was already there. I made it a mark.
Five sport centres, each in its own colour.
Identity, brand architecture and launch campaign. One gate, every sport. Launch line: Your gateway to awesomeness. The launch ads and the hoarding along the road as the resort was built.
08ExhibitionAbu Dhabi · 2017
From floor plan to full scale.
7,200 sq ft, built in three days.
Pavilion for the Department of Municipal Affairs. 14 projects on one stand. The brief: boxes on a floor plan. I gave it one line.
09Live · FilmAbu Dhabi · 2018
A festival starts with a drawing.
One drawing, ten layers.
Festival poster, system and stage, with MCX. A guitarist, a 1950s car, a grill. Drawn first, then cut harder, then one last question: red, or ochre. Drawn first, then built on the lawn.
10ExhibitionAl Ain City Municipality · 2024
A map of squares became a gate.
40 projects shown.
One square of the map, built as the gate. The forecourt in December. The steel three nights before. The gate opened 21 February.
11LiveMarriott Mena House, Giza · 2021
GS is One: the number one, written in words.
A first anniversary, under the Great Pyramid.
Artwork and screen content for a first anniversary, with MCX. A company’s first birthday on a lawn below the Great Pyramid. Marriott Mena House is the venue.
12LiveDubai · 2018, 2019
A city in one line.
Two gala dinners for Etisalat.
Gala dinner artwork and screens, with MCX. A gala dinner for a telecom conference: Dubai drawn as one line of light. A year later, the client came back.
Also in the archiveMunicipal Affairs: a road project →Abu Dhabi, the city campaign →Government stands, built →ECSSR, a research centre →
Also in the archiveChildren of Light Academy and other identities →Manchester Business School →AIAASC campaign →Bullying Week campaign →
Also in the archiveDubai Health Authority launch →A clinic's campaign →Tawam Hospital, a proposal →
Also in the archiveLiwa campaign →Al Forsan campaign →Liwa, built from nothing →
Also in the archiveAmr Diab, Angham, Mohamed Mounir and more →Why Not! Mazzika at Coca-Cola Arena →The MCX events promo
Also in the archiveLiwa, built from nothing →The Big Grill →
Also in the archiveZEISS launch →MAF at the Pyramids →Capacity Middle East →Exhibition stands →The MCX events promo
Archive
Everything else, by kind.
All of the work, in six chapters, from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Tampa.
Ideas first. Then the stage. Every project begins with a drawing: a mark, a headline, a picture that makes the idea clear. Then it gets built.
01
Every project here began as a drawing: a lens, a star, a map, a line on a floor plan.
These are the sheets the work grew from.
1.1
The first sheets
Each opens its project.
ConceptSketchPlan
ZEISS Vision Care, 2022: the first sheet. → A lens, the brackets, an eye. The launch grew from it.
Dubai Health Authority, 2008: five steps. → A star with one corner open. The name completes it.
The Big Grill, 2018: the first route. → A poster drawn before the festival existed.
Innovation Month, Al Ain, 2024: the map. → A map drawn in squares. One square became the gate.
Cityscape Abu Dhabi, 2017: one line. → The brief: boxes on a floor plan. I gave it one line.
AIAASC, 2020: we began with a plan. → Not a logo. Three phases, one after the other.
Mohamed Mounir Live in Dubai, 2018: the gate. → The entrance gate, drawn first.02
Every one designed in 3D first.
25 stands, pavilions and rooms, 2011 to 2024, for governments and companies.
Where AntBrush built it too, the photos show the build: a creative director who stayed until it stood.
Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2015–2018 · World Future Energy Summit 2013–2014 · ISNR 2016, 2018, 2022 · IDEX 2017, 2021 · GITEX · Tawdheef 2016–2017 · World Road Congress 2019
2.1
Designed → built
The photos are the proof.
3D design
Built
3D design
Built
3D design
3D designBuilt2.2
On site
The build, in the hall: floors, frames and finishing, before the doors opened.
ProductionBuild
Cityscape Abu Dhabi, 2017. The build, day two
Cityscape Abu Dhabi, 2017. The floor going down
Tawdheef, 2017. Ready for the doors
World Road Congress, 2019. The booth, finishing
World Road Congress, 2019. Handover2.3
Designed
Drawn in 3D, handed over for the build.
Rings, folds, ribbons and arches: each stand built around one shape its visitors would remember.
3D designExhibitions
World Future Energy Summit, attended by heads of state. Abu Dhabi Municipal Affairs · 2014
Elm. Saudi Arabia
ACTVET.
Abu Dhabi Education Council.
Dubai Tourism.
ADCOM Systems.
Government of the UAE. UAE Pavilion, World Road Congress 2019
Cityscape Abu Dhabi. 2018
Emaar Misr. Uptown Cairo and Marassi
ADCOM Systems. The swept roof
Abu Dhabi Sports Channel. 2011
Municipal Affairs lobby. Concept
Supreme Legislation Committee, Dubai. 2017 · pitch
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.
Etisalat. GITEX
Al Hamra. ISNR 2022
Municipal Affairs. Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2016
ABB.
Ducab.
Bin Jabr Group.03
A mark has to say one thing, in one look.
Four that stood for institutions, and four recent ones from Tampa.
More identities
04
One idea, carried through every piece.
Each campaign at its own size: a reel when there are many, a row when there are few.
4.1
Dubai Health Authority · 2008
The launch opened with no name at all: only the star, drawn in the picture. Open the project →
Then each teaser turned into its revealer.
Launch campaignPrintOutdoor
Teaser. The reach
Teaser. The wings
Teaser. The butterfly
Revealer. Your Health… Our Future
Revealer. Your Health… Our Smile
Revealer. Your Health… Our Care4.2
Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport · Abu Dhabi
A road project, told as time given back: to your family, your home, your work.
Then the stopwatch: the minutes the new road saves.
Al Salam Street ProjectPrintOutdoor
Family
Home
Work
Family, home, work
08:00 to Corniche
Your fastest route
Every minute
12:00, 08:00, 07:004.3
Liwa International Festival · 2019–20
One question on everything: the key visual, the film and the outdoor. Open the project →
Every race of the festival on one dune.
Key visualTVCOutdoor
Key visual. Every race on one dune
The film. Five lights
The film. A hand on the throttle
The film. Ready?4.4
AIAASC · a New York client, led from Dubai · 2020–22
We began with a plan, not a logo. Open the project →
Then a year of campaigns under one mark: for schools, for teachers, for children.
RepositioningCampaignsFilms
The plan first. Three phases
It’s time to impact the world.
It’s time to start your strategy.
It’s time to be who you are.4.5
Al Forsan International Sports Resort · Abu Dhabi · 2009
One gate, many sports. Open the project →
The launch ads and the hoarding along the road as the resort was built.
Launch campaignPressHoarding
Launch ad. Your gateway to awesomeness
Equestrian.
Motor sports.
The hoarding. Along the road, as the resort was built4.6
Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport · Abu Dhabi
The city as a destination: seen through a gate, set on a compass, floating as an island.
Corporate campaignPrint
The gate to the future.
Heading to the future.
The ideal living environment.4.7
UAE Ministry of Education · 2018
A national week against bullying, across seven emirates. Open the project →
Two figures, seven leaves. 40 million hashtag views in two days.
Campaign brandSocialOn the ground
The mark. Two figures, seven leaves4.8
The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research · 2012
For a book fair, the letters of the name became bookshelves.
For a conference on water and food, the land split in two.
Press advertising
The name, as bookshelves. Book fair, 2012
Water and food security. Conference, 20124.9
The University of Manchester · Manchester Business School
A recruitment ad for executive study: the ideas leave the screen and take flight.
RecruitmentPress
Imagine. Believe. Innovate.
Innovation, new ideas.4.10
Tawam Hospital · Al Ain · 2009 · proposal
Food safety, made simple: an apple that carries medicine, a number one built from food.
ProposalPress
Nutrition with healthcare.
Your first certified hospital.
The first hospital with HACCP.4.11
Al Ahram Beverages · Egypt · proposal
For Heineken in Egypt: the bottle as a door to the world.
ProposalPress
Open your world.
The world in a bottle.
4.12
Prime Body
A four-card social carousel: one question, then three answers.
Social
Is it right for you?
Non-invasive, no pain
Targets stubborn fat
Quick results05
Launches, festivals and concerts: the idea first, then the night it stood up.
5.1
With MCX · Dubai · 2017–2019
Presented by SWYP, Etisalat’s youth brand.
A promo film before, a recap after. Between them: the campaign, the artwork, the screens, the build.
ConcertsPromosRecaps
5.2
The artists the work was made for. Two of the shows were canceled before the date.
5.3
ZEISS Vision Care · Dubai · 2022 · with MCX
Three things on one sheet: a lens, the brackets and an eye. Open the project →
Six days from confirmation to a live launch at The Space.
LaunchEnvironmentFilm
Three things on one sheet. Lens, brackets, eye
Key visual. Seeing beyond
Drawn onto the site.
The night. Dinner among the cars5.4
Liwa International Festival · Al Dhafra · 2019–20
Six zones on open sand, three large and three small: the heritage village, the family zone, the desert café, the team’s own camp. Open the project →
A 16-day festival.
FestivalSix zonesBuild
The café under its lights.
The heritage village. Built on open sand
The souq.5.5
Why Not! Mazzika · Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai · 2019 · with MCX
One square per act, from a letter to an arena. Open the project →
Five bands and one artist on one night.
FestivalVisual systemArena
One square per act.
Cairokee.
Sharmoofers.The Mounir gate, drawn. Mohamed Mounir Live in Dubai, 20185.6
The Big Grill · Abu Dhabi · 2018 · with MCX
A guitarist, a 1950s car, a grill. Open the project →
Drawn first, then cut harder, then one last question: red, or ochre.
FestivalPosterStage
Draw it first. The first route
Red.
Or ochre.
Then we stood in it.5.7
MAF Global Solutions · Marriott Mena House, Giza · 2021 · with MCX
A company’s first birthday on a lawn below the Great Pyramid. Open the project →
The idea: the number one, written in words.
AnniversaryArtworkScreens
GS is One. The invitation
The words, standing.
GS is One. On screen
Under the Pyramids. Marriott Mena House5.8
Capacity Middle East · Dubai · 2018, 2019 · with MCX
A gala dinner for a telecom conference: Dubai drawn as one line of light. Open the project →
A year later, the client came back.
GalaScreens
A city in one line. Gala dinner 2018
The city, drawn.
A year later. The client came back06
The finished films.
Click any film to watch it with sound.
