Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai Unveils Signature Fan by Emirati Artist Zeinab Alhashemi

Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai, an urban sanctuary nestled in the heart of the city, unveils its signature fan created in collaboration with acclaimed Emirati artist Zeinab Alhashemi. Presented during Emirati Women’s Day month, the commission places Zeinab Alhashemi’s practice at the center of one of the Group’s enduring traditions, a gesture that speaks to the hotel’s belief that luxury is most compelling when it is authored locally.

Soaring 303 meters into the skyline within Wasl Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai opened in November 2025 as the Group’s second property in the city, offering 259 guestrooms and suites, ten dining venues, two floors of wellness and over 2,000 square meters of event space.

The fan is Mandarin Oriental’s most recognisable symbol: a mark of hospitality carried by every hotel in the Group and, since its earliest days, an emblem of the meeting of cultures and places. Each property’s fan is crafted by local artisans to distil the Essence of the Destination. For its second address in Dubai, Mandarin Oriental turned to an artist whose work has long interrogated the materials, forms and mythologies of the Gulf.

Crafted from eleven unique hues of camel hide, the fan draws its inspiration from Wasl Tower, the hotel’s architectural home and a striking symbol of sustainable design innovation, distinguished by the region’s tallest ceramic façade. Each tone was meticulously selected by Alhashemi through a detailed study of the façade, capturing its transition from golden daylight to rich evening tones and the building’s interplay of light, colour and movement throughout the day. These colours also echo Dubai’s natural desert palette, honouring the landscape of the city itself. Bronze electroplated rods, accented with industrial bolts, pay homage to the city’s iconic skyline.

The result is a physical art piece that embodies the values of Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai, blending heritage and modernity, tradition and innovation to capture the essence of The Dubai of Now.

“Camel hide is a material of this land, and the façade of Wasl Tower is a material of this moment,” said Zeinab Alhashemi. “Placing them together felt like the most honest way to describe a city that holds both at once. To share this work in the month the country honours Emirati women is a privilege, and I hope it encourages others to see their own heritage as a living material rather than something behind glass.”

The fan is on permanent display at the hotel’s Lobby Lounge.

To book, please visit https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/dubai/downtown/wellness, email [email protected], or call +971 4 777 8899