If you live abroad and want to send something to family in the UAE, send their name, a verse or a line of poetry written in Arabic calligraphy and framed. MASHQ makes it in our UAE workshop and brings it to their door. A name framed at A3 is AED 185 and delivery anywhere in the UAE is AED 50 an order, so AED 235 in all, about US$64. The making takes 5–7 working days, then the courier delivers it inside the UAE. You pay by card from wherever you are.
The steps and every question are on one page: a gift to the UAE, how it works.
What makes a good gift from far away
A gift sent from another country cannot be handed over in person, so it has to speak for you. Words do that well. Four kinds suit a home in the UAE.
- A name. A parent's, a child's or a friend's. The name piece comes in Diwani, Thuluth or Nastaliq, framed at A3 for AED 185 or as a rolled canvas for AED 75. To see how a name looks in calligraphy first, read 48 Arabic names and their meanings.
- Two names for a couple. For a wedding or an anniversary, write both names on one piece in the Studio.
- A verse for a new home. Many families hang the Bismillah, the words that open the Quran, near the entrance. The Bismillah in Thuluth is AED 90 framed at A4. A verse of the Quran is hung with respect: high on a clean wall, never in a bathroom and never near the floor. Which verses to hang, and where has the rest.
- A line of poetry. For a mother, Hafiz Ibrahim's A Mother Is a School. For a couple, Abu Tammam's Love Belongs Only to the First Beloved. Each is AED 135 framed at 50 × 35 cm. More lines, with what they mean, are in famous Arabic poetry lines.
The occasions
- A new home. A verse or a welcome by the door, or the family name.
- A wedding. The two names, or a line about love. See the wedding gifts.
- A newborn. The baby's name, once the family has announced it. Ask a relative how they spell it.
- Ramadan and Eid. Both follow the moon, so their dates move every year. Order early.
- Mother's Day. It is 21 March in the UAE, as in most Arab countries. If you live where it falls in May, the date is easy to miss.
- Graduation. The graduate's name, or Knowledge Is Light, AED 100 framed at A3.
When to order. The date that counts is the UAE's, because the piece is made and delivered inside the UAE. Count back from the day: two days for the courier, then seven working days for the making. The working week in the UAE is Monday to Friday, and public holidays are not working days. So allow about two weeks, and more when a holiday falls in between. The order shows a date before you pay. If the gift is for a certain day, write it in the order ("Deliver on") and we plan the making around it.
How the order works from abroad
- Write it. A name, two names, a verse or a line of your own, in Thuluth, Diwani, Nastaliq, Kufic, Naskh or Ruq'ah. Designing is free.
- Choose the piece. A framed canvas in the size you want, with glass if you like. The price is on screen before you pay.
- Pay from where you are. Any card, from any country. The charge is in dirhams and your bank converts it.
- We make it and bring it. Printed and framed by hand in our UAE workshop in 5–7 working days, then delivered to their door anywhere in the UAE.
If you would rather choose a finished design, browse the calligraphy wall art and have it sent to their address.
Questions senders ask
Can I pay with a card from outside the UAE?
Yes. Checkout takes cards from any country. The charge is in UAE dirhams, and your bank converts it at its own rate. Nothing is added at checkout but the delivery.
Is there customs or import duty?
No. The piece is made in the UAE and delivered inside the UAE, so it never crosses a border.
Whose address and phone number do I give?
At checkout, give the UAE address of the person receiving it and their UAE mobile number: the courier uses it to arrange the delivery. Your own name and card go in as the buyer.
Will they see what it cost?
Not if you tick "It's a gift" in the Studio order: no prices go in the parcel, and the note you write is printed on a card. For a ready piece from the shop, write "gift" in the order instructions on the cart page. The shop also sells gift wrapping for ready pieces at AED 20 an order.
Can I check the spelling before it is printed?
Yes. We confirm the spelling with you on WhatsApp before printing.
What if it arrives damaged?
Send a photo within 24 hours and it is remade or refunded. A piece made to order is not returned for a change of mind.
Find the name, or read how a gift to the UAE works. Sending the other way, from the UAE to family abroad? See sending a calligraphy gift abroad from the UAE.