Live Calligraphy in Dubai & the UAE: Book a Calligrapher

Last updated 19 October 2026.

A live calligraphy station on an open arched terrace at a wedding reception in the UAE: reed pens in a brass holder, an inkwell and gold-edged place cards on a dark wood table — The calligrapher's table at a reception: a name written in front of the guest who takes it home.

MASHQ brings a professional Arabic calligrapher to your event in the UAE. Guests watch their names written by hand with a reed pen, in classical Arabic calligraphy, on place cards, gift tags and envelopes they keep. Book from 2 to 8 hours for a wedding, a corporate dinner, an exhibition stand, a launch or a Ramadan gathering, anywhere in the UAE. Tell us the event below and a written quote reaches you within one working day.

Request a quote Ask on WhatsApp

2 to 8 hBook the hours your event needs
Arabic lettersNames in Diwani, Thuluth, Ruq'ah, Naskh or Kufic; a foreign name written in Arabic letters
Across the UAESharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, the Northern Emirates
1 working dayA written quote, then one page to confirm

What the calligrapher writes at your event

Place cards and seating

Each guest's name in the script you choose, written before the doors open or live as they arrive. Seating by table from your list.
Photo: Faizal Somadi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gift tags and envelopes

A name on the tag, a line of blessing on the envelope, a date on the favour box. The gift becomes the guest's own.
Names for visitors at your stand

A visitor leaves your stand with their name in Arabic calligraphy on a card or a bookmark, and stays long enough to talk.
Your words, in five scripts

A greeting, a verse of poetry, your family's or company's name: Diwani for celebration, Thuluth for ceremony, Ruq'ah for a quick hand, Naskh and Kufic for clarity.

Events we come to

Weddings and engagementsPlace cards, the guest book, favours with the couple's names
Corporate dinners and conferencesName cards at the table, a keepsake for each delegate
Exhibition stands and brand activationsVisitors' names on cards, tags or your own product
Product launches and store openingsA personalised piece for every guest who attends
Ramadan, Eid and National Day gatheringsGreetings and names on envelopes, boxes and cards
Private celebrationsBirthdays, graduations, a majlis, a baby's naming

How a booking goes

Tell us the event. The form below takes two minutes: the occasion, the date, the hours, where, about how many guests, and what we write on.
A written quote within one working day. One page: the hours, the materials, the venue, the scripts, the total. For companies, a numbered quotation accepted by purchase order.
Confirm the date. Payment in full in advance, by bank transfer or a card payment link; a commercial invoice is issued on payment. The date is held once paid.
On the day. The calligrapher arrives before your guests, sets the writing table, and writes for the booked hours. A guest list in advance means the first names are ready as the doors open.

What is included, and what to prepare

A calligrapher's event kit: reed pens, ink pots, blank cream cards and gold cord on dark linen

Included in the quote

A professional calligrapher for the booked hours, from 2 to 8
Reed pens, inks and gold ink; the writing table dressed
Cards, tags or envelopes: ours, or yours if your stationery is set
Every name in Arabic letters, its spelling checked with the guest before the pen touches the card
Travel within the UAE, shown on the quote by venue

What the venue prepares

A table and a chair where guests pass: the entrance, the gift table or your stand's counter
Good light on the table; a lamp in the evening
The guest list, when names are to be ready before the doors open
Your items, if we write on your own boxes, bottles or bags: send a photo first and we confirm what the surface allows

Live calligraphy in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and across the UAE

DubaiHotel ballrooms, Downtown, Marina, Jumeirah and the exhibition halls: no travel line on the quote
SharjahOur home: Al Majaz, Aljada, the university city and the old town, with no travel line
Abu Dhabi and Al AinSaadiyat, Yas and the city: the travel line is stated on the quote
Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, FujairahBeach resorts and family venues: the travel line is stated on the quote

Request a quote: 2 to 8 hours

Received. A written quote reaches your email within one working day. Questions before then? WhatsApp +971 50 122 6579.

Something was missing: a name, a working email address and the hours are needed, and the date cannot be in the past. Please try again, or email connect@mashq.ae.

How the quote is built

There is no price list for a live event, because no two are alike. The quote is written from five things: the hours booked (2 to 8; a second day or a longer run is quoted on request), how many guests or pieces, the venue and the travel it needs, the materials (our cards and tags, or your stationery), and the scripts and languages of the names. Companies receive a numbered quotation, accepted by purchase order; payment is in full in advance by bank transfer or a card link, and a commercial invoice is issued on payment. Hotels and event agencies that book several dates in a season ask for one quote covering the season. Planning the hours? Our planner's guide to live calligraphy at events works out names per hour and what to prepare.

Questions event planners ask

How many names can the calligrapher write in an hour?

A first name in Ruq'ah or Naskh on a place card takes about a minute, with the spelling checked with the guest; a longer name in Diwani with its flourishes takes two to three. For a seated dinner, send the list in advance and the cards are written before the doors open, so the live hours go to the guests who want to watch.

Can a non-Arabic name be written?

Yes, in Arabic letters. The calligrapher writes Arabic script only, in five styles; a name from another language is spelled in Arabic with the guest first, so Sophie, Raj or Chen read as they sound. Many guests tell us it is the first time they have seen their name in Arabic calligraphy.

Do you write on our own gifts: perfume bottles, notebooks, boxes?

Often, yes. Card, paper, kraft and smooth leather take ink well. Glass, acrylic and coated surfaces depend on the finish: send a photo of the item with your request and we confirm what the surface allows before the quote.

Which emirates do you cover, and is travel extra?

All seven. The venue is part of the quote: Sharjah and Dubai usually carry no travel line, the Northern Emirates and Abu Dhabi a stated one. Nothing is added on the day.

How far ahead should we book?

Two weeks is comfortable; peak weeks (the run-up to National Day, Ramadan evenings, the wedding season) go earlier. A quote is sent within one working day either way, and the date is held once the quotation is paid.

Can the guests take a piece home that is not a card?

Yes. The pieces MASHQ makes to order carry a name or a line of calligraphy: a framed name, a dates box with the guest's name on the lid, a serving tray with a greeting. For a corporate event they are produced before the day and handed over with the live card; see the links below.

Pieces that carry on after the event

Live writing on the day pairs with pieces made beforehand in Sharjah: a guest's name framed, A3 from AED 185; a dates box with a name on the lid, AED 215; welcome trays with «حياكم الله» and «أهلاً وسهلاً»; and for a run of gifts, the corporate gifts page, delegation and VIP gifts, and pieces for hotels. Want to see your words in each script before you decide? Write them in Mashq Studio, free.

The scenes on this page are illustrations of the service, except the photograph of the reed pens. Photographs of your own event stay yours; we publish none without your written consent.