The aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy attracts amateurs and professionals to let their creativity flow into their paintings and other works of art.

The art itself stems from the Arabic script, with the shape of its letters opening doors to endless possibilities of creative nuances.

Such was the case for self-taught Arabic calligrapher, Diaa Allam, who started his own visual project in 2013.

He says: ‘I started teaching myself traditional Arabic calligraphy and tried to develop my skills further by learning new lines like its modern form.

‘I have had the opportunity to present my work across Dubai, including the Burj Khalifa.’

Allam continues: ‘This has encouraged me to be more creative in this area, especially after seeing the audience interact with my calligraphy.’

He believes the secret to success is knowledge and perseverance to work despite difficulties.

‘Do not be afraid of failure,’ he says. ‘Failure means you are trying to learn and develop yourself in order to find a path of success.’