Abu Dhabi: An artist from Pakistan is set to display the ‘world’s largest Holy Quran’ at the UAE’s biggest event – the Expo 2020 Dubai. It is being claimed that this is the first-of-its-kind project, in which the gold and aluminum plated words have been used.
The award-winning artist, Shahid Rassam, is a former United Arab Emirates (UAE) expat, who once won the Al Ain University artist of the year award in 2000. The artist previously inscribed the 99 Names of Allah with similar aluminum and gold-plated script. Rassam had started this project five years ago and will present part of his project at the six-month Dubai Expo 2020.
“Expo 2020 Dubai is one the biggest events to take place in the region. I consider it to be the perfect platform to showcase my creative work to millions of visitors over a period of six months,” Shahid Rassam told Khaleej Times.
Shahid Rasam, while addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Association Dubai, said that he will present ‘Surah Rehman’ as the ‘world’s largest Quran’ at Expo 2020 Dubai.
He will be using about 200kg gold and 2,000kg aluminium to cast around 80,000 words on 550 pages. Each page will have 150 words and the size of the Holy Quran is 6.5 feet by 8.5 feet excluding frame. The Pakistani artist says that he is committed to completing the project by 2025 after exhibiting a part of it at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Rasam has given special training to his students and a group of talented artists to develop the Quran. At present, about 200 people are working on this project.
The Expo 2020 Dubai, which starts on October 1, is the first international exhibition to be organized in the Middle East. Visitors have been assured an “amazing world of innovation and entertainment” over 182 days from October 1 to March 31, 2022, as it is expected to attract more than 25 million visitors.