Maryam Al Balooshi
- Calligraphers
- Living
Maryam Ali Al Balooshi is an Emirati calligrapher, engineer and writer. She holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's in environmental science, and since 2010 she has headed environmental affairs at the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, representing the country on ICAO's environmental committee. She has written a newspaper column in Al Khaleej since 2013, has published eight books and founded the Mulhimoon publishing house in 2016. She studied Arabic calligraphy as a child and later returned to serious training with established calligraphers. She is known for a bright, colourful style that brings modern colour into classical letterforms. In 2013 she founded 'Huruf min al-Ruh', a team of Emirati women calligraphers. She has shown work at the Dubai International Calligraphy Exhibition, the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial and at the United Nations in Geneva, and since 2018 she has produced yearly Ramadan and Eid pieces with Van Cleef & Arpels.
Achievements
- Founded 'Huruf min al-Ruh' (Letters from the Soul), described as the first team of Emirati women calligraphers, in 2013.
- Exhibited at the Dubai International Calligraphy Exhibition, the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial and an exhibition of Arab women calligraphers at the United Nations in Geneva.
- Has made annual calligraphy artworks for Ramadan and Eid with the jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels since 2018.
- Created lettering for a special BMW X7 edition marking 50 years of the UAE (2021).
- Also a chemical engineer and the UAE's civil-aviation environment director, a newspaper columnist and the author of eight books.
Her work
Living calligrapher: her calligraphy is still under copyright, so no works are shown.
Write in the tradition this hand shaped.
Open Mashq Studio →Living calligraphers you can buy from — signed originals on paper, from AED 550: Anwar Alhulwani (Thuluth) · Ahmed Alhawary (Jali Thuluth, Naskh) · Rasha Kasim (Kufi).
Sources
- Arabic Wikipedia: degrees, aviation career, column, books, Mulhimoon 2016, calligraphy training, Huruf min al-Ruh 2013, exhibitions, Van Cleef 2018, BMW 2021 ar.wikipedia.org
- The National: Emirati calligrapher known for colour thenationalnews.com
- Saudi Gazette: Van Cleef & Arpels collaboration from late 2018, Ramadan/Eid/Flowers of Values series saudigazette.com.sa
- A&E World interview aeworld.com
Written by the MASHQ studio · last updated 2026-10-05. Further reading, the standard references in English: Sheila S. Blair, Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh University Press, 2006) · Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York University Press, 1984) · Yasin Hamid Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy (Thames and Hudson, 1978).