Rubab Zahra poses for a photograph.

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Rubab Zahra, a Dubai-based Pakistani visual artist and calligrapher, became the first Pakistani female artist to get the UAE Golden Visa.

“This achievement is a great recognition of my profession,” Rubab Zahra said.

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The Dubai-based Zahra is a self-taught artist with a number of exhibitions on her growing list in which she participated and was admired by art critics on her variety of works.

“I started my art journey not very long ago but since I’m in the field I put my heart and soul into it, worked hard, developed my style,” she told Gulf Today.

She studied biotechnology and graduated, but couldn’t practise in her field of study for certain reasons.

“I switched to art, I was very disheartened initially as people around me made me feel that I made a bad choice. Unfortunately, switching science with arts was a step that wasn’t much appreciated and considered wise. But my husband supported me always,” she said.

“It won’t be wrong if I say that my hobby turned into a full- time profession only because of my husband’s encouragement and support,” she added.

In the last two years, she did participate in many exhibitions, including two solo art shows to create awareness on social issues and women’s empowerment, volunteer projects like painting including a mural in Pakistan Association Dubai. She also organised calligraphy and painting workshops for women at a Ladies Forum at the PAD as part of the lifestyle coaching and a skill development course.

“One of my paintings “Peace In Our Hands” recently was selected to be in the permanent collection of the Haegeumgang theme museum in Korea,” she said.

Getting this visa is proof that no line of work is less than the other, you just need to be determined and fine at your craft,” she added.

She added, “When I received the letter of accreditation from Dubai Culture to apply for Golden Visa, the level of happiness was immeasurable because for me it’s not just a long-term residency visa, it’s an honour, a reward for my hard work, an answer to those who discouraged me and a motivation for those who want to switch careers, who want a push to do what they want to do and not what they have been told to do, an inspiration to all the stay home moms who want to pursue their careers and carve an identity,” she said.