A Canvas Where the World Chose Unity Presented at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Dubai

At a time when the world faces growing division, conflict, and uncertainty, a remarkable global initiative emerged in Dubai to remind humanity of one essential truth: peace begins when people choose to create together.Hosted at the prestigious The Ritz-Carlton DIFC in Dubai, the World Painting project brought together distinguished international guests, visionaries, and cultural leaders for an extraordinary celebration of unity through art. Among the honored attendees was His Highness Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, alongside internationally recognized host and media personality Lara Tabet, philanthropists Daut Shaikhislam and Dana Ormanbayeva, and other distinguished guests from around the world. World Painting is a historic artistic initiative conceived and created by philanthropists Daut Shaikhislam and Dana Ormanbayeva, who successfully united people from more than 197 countries on a single canvas.

Over 2,100 individuals from different cultures, religions, and backgrounds contributed to the masterpiece using one shared brush — passed from hand to hand, country to country, person to person. In that symbolic act, something greater than art was created: a living expression of peace, coexistence, and human connection. The project was born in the United Arab Emirates, a nation internationally recognized as a symbol of tolerance, openness, and multicultural harmony. From Dubai, the movement expanded globally, carrying its message of unity across some of the world’s most important institutions and stages.

World Painting has been presented at the United Nations headquarters in New York and Geneva, UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, and the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Everywhere it travels, the project transforms art into a universal language that brings people together beyond politics, borders, and differences. The initiative made history by earning a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people using a single brush to create one artwork. Its message of peace has even extended beyond Earth — with a copy of the painting traveling to the International Space Station as a symbol of global unity without boundaries.

The artwork has also reached the summit of Mount Everest, been commemorated on a collective silver coin issued by the National Bank of Kazakhstan, and featured on a commemorative postage stamp. In the world of sports, the World Boxing Council (WBC) honored champions with exclusive World Painting medals and unveiled a special championship belt inspired by the project, merging the strength of sport with the universal language of art. More than a painting, World Painting stands today as one of the most powerful symbols of global peace and coexistence. It remains the only known artistic space where Palestinians and Israelis, Ukrainians and Russians, Iranians and Americans, North and South Koreans, Pakistanis and Indians all contributed together to a single canvas — smiling, creating, and sharing one moment of humanity.

With the presence of His Highness Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Lara Tabet, international dignitaries, philanthropists, artists, and global guests, the evening at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC became a meaningful reflection of diplomacy, culture, and peace through artistic expression. Today, World Painting continues its international journey, inspiring dialogue, understanding, and hope across continents.

World Painting — Art That United the World.

One Planet. One Canvas. One Peace.