Sabeel Fountains | About & History

مقدمة

Sabeels are public water fountains historically set up to provide free refreshment to travellers from Bedouin times. At Expo 2020 Dubai, they have been reimagined by designers to celebrate the tradition and provide visitors with fresh drinking water. The initiative is a collaboration between Expo 2020 and Art Jameel that began with the Sabeel 2020 Open Call, a design contest that received over 100 proposals and was overseen by an internationally-renowned jury who selected and awarded two design collaboratives, whose designs are found throughout the Expo grounds.

Sabeel Fountain

Letter to Water

Nasir Nasrallah's sabeel features three water fountains in primary colours arranged in a circle and facing outward. The striking design is reminiscent of the Emirates Post mailboxes and each carries a letter to water, the most precious of resources.

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Sabeel Fountain

The Well

Dana Awartani's The Well explores the spiritual significance of water in the Islamic tradition. From its side, this sabeel fountain looks like a slab of roughly carved stone; gaze down from above however, and a different story reveals itself.

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Sabeel Fountain

Water in the Green

Leafy and lush, the Water in the Green fountains by Architecture + Other Things consist of a miniature garden set atop a bowl-shaped fountain structure. They stand approximately a metre tall, and feature a tiny oasis of various native plants.

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Sabeel Fountain

Nahel

Drawing on two Emirati weaving traditions, the Nahel fountains by Faissal El-Malak and Alia Bin Omair are covered in colourful handmade tiles representing sadu weaving patterns, with brass taps and a basin representing safeefa palm weaving.

Visit Nahel