Born 1943 in Alexandria, Egypt; B.A.(1966) in Fine Arts, Alexandria University; M.A.(1978) from the Central School of Art and Design, London; Ph.D. (1989) : provides a scientifc point of reference for a rational understanding and reasoned appreciation of Islamic art in general and Arabic pensmanship in particular.

Exhibitions: several including those in the U.K., France, U.A.E., Switzerland. Museum collections of his works are in St Mungo Museum,Glasgow; The British Museum; The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; the Museum of Modern Arts, Alexandria. Many of his works are in private collections in the U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Egypt, the USA and Australia.

*9-18 February*: mainly to visit and hold lectures and a training camp in the village of Chitravad in Saurashtra to train craftspersons and housewives engaged in the craft of designing tapestries using glassbeads.

The programme is being co-ordinated for the Council by Ms Shamim M Padamsee of the Ismailia Helping Society.