Renowned artist and Canadian University of Dubai lecturer Sylvain Tremblay poses after creating a 12m x 10m picture of the late Sheikh Zayed in the Dubai desert out of sand this morning (May 12).

“I feel very honoured to have been able to do this and I am delighted with the result,” he said. “The wind made it tough and I had to finish a lot quicker than expected, but I had so many supporters and students and they helped me finish it.”

The public’s first opportunity to see the artwork will be next week at Liwa’s Art Hub. The Hub sits at the base of an 80m high sand dune on which the picture will be displayed.