Salik Company, the sole operator of the toll gate in Dubai, has collaborated with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) to introduce the ‘Erth Dubai Through Your Eyes’ competition to invite the creative community to recreate Salik tags using original designs inspired by the city, its identity, cultural diversity, and artistic spirit.
The project invites artists, designers, calligraphers, and graffiti writers to present their ideas of a personal vision of Dubai in the context of honoring the unique arts environment of this emirate.
The competition is intended to offer an opportunity to both upcoming and established creatives, especially youth, to make their contributions to the development of a highly-utilized urban mobility touchpoint.
The entries are now open until January 19, 2026, with an overall prize amount of Dhs100,000 ($27,000). The winners will be revealed in the 14th edition of Sikka Art and Design Festival that will be held in the period between January 23 and February 1, 2026, in the Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood.
Therefore, the first-place winner will receive $15,000, followed by $7,000 for second place and $5,000 for third. A judging committee, including the representatives of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Culture, and Salik, will review submissions.
The project aims to highlight multidisciplinary creative talent, promote emerging voices, and encourage experimentation and innovation in the arts ecosystem of Dubai. It is also in line with the greater scope of Dubai Culture to strengthen the status of Dubai as a cultural world centre, a centre of creativity, and a source of talent.
CEO of Salik, Ibrahim Al Haddad, said that “Our collaboration with Dubai Culture on the ‘Erth Dubai Through Your Eyes’ competition extends Salik’s commitment to empowering talent, supporting youth creativity, and reinforcing the role of art as a key element in shaping the future of Dubai. The competition comes in response to the initiative of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and contributes to strengthening the legacy of ‘Erth Dubai’ by providing an innovative platform that enhances the value of our digital solutions and services and contributes to the development of a smart and sustainable mobility ecosystem. It also opens the door for the next generation to contribute to designing tags that accompany customers on their daily journeys across the city. Through this partnership, we look forward to motivating promising talent in schools, universities, and the creative community, and inspiring them to present works that reflect Dubai’s spirit and support its ambitions to reinforce its global leadership in innovation and quality of life.”
CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, emphasized art as a form of self-expression in the emirate and reiterated Dubai Culture’s promise to develop talents and increase exposure to creative possibilities.
She added, “The ‘Dubai Through Your Eyes’ competition celebrates what makes Dubai distinctive. It will help spread a culture of creativity, encourage innovation among artists, and prompt them to harness the emirate’s cultural and heritage resources to express their diverse visions. The resulting works will strengthen the city’s cultural and creative industries and elevate artistic and visual appreciation across Dubai.”
