Dubai Expo 2020: World's largest Quran displayed at Pakistan Pavillion

• Visitors throng to Pakistan Pavilion at Dubai Expo to see Surah-e-Rahman inscribed with aluminium and gold.
• Shahid Rassam completes one-of-its-kind project with his team in around four months.
• Adviser to Prime Minister Abdul Razak Dawood inaugurates Rassam's work at Dubai Expo.

The unveiling of a part of the world's largest copy of the Holy Quran at the Dubai Expo 2020 on Monday attracted a large crowd outside the Pakistan Pavilion as visitors flocked to see the one-of-its-kind project.

Shahid Rassam, an award-winning artist, has cast Surah-e-Rahman with aluminium and gold plated script on a high-quality canvas, which has been done for the first time in Islamic history of over 1,400 years.

Using aluminium and gold to write the verses of Holy Quran would give the copy a longer life.

This marvellous work was inaugurated by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood with Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE Afzaal Mahmood, Expo 2020 senior officials, diplomats and corporate executives present on the occasion.

'Unique artefact'

Rassam, who is a former UAE expatriate, termed his piece of work a "unique artefact" due to being innovative from various aspects. 

"I have not written the Holy Quran with colour or ink. The words have been cast on canvas using 15kg of aluminium and more than one kilogram of gold for the first time in Islamic history," he said.

While explaining the division of Surah-e-Rahman on huge pages of his project, Rassam said the copy comprises six pages and the first two pages have only seven lines while the rest of the Surah has been divided into 10 lines on each of the remaining pages.

Team work

The inscription of Surah-e-Rahman in this project took around four months to complete with the help of the untiring efforts of 200 artists, painters, calligraphers, designers and sculptors.

Rassam will be using about 200kg gold and 2,000kg aluminium to inscribe the entire Holy Quran, which is around 80,000 words, on 550 pages. Each page will have 150 words and the artist aims at completing the project at the earliest after showcasing its first bit at the Dubai Expo 2020.

Irfan Mustafa, a Dubai-based entrepreneur, has played a significant role to make this project a reality by not only sponsoring the project but also convincing Rassam to exhibit his work at the event.

He appreciated Rassam's quality of work and said the world's largest Quran project would be an excellent addition to the Dubai Expo 2020.

"Rassam has done a great job by completing the inscription of Surah-e-Rahman on such short notice. I'm sure the visitors at Dubai Expo will appreciate Rassam and his team's hardwork," said Mustafa.