Emirati Cartoonist Khaled Al Jabri on Turning Criticism into Art

CairoScene

21-03-2025

Emirati Cartoonist Khaled Al Jabri on Turning Criticism into Art
There's a peculiar kind of magic in the way toddlers wield crayons. Unburdened by proportion, perspective, or the existential dread of going viral, they scribble with the chaotic confidence of Picassos raised on sugar. Adults, meanwhile, clutch pens like live wires—terrified of misspelling 'accommodate' in an email, let alone sketching a thought. But somewhere between the reckless abandon of childhood and the soul-crushing weight of grown-up expectations, Khaled Al Jabri found a loophole: a pencil, a pixel, and a philosophy that 'art is the ultimate Ctrl+Z for life's messes.'
A mechanical engineer by profession and a satirical illustrator by instinct, Al Jabri is one of the UAE's most distinctive cartoonists. His minimalist, expressive line work has graced newspapers, social feeds, and even corporate collaborations, each piece a sharp, wordless commentary on modern life. In a region where editorial cartoons have often taken a backseat to traditional journalism, Al Jabri has carved out a rare space—one that bridges nostalgia with digital virality, humor with critique.
Khaled Al Jabri wields his pen like a compass—navigating the chaotic seas of satire, social media algorithms, and the occasional existential dread of an artist who moonlights as a petroleum engineer. His story isn't just one of lines and erasers; it's a masterclass in drafting, redrafting, and redrawing the boundaries of creativity in a digital age that demands both wit and resilience.
From the hushed corridors of UAE University, where he first dared to scribble his frustrations into campus magazines, to the dizzying realm of Instagram reels where a single post can spark applause or cancellation, Al Jabri's journey is a testament to the quiet power of humility—and the occasional, well-timed punchline.
'When I started, I was terrified of criticism. But I chose to get hurt and learn from it. You'd get more hurt if years pass by and your work piles up in a drawer,' Al Jabri tells SceneNowUAE.
His foray into cartooning began as a university student, channeling the 'negativities' of campus life into caricatures that echoed the sharp, wordless satire of Eastern European traditions. Early critiques were brutal. 'A friend even told me my work was zift [rubbish],' Al Jabri admits. 'I thought, okay, next time I'll make it less… zift.'
The gamble worked. His work soon landed in Al Khaleej newspaper, catapulting his audience from campus peers to millions. Yet, as print's influence waned, Al Jabri pivoted, trading newsprint for Instagram grids. 'Social media's a wild sea,' Al Jabri says. 'You throw your art in, not knowing if you'll catch praise or piranhas.'
Navigating platforms where 'the audience is a psychologist's puzzle,' Al Jabri walks a tightrope between viral trends and artistic integrity. 'It's a sea—you throw your art in, not knowing if you'll catch praise or piranhas.'
His strategy? 'You can't just chase likes. If your art doesn't resonate with you, it's a disservice.'
With a process that's a cocktail of spontaneity and strategy, ideas strike mid-conversation or during encounters with Dubai's infamous speed radars—'I once drew a radar sprouting from a garden.' He sketches first on paper ('the true passion'), then polishes digitally.
But above all, his duality is his superpower. By day, he's a mechanical engineer in the petroleum industry; by night, a digital satirist and accidental scriptwriter. 'Life is weird. You open a door because you are trying to get somewhere, and suddenly a million new doors open—ones you didn't even expect,' Al Jabri says. His 2016 comic, blending petrol lore with punchlines, remains a career highlight. 'I took the petrol, art, engineering, and scriptwriting and mixed them in a blender. What came out was a comic book about the story of petrol in comics, and somehow, it worked.'
For Al Jabri, art is therapy. 'When words fail, drawings speak,' he reflects. Yet, he's philosophical about impact. 'You never know if your work changes minds or just echoes what's already there. But being part of the conversation? That's enough.'
His advice to aspiring artists? 'Continuance and consistency. Draw for 25 years—then tell me it's hard.' As for his own legacy, he grins: 'In 10 years, maybe I'll be leading engineering projects… or painting murals in cafés. Who knows? The beauty is in the not knowing.'
Khaled Al Jabri's career is a cocktail shaker of contradictions—engineer and artist, traditionalist and digital nomad, humble scribe and accidental influencer. In a world obsessed with labels, Al Jabri remains gloriously unboxed. And perhaps that's his greatest caricature of all: a man who proves that creativity, like oil, can fuel unexpected journeys—so long as you're brave enough to strike the right vein.