Arabian Gulf Cup logo puts designer Wissam Shawkat under the spotlight

BASRA: Stepping out of Basra International Airport, the first thing that welcomes all air travelers into the city is a sculpture of a colorful logo of the city designed for the Arabian Gulf Cup.

Its elegance is in its simplicity: the word Basra, written in majestic English and Arabic calligraphy, separated by a palm tree — Basra’s most famous export. In a city more used to having tacky political posters plastered around town, the logo really stands out as a touch of grace.

Until this week, the designer of the logo had been unknown, but after posting it on his Instagram, it was discovered to be the prestigious Wissam Shawkat. Now based in Dubai, Shawkat has been pushing the boundaries of modern Arabic calligraphy for decades. But growing up in Basra, his deep affinity to the city left him excited to work on leaving a legacy for his childhood home.

“I accepted right away, even without agreeing to any amount,” said Shawkat after being approached by the government of Basra in July last year. “I was very happy and humbled, because being from Basra, I haven’t done anything in my city since I left Iraq 20 years ago.

“I wanted to create a logo that reflects happiness, that reflects celebration,” Shawkat added. “That is why it is so colorful.”

The sculpture is dotted around the city and found outside stadiums, on roundabouts, on the popular corniche and more. Even deep into the night, people can be found excitedly lining up to take selfies and photos with it.

Describing his process in designing the logo, Shawkat clarified that it needed “to be modern yet have some symbols from the city.” Not only does the logo represent happiness, each color used represents an aspect of Basra.

“If you look on the right side, you see