This Royal Collaboration Brings the Mleiha Desert Into Your Living Room

Jaipur Rugs partners with Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi for "Whispers of the Desert," a luxury rug collection inspired by Mleiha, launching at Tanweer Festival 2025.

Jaipur Rugs x Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi: Whispers of the Desert Collection

Jaipur Rugs has teamed up with Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi to launch a new collection called “Whispers of the Desert”. It’s a set of six handcrafted carpets that are debuting right now at the Tanweer Festival in Sharjah. If you are tired of mass-produced furniture, this collection is basically a history lesson woven into wool, focusing on the timeless landscapes of Mleiha and Faya.

The Collaboration: A partnership between global brand Jaipur Rugs and H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi.
The Inspiration: The designs come from the ancient terrain of Faya and Mleiha in Sharjah.
The Launch: You can see them first at the Tanweer Festival from November 21 to 23, 2025.
The Vibe: It isn't just decor; it is treated as a “living archive” of the region's history and geography.

The Vision: More Than Just Floor Covering

This isn't just about covering up that scratch on your parquet flooring. This collaboration is pitched as a “contemplative journey”

Guided by Her Highness: The vision comes directly from Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi.
Rooted in History: The project leans on her passion for storytelling and craftsmanship.
Cultural Dialogue: It aims to show the connection between land, culture, and time.

The idea here is that these carpets act as vessels of memory. Instead of random geometric patterns, the designs aim to capture specific elements of the UAE landscape—think wind moving through an oasis, rocky outcrops, and the history hidden in ancient forts and caves. It is a tribute to the antiquity of Sharjah, specifically the Faya and Mleiha regions.

Sheikha Bodour is known for her work in cultural preservation, and this project translates those ancient narratives into something tactile. It is effectively an attempt to freeze the “murmurs of wind” and “silhouettes of rocky outcrops” into a textile format.

The Collection Breakdown

There are six distinct pieces in this collection. Each one takes a different angle on the desert landscape. Here is what you can expect if you are heading to Mleiha this weekend.

1. Cry of the Sands

This rug is all about the dunes. It uses a “veil of sand and light” as its primary visual motif.

Visuals: Conjures a familiar yet mysterious landscape.
Theme: Focuses on landmarks that look like whispered memories or places of shelter.
Feeling: It is described as delicate, inviting contemplation of the unseen.

The weave itself is designed to carry the rhythm of the wind. It’s a meditation on passage and presence, trying to capture the “subtle power and poetry” of the desert environment.

2. The Edge of the Plain

This design deals with transition. It captures the point where the mountains fade into the desert.

Concept: A living memory where time flows across the design.
Details: You see the mountain vistas change and the trees thin out.
Meaning: It evokes the impermanence of things, showing beauty evolving beneath a towering ridge.

As you look closer, new details are supposed to emerge, representing the “delicate persistence of life enduring amidst change".

3. The Land of Beginnings

This one gets a bit more cosmic. It looks at the convergence of earth and heavens, specifically a land lit up by the night sky.

Dynamic Patterns: Currents of energy flow through the warp and weft.
Imagery: Ignites patterns echoing the dance of stars and the rise and fall of hills.
Narrative: Mountains erode and seas retreat, but the threads pulse with life.

It is framed as a chronicle of beginnings, capturing a land that feels both fleeting and eternal.

4. The Land Bears Witness

This piece focuses on observation and history.

Setting: The land peers across a valley, with shapes rising in the distance.
Symbols: Twin spheres hang like the sun and moon to mark the rhythm of day and night.
Tension: The threads capture the tension between what endures and what fades.

It reflects the history of a land suspended between “what was and what will be”.

5. The Passage of Time

As the name suggests, this is about the cycle of life.

Design: Features concentric rings at the heart, mirroring a tree in cross-section.
Layout: Segmented bands radiate like a compass, etched with symbols and spirals.
Texture: Subtle textures echo nature's energy.

The rings mark growth and resilience, serving as a meditation on cosmic patterns and natural cycles.

6. Oasis of the Ancestors

Finally, we have a greener perspective. This depicts the land Mleiha once was—abundant and alive.

Atmosphere: Captures lush energy and the pulse of flora and fauna.
Details: Animals move quietly through the landscape; waters trace the veins of life.
Legacy: Whispers of human presence echo through the terrain.

It portrays Mleiha as a “soft and tender sanctuary” where history flourishes.

Where to Find Them

If you want to see these in person, you have a very short window right now.

Premiere: Exclusively at the Tanweer Festival.
Dates: November 21 to November 23, 2025.
Location: The Mleiha Desert, Sharjah.

After the festival, select pieces will become available through Jaipur Rugs’ global galleries and online platforms. Jaipur Rugs operates a network of over 40,000 artisans, so while these designs are specific to Sharjah, the craftsmanship is part of a global effort to preserve hand-knotting traditions.

This isn't just about buying a rug; it's about buying a piece of the story of Faya and Mleiha.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “Whispers of the Desert” collection?

It is a collection of six handcrafted rugs created by Jaipur Rugs in collaboration with H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, inspired by the landscapes of Sharjah.

Where can I buy these rugs?

The collection is currently debuting at the Tanweer Festival (Nov 21-23, 2025). Later, select pieces will be available at Jaipur Rugs' galleries and online.