Syrian visual artist, poet, and cultural critic, Mualla is the director of the Arab Center for Arts and the Sharjah Art Institute. He is a graduate of Tishreen University in Damascus where he obtained his B.A in Arabic Language. He has participated in several group exhibition and solo exhibitions throughout the Arab region and has been a member of numerous fine arts committees. His most recent publication The Despair of Knowledge is a critique of visual arts in the Arab region and the impact of information technology and new art forms on cultural field that lacks sufficient critical analysis and is undergoing radical change. He has also been a speaker in public panels on the need to preserve cultural heritage and to protect national art items from illegal markets.