Nestled into the stylish beachfront location of West Palm Beach on The Palm Jumeirah, a new elegant Italian restaurant has become the go-to luxury dining destination for UAE residents and tourists.

Loren Ristorante combines the flavour of the Italian Riviera with gorgeous art deco-inspired interiors to create one of the city’s hottest locations. Situated in a rooftop setting with stunning views overlooking the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai Marina skyline this picturesque setting is the perfect location for a romantic evening or a catch-up with friends. We were immediately impressed with the interiors which combine Art Deco elements with sixties and seventies Italian-Riviera-style details.

If the weather allows, a table outside will give you the opportunity to take in the impressive views, while the inside tables offer views into the open kitchen. The service here is impeccable with international staff sharing their expertise on the food and drinks throughout your evening.

When it comes to the food you won’t be disappointed. Open for lunch and dinner Loren Ristorante focuses on hearty Italian dishes with an artistic flair. Presentation here is second to none and with colourful dishes and creative plating that make each course perfectly Instagrammable.

On the Menu

From delicious seafood to Italian classics to irresistible dessert Loren Ristorante is a treat for your senses. Highlight starter dishes include:

• Manzo Battuto Alla Piemonthese; an angus beef carpaccio with Bagna Cauda, Stracchino Cheese, Baby Spinach, Topinambur Chips.
• Branzino Alla Catalana; the Sea Bass Tartare, Catalana Sauce, Potato Soufflé, Red Onion & Grapes Gel.
• If you are looking for something colourful the Melanzana Affumicata is for you. It comprises of Oven Baked Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grana Padano & Basil.
• Burrata E Peperoni 90 Burrata Cheese, Roasted Bell Peppers, Green Olives, Aromatic Oil.
• Insalata Loren is a must-try salad with Mixed Seasonal Leaves, Peach, Orange, Roasted Mixed Nuts, Loren Dressing.

Our favourite main courses include:

• Tortelli Loren; Tortelli Pasta Stuffed With Burrata & Pistacchio, Creamy Lemon Sauce.
• Bresaola E Stracchino pizza croccante.
• Branzino Mediterraneo; Seared Wild Sea Bass Fillet, Beluga Lentils, Broccoli Purée, Artichoke, Fish Broth

From the grill, highly recommended dishes include:

• Branzino Al Sale; Oven Baked Sea Bass In A Salt Crust.
• Wagyu Ribeye 300g: Chargrilled Wagyu Ribeye Ms – 5.

And finally, make sure you save room for dessert. Our favourite sweet treats are:

• Profiteroles Al Cioccolato: Profiteroles Filled With Hazelnuts Praline, Topped With Warm White Chocolate.
• Traditional Tiramisu Served With A ‘Cremino’ Sigaro.

For more information visit: lorenristorantedubai.com

For Reservations: 04 5578293 | reservations@lorenristorantedubai.com

We reveal the latest resort and hotel openings in the region to look out for in 2023.

Atlantis The Royal Dubai, UAE 

Perhaps the most highly anticipated hotel opening of 2023 is Atlantis The Royal, this expansive luxury resort is already an icon in Dubai’s skyline as it towers over the Arabian Gulf at the tip of The Palm Jumeirah. This spectacular property is set to be the pinnacle of luxury, offering guests an experience like no other, uniquely tailored to their every desire. The resort will feature 795 rooms and suites across 43 floors with 44 of the resort’s luxury Suites and Signature Penthouses offering private infinity pools, inviting guests to swim amongst the clouds. All rooms will come with five-star facilities and amenities as well as the best in technology systems and many will offer an exclusive butler service.

Atlantis The Royal will feature 17 unique dining experiences with show-stopping new restaurants and bars throughout. Following on from the success of Atlantis the Palm’s dining destinations the new resort will have Signature restaurants from culinary icons including Gaston Acurio, Ariana Bundy, Costas Spiliadis and Jose Andres, while Nobu will be opening their first-ever pool and beach club and Heston Blumenthal will introduce Dinner, as well as his debut bar, Resonance. The six towers that make up the hotel will be brought together by a 90-metre-long Skypool on the 22nd floor, which forms part of an outdoor entertainment experience called Cloud 22. Adjacent to Cloud 22 on the 22nd-floor guests will find Ling Ling, a modern Pan-Asian, day-to-night venue featuring 360-degree views of the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline.

Tim Kelly, Managing Director of Atlantis Dubai says “This is it. Our moment is finally here to reveal Atlantis The Royal as the world’s most ultra-luxury entertainment resort. Openings of resorts like this one only come around once or twice in a decade, and we can’t wait to share it with the world. As these new images demonstrate, this is a resort like no other and the building itself will become an instantly recognisable icon of the Dubai skyline. We are excited to begin welcoming guests next year and treat them to an experience they’ll never forget.”

To be one of the first to stay at Atlantis The Royal, guests can make a reservation at www.atlantistheroyal.com. Reservations will open from 31st October 2022, for stays from 2023 onwards.

Bab Al Shams, UAE 

Dubai’s quintessential desert resort, Bab Al Shams is now accepting reservations, as it prepares to enter a new era, reopening in early 2023 under the Rare Finds vertical of Kerzner International. The extensive reimagination of the iconic desert resort will introduce a completely renewed aesthetic whilst maintaining the resort’s authentic identity. Captivating destination experiences and vibrant entertainment will be the beating heart of the reborn resort, spreading intangible energy to every stay, and imprinting everlasting memories.

Guests can return to reimagined, world-class culinary experiences such as modern Arabic cuisine, a rooftop lounge, and al fresco dining. Championing local producers and using responsibly sourced ingredients, each outlet will showcase the exceptional array of sensorial and theatrical dining available throughout the resort.

For more information visit: www.babalshams.com

SIRO One Za’abeel 

Immersive lifestyle and fitness brand, SIRO, will launch its inaugural hotel, SIRO One Za’abeel, in Q4 or 2023. This first hotel for the SIRO brand will be located in the heart of Dubai’s iconic One Za’abeel development in Downtown Dubai.

A fitness and recovery destination, SIRO One Za’abeel will offer holistic fitness and wellbeing programs, in a beautifully designed hotel environment with stunning views of Dubai’s skyline. Guests will have access to top-of-the-line facilities while receiving expert guidance and coaching from a team of fitness and wellbeing experts. Programs will focus on five pillars: fitness, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindfulness. When the hard work is done guests will relax in the hotel’s guest rooms, known as the ‘Recovery Cocoons’. The rooms will feature the latest technology, in place to improve physical and mental recovery, mitigate jet lag, enhance mood and ensure restorative sleep.

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Room features include a thermoregulation mattress, a recovery cabinet, wellness pillows and anti-allergen duvets, through a sound-proofed environment, a dimming lighting system and wake-up and sleep rituals.

For more information visit: www.sirohotels.com/dubai

One&Only One Za’abeel

Situated in the new exclusive Za’abeel neighbourhood, One&Only One Za’abeel Resort is set to be a must-visit destination in the heart of the busy city. Dubai’s newest icon, designed by internationally acclaimed architect Nikken Sekkei, the dual-tower edifice showcases 360-degree views of Dubai’s glimmering skyscrapers, lush green expanses and transcendental sunsets. Featuring an impressive design this modern building is set to reshape the city’s skyline.

A place where timeless elegance fuses with intuitive function, tradition meets modernity and contemporary style marries with bespoke individuality One&Only One Za’abeel rises high above the city representing the pinnacle of urban living. It will feature private residences as well as luxury accommodation. The rooms and suites have been designed with comfort and style in mind with earthy-toned interiors, floor-to-ceiling windows and curated artworks.

The hotel will be home to 11 restaurants and bars, spanning Argentinean, Indonesian and Middle Eastern delights located within “The Link – World’s Longest Cantilevered Building”. The Link is a panoramic sky concourse that connects the two towers of One Za’abeel, floating an awe-inspiring 100 metres above the ground. It will offer an exploration of world-class restaurants, celebrity chef outlets, a statement swimming pool, wellness facilities, retail and entertainment.

For more information visit: www.oneandonlyresorts.com/one-zaabeel/

The Outpost, Qatar

The Outpost Qatar is located in Al Barari in the unique Inland Sea nature reserve of Qatar’s desert. The resort is designed to provide a one-of-a-kind luxury experience celebrating Qatar’s rich natural environment and heritage. Surrounded by soaring sand dunes and desert wilderness, each of the private 21 tented villas delivers an authentic nature experience, blended with the expected flourishes of luxury hospitality. Many of the villas include a private pool and extensive outdoor terraces that allow guests to experience the beauty of nature in privacy. Created as an escape from busy life, The Outpost is a wellness experience and private getaway in one offering exclusive experiences for guests from desert yoga to spa treatments to high tea.

The Outpost is located around one hour from Doha city by car and a pickup service can also be provided by the resort. For more information visit: www.theoutpostalbarari.com.

Banyan Tree AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Situated in the magical surroundings of AlUla, this new all-villa resort features 79 luxurious tented villas in one of the world’s most mysterious and exciting new destinations. Infused with elements from the nomadic nature of Nabataean design and heritage, the resort offers one, two, and three-bedroom villas with private pools and outdoor living space, showcasing stunning views of the rock formations in the Ashar Valley.

The resort is designed to offer a multi-sensory experience combining the stillness and peacefulness of the area with stunning nature and five-star hospitality. The resort’s spa is a perfect haven offering a holistic approach blending Asian rituals and Arabian traditions, where natural and native ingredients are at the core of each treatment. The impressive Rock Pool is not to be missed, surrounded by the majestic sandstone mountains it makes for a sanctuary of relaxation.

For more information visit: www.banyantree.com/saudi-arabia/alula

As the temperature heats up and we embrace the warmer months it’s time to adapt your wardrobe for Spring. We reveal three key trends for men to try this season.

Stripes

From preppy pinstripe to bold nautical stripes the geometric print is set to be a statement look for Spring. Choose monochrome stripes for an understated look or, opt for bold colours if you want to make more of an impact.

Emporio Armani

Versace

Dries Van Noten

Double Denim

Another revisit to the nineties comes in the form of double denim which was seen across the Spring/Summer 2023 runways. No explanation is needed here, just6 pair your best denim pieces together and you’ll perfect the look.

Givenchy

Fendi

Tod’s

Dolce&Gabbana

Kenzo

Bold & bright

Colours are bolder and brighter than ever in today’s menswear collections. From Pillar Box red to highlighter yellow and green, don’t be afraid to experiment with the strongest and most eye-catching hues.

Versace

Givenchy

Ferragamo

The Louis Vuitton LV Ski Collection returns this year with a new winter-ready wardrobe. Designed for both style and performance the collection captures the House’s travelling spirit and puts an elevated spin on activewear.

Pieces in the collection can be worn as full looks or mixed and matched to suit any style. Highlight pieces include a Monogram fleece with a new signature winter Monogram, puffer jackets and sporty knitwear.

Technical materials offer performance and durability. For example, a series of puffer jackets combine the heat of genuine goose down padding, sourced from responsible farming which ensures the respect of animal well-being, and the use of recycled nylon fabric, ECONYL®.

Outerwear combines shearling and leather for an elegant look and a chic parka in Monogram double wool can be worn at least five different ways. Salopettes, trousers and a funnel-necked jacket are among the dedicated ski wear grouping made from technical nylon and waterproof stretch gabardine traced with white piping and Monogram inserts.

Closer to the body, silhouettes are close-fitting with details that accentuate form. Technical compression jersey pieces in sporty tonal grey, blue and red are streamlined and feminine, while ribbed knits in sumptuous cashmere boast athletic stripes that give off a throwback allure.

The collection is complemented by a series of accessories including the Louis Vuitton ski goggles which first debuted in 2021.

Prada’s Spring Summer accessories feature antique Nappa surfaces which have been patinated, pressed and wrinkled, as to reinterpret archetypal and classic Prada handbag silhouettes.

Offering a worn look that is both timeless and modern, this season’s key bags are undoubtedly going to appeal to the younger generation who are looking to own a slice of Prada heritage.

Polarities are explored between minimalism and decoration, occasion and everyday – as in life, in reality, unanticipated dichotomies are observed, explored, and embraced.

Now available at Prada stores across the UAE and globally.

Alicia Keys will return to Maraya in AlUla for an exclusive evening and performance this February.

Performing in the country’s epicentre of art, culture and history the superstar will headline a concert as well as hosting “Women to Women” an exclusive gathering that discusses power and purpose with the region’s female trailblazers.

The second edition of Women to Women will embrace a future-forward mindset. The topics will be focused on their personal journeys, the importance of being resources to each other, benefitting from wisdom to nurture the collective, and legacy-making.

Keys is no stranger to the city after visiting, where she was captivated by the desert and the ancient civilizations who resided there. “There is no denying the beauty and history of AlUla, but there is something more. As an artist, I feel a sense of belonging and connection – with nature, with humanity, with the past and the future. I love it here, and I am excited to make magic again in AlUla.” said Keys.

Women to Women event with Alicia Keys and Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al-Saud

The concert and Town Hall is once again, presented by Good Intentions, co-founded by Keys’s husband, producer and creative mogul Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean and Saudi native Noor Taher. The movement creates one-of-kind, culturally driven experiences with a focus on community impact in the Kingdom.

The concert will be broadcast on MBC TV channel and AlUla Moments Youtube channel. Follow AlUla Moments on social media to stay updated on the ticket sales date.

With a new take on Iberian Latino fusion, La Niña Launches in the heart of DIFC.

With fans including Dubai Crown Prince, La Niña’s opulent interiors and vibrant dishes make it one of the city’s hottest new dining destinations. With a new take on Modern Iberian Latino cuisine, this elegant restaurant in DIFC’s ICD Brookfield Place promises to steer away from the traditional dining scene, offering a one-of-a-kind experience. The restaurant is accessed through a dedicated entrance where you will be welcomed by friendly staff. Next, you’ll head upstairs in a dedicated elevator before being greeted by the grandeur and opulent interiors and design.

The dishes at La Niña will take guests on a memorable journey around the world, with flavours and scents that take inspiration from multiple cultures and experiences. Visitors can expect to be immersed in a gourmet journey full of taste and adventure inspired by vibrant gastronomic cultures from the Iberian Peninsula to South America.

Drawing inspiration from these two rich cultures the restaurant menu is packed with tantalizing creations crafted by a team of exceptional chefs who combine their world-class culinary expertise and international know-how, to bring flavours from around the world to the table. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner La Niña’s dishes combine traditional ingredients with unique textures and techniques to create bold and complex flavours that guests won’t find anywhere else in Dubai.

Highlight dishes on the menu include Plato de Mariscos, a decedent seafood platter, as well as the Tuna Tartare and Ensalada Rusa. For dessert, the sweet white chocolate and avocado mousse is a treat for your senses and to make things even more exciting – it’s in the shape of an avocado!

The food isn’t the only element worth noting as La Niña’s interiors are also something quite special. Mimicking a traditional dining room this intimate setting draws inspiration from forgotten eras of centuries of sea exploration. The opulent blue and white interiors offer a regal feel, mirroring that of a regal dining room.

Painted tiles on the wall reflect the influence of the ocean and green plants a red velvet seating adds a touch of colour. There is fine attention to detail down to the hand-sewn napkins and creatively shaped serving dishes. Each element has been carefully thought out and perfected.

New York Fashion Week has kicked off and as designers present the Fall/Winter 2023 collections we reveal highlights from the runway so far.

Carolina Herrera

Wes Gordon’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection for Carolina Herrera was inspired by the dichotomy of discipline and grandeur found in ‘Sisi’, Empress Elisabeth of Austria. This dazzling figure was a symbol of opulence and elegance, unapologetic beauty and drama. This concept of opulence has been reinterpreted in a colourful and statement-making way. Voluminous silhouettes layers and layers of tulle are juxtaposed against a sharply tailored suit precisely cut to the millimetre. Geometric stripes, jewelled-toned colours, gold embroidery and chunky embellishment offer a regal appeal to this luxurious collection.

AREA

New York-based brand AREA kicked off New York Fashion Week with a colourful collection inspired by fruit which was interpreted in a playful pop-art way. The brand also unveiled a collaboration with Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi which celebrates finding beauty in unexpected and challenging places.

Coach

Coach went back to basics with key essentials such as leather, denim and jumper dresses for its Fall/Winter 2023 collection that was presented at New York Fashion Week yesterday evening. Stuart Vevers created a simple silhouette paired with statement accessories and bold touches of colour.

Dior Beauty has introduced a new skincare ritual for men with the addition of new Dior Homme shaving products to its sports skincare range.

This new shaving step in your man’s morning routine is designed to be followed by the Dior Homme After Shave Balm. Simple yet, beneficial these new products are enriched with ingredients that will leave the skin feeling clean, soft and soothed.

The collection features a razor that glides easily over the skin, while the Dior Homme shaving cream is smooth and easy to apply. It was designed and formulated with precision to effectively alleviate razor burn thanks to a formula infused with cotton extract. Developed with a natural approach, it features 94 per cent natural origin ingredients, that have been carefully selected to keep the skin hydrated, fresh and smooth. Shaving time is reduced and the skin will be left feeling fresh all day.

The routine finishes with the fresh and spicy signature scent of Dior Homme Sport Eau De Toilette. Energetic and sophisticated with a lively and sensual edge the recently revisited edition of this scent offers a rich yet dynamic edge.

The collection is supported by a campaign starring actor Robert Pattinson, a Dior Man who knows how to embrace his masculinity, combining sophisticated and relaxed versions of himself. Pattinson is captured in a series of images by photographer Mikael Jansson in graphic black and white with red text.

The Dior Homme complete shaving collection is now available worldwide.

This weekend Sharjah was painted in colour for the 2023 edition of the Sharjah Light Festival.

For the 12th edition of the cultural event, Key landmarks around the Emirate including Sharjah Mosque, University City Hall, Al Noor Mosque, Khalid Lagoon Corniche and more were drenched in colour for a spectacular display.

The event was opened with a ceremony in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the SCTDA, along with a number of officials from the emirate, representatives of various media outlets in the UAE, and visitors to the event from the UAE and abroad.

The opening ceremony included a dazzling light show titled Chasing the Light, a story of finding that flicker of light in the shadows, the silver lining and the efforts we take to keep the flame of curiosity high.

This year’s edition of the Sharjah Light Festival presents performances and events in a new format, highlighting the emirate’s unique urban and architectural character, as well as its cultural identity, which have positioned it as an attractive destination for tourists and visitors from around the world. Mesmerising light shows and art displays will adorn buildings and destinations across the Emirate of Sharjah, with seven international artists taking part alongside a group of emerging creative artists.

Speaking at the launch event, H.E. Al Midfa asserted that: “Sharjah Light Festival continues on its journey of excellence and innovation, continuously updating its visions and ideas, developing the technologies it relies on, and adapting to new developments, in order to ensure sustainable, positive results. With that in mind, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority is committed, with every edition of the festival, to reinvent its performances, develop side events, and attracting world-renowned artists, all in an effort to highlight the latest destinations and landmarks in the Emirate of Sharjah and provide more services to the public at each of the festival’s locations.”

H.E. Al Midfa explained that the festival’s success is the result of the Authority’s tireless efforts, which are in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the boundless support of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council.

“The Sharjah Light Festival has become a leading event that the public looks forward to every year to create unforgettable memories, immortalised in thousands of posts on various social media platforms that travel across borders and bring joy to millions of followers,” H.E. added. “Here in Sharjah, we take pride in all our achievements, and celebrate the festival’s popularity and good reputation, which had a tangible positive impact on the domestic and international tourism sector in the emirate.”

For more information and to check the dates of the light shows and events, please visit the Festival’s official website: www.slf.ae

For the first time an exhibition of Guy Bourdin’s artworks is being shown in Dubai.

Through a partnership between THAT Concept Store and ap8.art, large hand-printed formats of some of the French artist’s most iconic works are being displayed exclusively at THAT Concept Store in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.

© The Guy Bourdin Estate 2023 Courtesy of AP8

This special exhibition includes 17 large format hand-printed and framed photographs by the artist and fashion photographer, which are also for sale and exclusively available at THAT Concept Store.

© The Guy Bourdin Estate 2023 Courtesy of AP8

“We are delighted to mark the start of a new collaboration between THAT Concept Store and the prestigious ap8.art, showcasing this iconic exhibition for our discerning customers. We are committed to continuously evolving THAT’s lifestyle section through the development of diversified product categories that deliver a unique customer experience, and by joining forces with ap8.art, we are able to deliver exclusive artwork to the region, making the collecting of art even more accessible,” says Fahed Ghanim, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle.

© The Guy Bourdin Estate 2023 Courtesy of AP8

Guy Bourdin’s career spanned more than forty years during which time he worked for the world’s leading fashion houses and magazines. From his early editorial fashion commissions, Guy immediately revealed his distinct style. His photographs went beyond fashion and can be considered some of the most iconic images of our time.

His pioneering techniques and skilful use of plot and perspective, meticulous compositions, hyper-colour, and contrast mean his works are instantly recognisable and timeless. This exciting project marks the first time Bourdin’s work has been presented in the Middle East.

© The Guy Bourdin Estate 2023 Courtesy of AP8

The selection of images includes some of the artist’s most recognisable images. Shot between 1970-1979, the collection showcases his bold aesthetic, fusing art, fashion, and culture.

“It has been a dream of mine to bring this sumptuous exhibition to the Middle East. There is no better place than THAT to showcase the artworks of the iconic Guy Bourdin – the photographer who was responsible for elevating fashion photography to an art form. This curated and framed collection is going to transform the home of collectors in Dubai and beyond,” says Viola Raikhel, Curator, and co-founder, ap8.art.

© The Guy Bourdin Estate 2023 Courtesy of AP8

The THAT Concept store & AP8 Guy Bourdin exhibition will run from 2nd February until 7^th March. All prints will be available for purchase at THAT Concept and online at THATConceptStore.com.

This season Dior’s men’s accessories are getting a makeover in the form of the CD Diamond canvas.

Designed by Marc Bohan the CD Diamond was first unveiled in 1974 on the Miss Dior lines before appearing on sweaters and shoes. The brand’s CD initials are revisited to resemble a refined diamond, creating a hypnotic design.

Brett Lloyd for Dior

For Summer 2022, the motif was reinterpreted by Kim Jones, Artistic Director of Dior Men’s collections, into a signature fabric, and for Spring 2023, it returned, this time on the House’s latest leather goods creations.

Brett Lloyd for Dior

The all-over print is featured on the Hit the Road backpack and crossbody, as well as on the Dior Lock pouch and wallet on a strap. It appears in both sporty and elegant iterations. As an extra surprise, the CD Diamond canvas adorns e B27 sneakers, completing the Modern Tailoring silhouette.

Brett Lloyd for Dior

Available at select Dior boutiques globally and online.

This winter if you’re looking for the perfect destination to relax, but still benefit from the vibrancy and excitement of the city, Address Beach Resort has it all.

Address Beach Resort has quickly become the city’s go-to destination, combining the best of cosmopolitan life, with a stylish beach escape, this hotel is a favourite of UAE residents and international tourists.

From the moment you arrive, you will be impressed by the architecture and design of this unique property.

Hotel lobby

As you enter the hotel from the lobby a breathtaking scene awaits with bright light flooding through the floor-to-ceiling windows and a series of welcoming seating areas for guests to gather and meet.

Deluxe King Room (Sea Facing)

With 217 modern guest rooms and suites, the hotel combines fine architecture with understated interior design. A blue, grey and white colour palette makes this property feel modern and airy while wooden details in the room add to the contemporary mood. Mesmerising abstract artworks throughout the hotel add a more homely feel to the property.

During the cooler months, the Jumeirah Beach hotel is the perfect place to enjoy the weather with many outdoor experiences and al fresco dining destinations. Choose from beachside Mediterranean dining at The Beach Grill to an exciting afternoon of fun at Daydreamer brunch, to evening glamour at Lebanese-Brazilian restaurant Li’Brazil.

The Beach Grill

Meanwhile, for sunseekers, there are endless locations around the hotel to soak up the warm rays. The beach has direct views of Ain Dubai, as well as access to nearby Jumeirah Beach Residence, with everything you need just a short few steps away.

Li Brasil

A visit to Address Beach Resort is not complete without a visit to the hotel’s 77th floor. Here you will find the world’s highest outdoor infinity pool, as well as the exclusive rooftop restaurant ZETA Seventy Seven. The views from here are entirely unrivalled in the city and it’s an experience you won’t forget.

As for the menu, there are so many delicious dishes to choose from. Start with a selection of signature sushi dishes including the 77 Role, Tempura Roll and California Roll.

If you are a seafood fan the oysters are a must-try, followed by a selection of hot appetisers such as duck spring roll, prawn tempura and Edamame. When it comes to main courses our personal favourite is the Wagyu Striploin, as well as the Grilled Lobster, and Pan Seared Sea bream. These mouth-watering dishes are perfectly finished off with the Amai 77 dessert.

For more information and booking click HERE

Giorgio Armani has partnered with Italian Sea Group to create a 72-metre Admiral Megayacht featuring Armani/Casa interiors which will be unveiled with an exclusive event at the Marina di Carrera headquarters on 11^th February.

The project was launched in 2020 and developed by Giorgio Armani in collaboration with the Admiral Style centre and perfectly blends the two company’s brand DNA and style. Combining the worlds of fashion and the most exquisite aspects of nautical life, the one-of-a-kind megayacht will be a unique avant-garde creation celebrating the best of design and innovation.

Image: Giorgio Armani

This yacht is the first of two designed entirely by Giorgio Armani, whose unmistakable style is immediately recognisable in both the exterior lines and the refined interiors. Timeless minimalism, which has always been part of the designer’s creative philosophy, redefines the very essence of the high-end megayacht concept in a radical yet elegant way, basing itself on the principles of simplicity and sophistication.

The design of the exterior, featuring a clear architectural influence, is both meticulous and captivating: large, sharp, geometric volumes are perfectly balanced with curvier, softer shapes, for an ensemble that is majestic yet dynamic. Thanks to the large, full-height glazed openings, the effect inside is one of being seamlessly immersed in light and the surrounding environment, which can be adjusted thanks to a clever positioning of sliding panels.

Image: Giorgio Armani

The Armani/Casa interiors amplify Giorgio Armani’s aesthetic philosophy, offering discreet, refined luxury and subdued tones. The décor is bold yet relaxed; the overall harmony is provided by a combination of elements that are skilfully combined into a space that is unquestionably exclusive and one of its kind. The apparent minimalism finds its counterpoint in the use of exquisite, refined materials, fine hand-crafted finishes, and a masterful mix of soft or vibrant colours.

Image: Giorgio Armani

“The sea and design are two of my greatest passions. With this new collaboration, I have extended my idea of furnishing and decor to the nautical world, in which – just as in fashion – aesthetics and functionality come together in a natural and elegant style. This highly stimulating project has allowed me to create customised spaces with Armani/Casa – like made-to-measure clothing – with the same craftsmanship applied to the choice of materials, details and production”, says Giorgio Armani, Chairman and CEO of the Armani Group.

Image: Giorgio Armani

Giovanni Costantino, Founder & CEO of The Italian Sea Group added: “This megayacht, the result of an exciting partnership of which I am extremely proud, is further confirmation of our way of being able to realize unique projects with Made in Italy brands of excellence that share our values. Giorgio Armani is synonymous with timeless elegance and sophistication, and his stylistic vision has also increased our stylistic sensitivity. This new yacht is projected to be positioned as a stylistic benchmark, also given the countless comments and regards we’ve received from various industry players. This therefore confirms our business model, which aims to customise every detail in order to make each of our works absolutely unique, in line with the vision and desire of each owner”.

The yacht will be unveiled during an exclusive event in Carrara Italy and will be officially delivered in early 2024.

Maison Valentino has revealed its newest boutique in the exclusive location within Atlantis The Royal.

The iconic hotel which officially opens on 10^th February 2023 will house an elegant new space featuring the Italian brand’s latest collections.

Spanning over 160 square metres the new boutique marks an important step in the development of Valentino’s worldwide retail network expansion featuring the new store concept that is entirely in sync with a client-centric approach and the expression of how today the brand has translated the values of couture into a language connected to the spaces, and architecture.

The concept represents Valentino’s identity as a Maison de Couture with an interior design which reflects the house’s artisanal approach, and it has been designed to fit into the territory and the community in which it is located in order to match the surrounding environment.

The interiors allude to 1930s Art Déco motifs and aesthetic, which merge into a contemporary language expressed through an eclectic material palette and details. The key elements are all made by natural materials such as natural canapa rope that wraps around different elements of the store, sisal for the floor and a spun silk fabric shantung wallpaper.

Valentino Atlantis Boutique in Dubai carries both Men’s and Women’s Valentino Collections including Valentino Garavani accessories. The boutique will open on Friday, February 10th.

It’s been revealed that Phoebe Philo will reveal her long-awaited brand this September.

Two years since the British designer revealed she would launch her own label under the LVMH Group there has been much speculation about how and when it would launch.

An Instagram account for Phoebe Philo says: “our inaugural collection will be revealed and available on our website, pheobephilo.com in September 2023. We will be opening for registration in July 2023 and look forward to being back in touch then.”

Philo has gained a cult following since her time at Celine where she was Creative Director from 2008 to 2018 and at Chloé from 1997 to 2006. She redefined how women dress with a new never-seen-before silhouette, new materials and new ways of wearing staple wardrobe pieces.

Little has been revealed about the brand so far but it’s likely Phoebe’s signature style which has become so popular will once again shine through with her new brand. We can’t wait!

Dubai Design District (d3) and Arab Fashion Council have announced the launch of Dubai Fashion Week. The inaugural show will take place from 10^th to 15^th March 2023 and will showcase collections from emerging and established designers from around the world.

The brand new celebration of talent will help to cement Dubai’s place amongst the leading fashion capitals of the world.

Building on the success of Arab Fashion Week, Dubai Fashion Week will become a definitive fashion feature in the region, featuring Men’s, Women’s, ready-to-wear and couture collections.

The announcement was made on 7^th February 2023 with an exclusive event at Dubai Design District (d3) in the presence of Abdulla Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer of TECOM Group, Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism,  Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President – Commercial, TECOM Group, Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council, among other dignitaries, including government officials and high-profile fashion and culture media.

With shows planned in line with the global fashion calendar, Dubai Fashion Week will provide an international platform for emerging and established designers to grow their brands. Not only will regional designers get to meet and do business with international buyers and distributors, but it will also serve as a gateway for international talent and brands to continue expanding their global footprint through the regional market.

Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), part of TECOM Group, said: “Where there was Paris, Milan, London and New York, there is now Dubai. From economic activity to tourism and creativity, Dubai has carved its own space among the world’s cosmopolitan capitals, and fashion is one industry boosting its status. All eyes are on the Middle East for fashion and creativity, and now the sky is the limit. Dubai has the vision, ambition and innovation to elevate the impact and reach of creatives globally. Our evolving partnership with the Arab Fashion Council will strengthen our networks with international and regional partners and boost the industry’s contribution to the creative economy.”

Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council, said: “Dubai has arrived on the global fashion stage. Emerging and established creatives have shaped a distinct identity for the region that resonates far and wide. Our region’s fashion industry is entering a new chapter as we become increasingly active contributors to the global fashion narrative. Arab Fashion Council is proud to amplify this voice and partner with d3 and TECOM Group to launch Dubai Fashion Week, the official industry platform. Presenting Dubai as a global creative hub, Dubai Fashion Week will boost fashion exports and attract world-class investment.”

Serge Carreira, Head Emerging Brands Initiative, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode added: “Over the last years, Dubai became one of the most dynamic places for arts and creative industries. The Arab Fashion Council and Dubai Design District have been successfully promoting and supporting talents from all the regions focusing on creativity, values and excellence. Fashion is a cultural expression fuelled by tradition but also by the zeitgeist.  I strongly believe that Dubai has now the capacity to become a global fashion hub addressing today’s questions of sustainability, technology and diversity.”

Leading up to Dubai Fashion Week, the official calendar will enable brands, designers and industry players to activate their own programme of runway shows, presentations, exhibitions, pop-ups, special celebrations and workshops in d3 and across Dubai. More details about the inaugural edition will be revealed closer to the date.

For more information, please visit: dubaidesigndistrict.com

EAST Architecture Studio is a collective practice committed to architectural design and experimental research.

Based in Beirut, the studio has a strong focus on innovation and modern environments that it brings its unique touch. Founded by architects Charles Kettaneh and Nicolas Fayad, the studio works on projects of various scales ranging from master planning to interior design and adaptive reuse, engaging both contemporary society and traditional culture. The firm operates as an open laboratory continuously in search of new architectural typologies that reconsider the intersection between spatial experience, form, and technology while adjusting to changing social, economic, and political environments.

With the architecture industry at a crucial point of growth, there are many exciting projects on the horizon. Emphasis on history, culture and territory is an integral part of the Studio’s adopted design methods, defining an architectural response that engages with the challenges of our time. Along with a growing team of talented architects, partners, and consultants, the practice is constantly evolving in the shifting landscapes of modern life. Here we find out more about the Studio and what’s in the pipeline for the coming year.

Tell us a little about how East Architecture Studio came to life and where it is at today.

East Architecture Studio is a collective practice founded in 2015 focusing on architectural design and experimental research led by architects Nicolas Fayad and Charles Kettaneh. With projects ranging from master planning to interior design and adaptive reuse, the studio gained international recognition in its early days after winning major design competitions for large-scale developments in Africa and the Middle East. Last fall, the studio was announced as the winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its 2022 cycle.

What is your vision for the company moving forward? 

The studio operates as a boutique architectural office yielding projects of multiple scales. This is in part due to a communal effort nurtured by a dedicated team of architects, collaborators and visionary clients with whom we share a joint vision for building a better future. We like to carry that joint spirit while exploring new territories, staying true to our design ethos regardless of the nature of the project.

You were recently awarded the prestigious Aga Khan award – tell us about this.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is given every three years to projects that set new standards of excellence in architecture, planning, historic preservation and landscape architecture. The Award seeks to identify and encourage built projects that successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies across the world, in which Muslims have a significant presence. Our project, the Renovation of Niemeyer Guest House, located at the Rachid Karami International Fair of Tripoli, North Lebanon, is one of the six winners of this year’s award. Our intervention was particularly commended for its social relevance in the context of Tripoli, as well as its sensitive renovation approach and its timelessness, as it sets out a relevant benchmark for the renovation of modernist heritage buildings in the region and in the Fair in particular.

What does it mean to you for your work to be recognised on an international scale?

We couldn’t be more honoured with this recognition. It comes with immense responsibility and great pride in equal measure. It also demonstrates that successful architecture comes in many different forms and that from great constraints intricate and surprising architectural responses can emerge.

How would you define your style of architecture?

Rather than defining our work stylistically, we opt to embrace specificity with every project that comes to the studio. We engage with these specificities in a contemporary way while being mindful of local cultures and construction techniques, bridging history with modernity.

It seems more than ever the lines are blurring between architecture, interior design and construction – where do you stand on this and how do you think the industry has changed?

Historically, there were never any boundaries between architecture, interior and construction, it has always been a holistic endeavour. We believe in that approach of envisioning spaces that operate in that way. In addition, the intricacies and complexities of a given construction technique create a very specific set of three-dimensional behaviours, materiality and applications. This directly informs the architectural qualities of a space, be it interior or exterior.

Where does sustainability fit into your business model and how has this changed the way you work? 

We are very sensitive to the local specificity of the projects we work on. Our studio relies on applied research when it comes to construction methods that borrow from the past while embracing innovative building techniques. This focus on local resources and techniques goes a long way in promoting sustainable development and is embedded culturally in our part of the world. We embrace it, as it has always been a primordial aspect of our design process.

What is a project you are particularly proud of?

We are currently completing a gallery and private residence for an art collector. A capsule retreat that surges from a process of truly listening to the aspirations of its owner. The decisions behind its form and materiality are rooted in the interpretation of the local building culture, an assemblage of fair-faced concrete and local stone. The result follows this premise, an introverted shelter in close contact with its environment.

What do you consider when taking on a client?

Architects are listeners, and with every client comes a story. Our role is to envision a narrative, or an imaginary construct through our own design principles. When given this liberty for interpretation, clients allow architects to believe in the progress and push the boundaries of architectural knowledge. This exchange is crucial through early conversations with a prospective client.

What do you say no to?

We believe that every challenge hides opportunities that could offer unique possibilities for architecture. We do not reject but hold on to those challenges, because we know that the best projects come out of a complex process of negotiation.

How would you assess the architecture industry in the Middle East today?

The Middle East has become an epicentre for cultural production in an emerging new world. Giving shape to the region is a complex endeavour. Its character is rooted in the past, while its mind is set towards the future – a truly exciting time for architects and makers.

How do you get inspired?

As designers in today’s complex world, it is vital to acknowledge tradition, values, and beliefs but to also project ourselves into the future. We are very much inspired by contexts that have been shaped by history and time and like to carry our findings throughout every design project. In parallel, we heavily seek inspiration in the art world, through concepts that have become our own design principles.

What is in the pipeline for East Architecture studio for 2023?

2023 holds many exciting projects. On the drawing board is a commercial tower for the Kuwaiti quarters of Al-Qibla as well as a private home tucked in the coniferous hills of Mount Lebanon. Some of our construction sites are reaching their finishing stages, waiting to be revealed and lived. We always look forward to witnessing our clients appropriating their spaces, it’s always a very rewarding moment for everyone. Other planned events include the curation of a national ceremony for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and a book launch co-edited by our studio on the urgency of preserving our modern heritage. The year will also be interspersed with a series of lectures and symposiums around the theme of architecture, culture and contemporary society.

Hidden beneath the impressive architecture of Address Beach Resort The GARDEN of Dreams is a hidden sanctuary amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Located close the JBR Beach this Mediterranean lounge makes the perfect relaxing escape to hang out with friends during the weekend and soak up the warm winter weather.

Every Saturday GARDEN of Dreams hosts its Saturday Daydreamer brunch which offers lively entertainment and delicious food for guests, beginning with a selection of sharing starters including lentil salad, prawn tempura, pizza rucola, and the must-have burrata you’ll kick off your weekend in style with a colourful selection of cocktails and mocktails. The main courses include homemade pasta Arrabbiata, baby chicken and sirloin steak. Finish with a colourful dessert platter (you’ll never eat it all we promise!)

While you soak up the sun and the delicious flavours, you’ll be entertained by a DJ and singers and dancers throughout the day. This colourful carnival of shows will make this a day to remember.

DAYDREAMER Brunch

Saturdays 12.30 pm – 4 pm

Soft AED 280 / Premium AED 360 / Bubbly AED 500

For more information visit dreamdxb.com

Get ready for your little ones to look even cuter as Louis Vuitton reveals its first-ever baby collection.

Debuting this March the newborn collection will feature elegant yet playful accessories and clothing for boys and girls that will accompany the babies through their early days.

The timeless offering features Louis Vuitton branded accessories clothing and objects featuring the LV monogram, rearranged in the Meli-Melo motif, as well as the brand’s iconic flowers which appear as perforations on leather shoes, as a 3D knit in the finest cashmere, and as a discreet label affixed to many of the pieces.

Accessories include luxurious blankets, emblematic items in silver, small travel cases and even a Louis teddy bear.

The collection was inspired by the House’s DNA when Gaston Louis Vuitton introduced toys to the Maison’s universe with a Salon de Jouets inside the Champs-Elysées store in the 1930s.

Clothing is sized up to 12 months and includes onesies, coordinating ensembles, essential bodies, pyjamas, a dress, and a double-faced hooded coat that boasts Monogram flowers on the pockets and the Meli-Melo motif inside. In these complete outfits, babies will be effortlessly enveloped and adorably chic.

Details are delicately and meticulously considered, whether mother-of-pearl buttons on cotton cashmere cardigans, small embroideries on bloomers and bodies, or the subtle appearance of
the Monogram as a jacquard and printed on grosgrain.

Two shoe styles embellished with Monogram perforations bring extra cuteness to each look: Mary Janes or Babies in white and pink, and booties in white or dune with yellow laces. Knitted slippers and flower beanies will keep little feet and ears extra cosy. Bibs, socks and other small accessories – all given discreet Louis Vuitton signatures – are proposed as perfect gift sets.

Babies can indulge in the warmth of textile accessories such as a plush sleeper in natural silk with embroidered flowers, a knitted Monogram blanket, and a thicker, double-sided Meli-Melo blanket that can be laid out as a colourful mat.

Two cases – a small suitcase and a toiletry pouch – rework the traditional toile as tonal jacquard with leather accents and yellow piping. Engraved with different Maison motifs, a silver tumbler, a souvenir case, and a rounded rattle combine refinement and functionality.

The Louis teddy bear covered in jacquard with Monogram flower eyes and an affectionate smile will become a beloved friend to keep forever.

The collection will be available in selected Louis Vuitton stores from March 2023.

After the tragic death of her brother and founder of Qasimi, Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi in 2019, Hoor Al Qasimi was tasked with taking over the running of her sibling’s fashion label, finding a way to continue with the vision of the brand as well as honouring his legacy.

Hoor Al Qasimi was born in Sharjah to the Emirate’s ruling family and she has worked for many years in the art and culture industry, including establishing the Sharjah Art Foundation in 2009 to help promote and grow the art and culture scene in Sharjah and the UAE as a whole. She also serves as President and Director of the Sharjah Biennial which highlights regional and local talent within the art world. Noting that the worlds of fashion and art can be closely intertwined, Hoor Al Qasimi has spent the last few years drawing out a roadmap that would honour her late brother’s vision, but also connect the work she is doing in the art world, with the brand her brother spent many years establishing. Qasimi is based in London but its roots are still closely linked to the UAE, with the culture and traditions of the country being a great source of inspiration.

Late last year Qasimi revealed Qasimi Rising. A talent incubator that will identify promising designers in the UAE and amplify their voices through a development and mentorship programme. The Qasimi Rising Talent Incubation will select and nurture two emerging designers over three years, providing holistic support across all business verticals. Talents will have access to a co-working studio space and support with production, product development, merchandising, marketing and all business functions from a network of industry leaders, placing them firmly within the Qasimi family while they develop their own voice. Qasimi will relaunch its e-commerce platform to accommodate its incubated brands, creating a digital space for them to build brand identity and sell products. Here we find out more about how the platform will work and discuss the UAE’s cultural scene with Hoor Al Qasimi.

Congratulations on the launch of Qasimi Rising – what inspired your to create this platform for emerging talent?

A lot of the work I do at Sharjah Art Foundation is focused on creating a platform for artists and filmmakers which has become a network, we continue to work with artists throughout the years and see their work grow and their careers flourish. It is something that I as a curator am interested in doing, within my many jobs and fields. I saw an opportunity to bring this same idea to Qasimi and look at how this can benefit designers in the long run. Another reason is of course to share resources, it’s important to support each other with networks, facilities, workshops etc. I see this as a way to work together, it’s not about competing, it’s more of a solidarity and becoming a community.

Talk us through the process and what the platform will do to support emerging designers.

We aim to give up-and-coming designers a platform that will support them in all areas of growth. The process starts with the application, these are reviewed by a panel of experts and the finalists will then be taken to Sharjah where they will meet one-on-one with panel and industry experts over two days. The finalists will be chosen on 14th March 2023. Two selected designers will get an initial three years of 360-degree business support, funding and mentoring, and an additional seven years of mentoring to build a long-term approach to their success.

Can you tell us some of the criteria you are looking for from the designers chosen for this project?

We are looking for designers who have a strong brand narrative and a voice that needs a platform. They should be able to demonstrate a clear brand vision and strength as a creative entrepreneur.

Why do you think it’s important to support upcoming talent, especially in this region and what do you hope to achieve with the platform?

Some parts of the world have fewer opportunities and access to these kinds of platforms. I believe that our location and connections help us to reach a more diverse group of designers and I am hoping that they will find the support and encouragement they need through this platform.

Can you share more details on the seven-year mentorship that will take place after the initial three years and how the support will continue?

We wanted to take a long-term approach and build a community around the RISING program. So, outside of the initial three years, we will continue the mentoring with business and team support. The chosen designers will also have access to the multi-brand wholesale showroom and our dedicated e-commerce platform to build their brand identity and share it with a wider audience.

Tell us about the Qasimi brand and where it is at today and what is the vision in this new chapter.

Qasimi is undergoing many changes, it was important to try to continue with Khalid’s vision and ideas but as with everything, you can’t second guess what someone would do especially with all the changes happening in the world. So the new chapter is to insert more of my vision and way of working in a way that will still honour him and his work, but also connect with the way I would like the brand to progress.

Can you share a preview of the curated permanent collection that will launch in 2023?

The permanent collection is more about having key pieces that are signature styles that our customers buy each season. They reflect timeless silhouettes and styles that are key to our ongoing collections and build a strong business to have a recognisable identity for QASIMI.

Can you tell us about the collaborations with artists that you plan to incorporate into the brand?

We have collaborated and worked with many artists in the past, for the last season; SS23, we collaborated with Omani photographer Tariq Al Hajri by using his photograph of a Dove as a print in the collection and we then invited him to photograph the collection in various locations in Sharjah.

How can your work for the Sharjah Art Foundation be complemented by the projects for Qasimi?

We have a few collaborations between Sharjah Art Foundation and Qasimi, such as a T-shirt to commemorate our upcoming biennial. Sharjah Biennial 15 “Thinking Historically in the Present” will open on the 7th of Feb 2023 in Sharjah and will celebrate 30 years of the biennial. We have also used an artwork by Nari Ward “We The People” (the Arabic version) which was part of the Sharjah Art Foundation’s collection for our SS21 collection.

In your opinion how would you assess the fashion and cultural scene in the UAE today?

There are many young designers in the UAE and a lot of platforms that are trying to support them. I have spoken to many designers to try to understand what is lacking and what they are looking for. I would say the fashion scene and culture scene intersect at times but more around certain trends or fields so it would be good to see more of those crossovers. The presence of fashion magazines like yours has also helped push the fashion scene here.

How do you think the industry has grown in recent years and what would you like to see happen moving forward?

I think brands are thinking a lot more about what they produce and how they produce it. Fair labour practices and trying to be more environmentally friendly. To produce less and make the garments last longer. In a time where everything is fast-paced and things are overproduced, and mass production of garments, it’s important to understand the social and environmental impacts of it all.

Are there any designers or artists that you are particularly inspired by or excited about currently?

I am always inspired by artists and work with many artists all the time, there are some artists I am working with currently for Qasimi but unfortunately, you’ll have to wait to see who they are!

What is the biggest challenge you face currently? 

There are many challenges, but I think trying to get the brand out there and have more visibility is a big challenge for sure. Not only for what we’re doing in terms of Qasimi Rising but for the brand as a whole and its collections at Qasimi.

What is the professional motto that you live by?

It’s an Arabic saying that translates as “every delay has a blessing”. Whenever we have had delays for any reason, it’s important not to fight it and see the reasoning behind those delays, usually and more often than not it has been an advantage and a “blessing”!

After discovering his passion for fragrance, Emirati entrepreneur and architect Assim Al Qassim decided to launch his own perfume brand that would capture the beauty of Arabian hospitality and share it with the world.

Knowing that Emiratis love to welcome guests into their homes Al Qassim wanted to capture this feeling in a series of perfumes inspired by his heritage and culture. So he decided to study perfumery which would enable him to put his plan into action and ensure it was done in the right way. He became the UAE’s first certified perfumer and once he qualified, he launched his brand Anfas.

With the idea that every home has a specific scent, and with every scent a new experience begins, Al Qassim wanted to capture this magical concept with Anfas. So he set about creating perfume collections inspired by emotional Arabian moments and concepts. As he plans to launch his fourth collection we find out more.

We know you are first and foremost an architect – how did your passion for fragrance come about and how did it turn into a career?

I also used to be a singer, not as a profession but as a passion, which allowed me to bring something to people in the form of sound. Architecture is a part of art, where you present people with something visually appealing. So I am interested in many artistic sectors. People from the Gulf region also love to play with and mix fragrances together, I had a great passion for fragrances as well, so I decided to follow that passion and try to create something that caters to the sense of smell. Coincidently, this passion turned out to be a profession over time. I met a professional perfumer and he sensed this passion in me. He asked me about my fragrances and what I was wearing and I told him I had mixed three fragrances together. He said I have a good nose and that I could maybe think about developing it more professionally. So from that point, I started to experience the perfume world, and then I decided to study perfumery. I always try to tweak my habits to be more professional and in the case of perfumes, this is exactly what I did.

Anfas Products 

How did you go from realising you had this talent to creating your company and making it formal?

It was a journey of up and downs. I first started the company before and I had all the knowledge so the perfumes I was making didn’t match the market or the customer’s needs. You can have a creative mind, but sometimes you need to understand the business side to make it work. The perfumers told me I had a very good nose, but I needed to make it more professional. So I decided to study perfumery and once I had done that I decided to establish the right brand that could professionally drive my passion and drive the business growth forward. The message I want to share with my brand is “a sense of Arabian home”. Through my perfumes, I am always trying to communicate this idea of opening my door to welcome the world to my home. I want people to smell the style of our life in the UAE, and the way that we welcome people to our country, I want to share that with people through the perfumes I create. I think anyone that comes to Dubai can feel how welcoming the people are here and this is what I’m trying to capture and share with everyone that smells my perfumes.

How do you manage to portray that message through your perfumes?

The name Anfas means “to breathe”. The reason I chose this name is that in the UAE we are breathing hospitality. We are breathing the way of being humble and tolerant and welcoming others. The story behind my first collection was this sense of Arabian home. I started by writing the story behind each fragrance and then I developed them one by one. We created a full collection that tells the exact message of the brand. After the first collection, we know each other, we have built a relationship, and we brought you to our home. Then it was time for the second collection; which focused on the angles that you need to establish in any place to make it feel like your home. We have followed this same concept with our third collection, and we are now working on our fourth collection, again I am trying to put my passion and love into every perfume I make.

Anfas Dhai fragrance

What are your favourite ingredients to use in your fragrances?

I am in love with vanilla and tonka bean because I feel like these two ingredients make everyone feel so calm. They have this earthy feeling which I love. Then from that, I play around with many different ingredients.

In our culture, we mix fragrances together. To some, it might seem unbalanced but in a strange way, it is perfectly balanced. We may not understand the formulations, but we understand which kinds of fragrances go together. So in my collections, if you take each collection by itself and you spray all of the fragrances together, you will have one fragrance and this has been done deliberately.

What’s the vision for your company moving forward?

I plan to be a well-known Emirati perfumer by 2026. I am proud to be Emirati and I want to give something back to my country in the form of delivering very nice fragrances to the world. My brand is an international brand already, everything is made in Italy, but I want to be a well-known Emirati brand and a recognised perfumer worldwide. That is the goal for 2026 and I wish for my fragrances to be in the top ten worldwide. I will be so happy that my country will be proud of my efforts.

What is the message that you want to share with other countries about the UAE and the heritage of fragrance here?

In the Middle East, we used to import fragrances from everywhere around the world and we learned a lot from this. But we also know that we have very nice ingredients here in the Middle East that can be developed into fragrances and this is what we want to share with the world. So my main message is first to my people; we have very good potential and a market to be established worldwide, and instead of only developing the local market, we can develop very nice globally known brands and showcase our culture and inspiration. We have our own style but we can make that international.

The second message that I want to deliver to the world is to tell them that they are welcome to our home. You can come to my city and not only smell my fragrances but understand how our culture is related to this. We want to welcome you. To visit our city and experience the smells of our country. Then you will understand that we have a very deep culture, representing this beauty.

What is the biggest challenge that you face?

Personally, it would be balancing my full-time job with the company. I am handling urban planning and infrastructure and development in Dubai, and I also have my passion and my business. It is a challenge but I already have the plan to do all these things.

The other major challenge is that there is a lot of competition in the world of fragrances, so you need to be the best that you can be to be well known. We have a huge market of perfumes, at certain times in Dubai you could have two or three new perfume brands established in a month. So there is a lot of competition but there is also good potential if you have a nice product.

How do you think The Middle East has influenced the fragrance industry as a whole?

The Middle East was the link point for trading from the North, South, East and West. So you can see in the Middle East a lot of different and varied ingredients. Because of our trading experiences with the whole world, we understand other people’s tastes. We have lots of successful fragrance brands in the Middle East and we see a lot of international brands today using Arabic names or Arabic ingredients. So we are already influencing.

When are you at your most creative?

My passion usually comes from our leadership. When I see how our leadership in Dubai put in great effort to build this beautiful city and to host so many people from around the world, that inspires me. We are aiming to be the best place to live in the world and this is where my passion comes out and I get most inspired. This is what drives me to do the best at whatever I’m doing.

What is the professional motto that you live by?

Every day is different. I need to be different. Some people can grow up normally and live their life normally, and then there are different people. Sometimes these people will struggle when they are young, but they are the ones who will grow up to be different in a very good way. I want to be someone who is remembered every day and I need to be a remarkable person. I want to be an ambassador for my country.

What would you still like to do that you haven’t done yet?

There is a lot on my wish list today! I have already designed two or three fragrances for other brands but my dream is to develop a perfume for one of the top ten brands in the world.

Are there any perfumers that you are inspired by or look to for inspiration?

Maison Francis Kurkdjian. I get inspired by the deep messages and passion that come from his fragrances. And from brands like Amouage. They are from our region and are already very well established so that is inspiring.

What is a message you would send to our readers on why they should discover your fragrances?

If you want to experience our heritage and our city, you are more than welcome to experience it through our collection, and if you want to feel the deep culture of Arabian homes, you will experience this through my fragrances.

Art Dubai is returning for its latest edition this March and it’s set to be the most exciting season yet.

With a focus on digital art as well as celebrating and supporting local talent, the event is welcoming more artists, galleries, speakers and talents than before. As Executive Director of Art Dubai, Benedetta Ghione is tasked with not just showcasing art, but bringing together global communities to celebrate the culture world. Here we find out more about what to expect from this year’s fair and the importance of celebrating art in the Middle East.

Tell us what we can expect from the 2023 edition of Art Dubai and what has changed from the previous editions. 

This year’s event promises to be our most ambitious yet, expanding our programme with extended partnerships and exploring the increasing influence and importance of the digital art world. For more than 15 years, we have been an incubator of talent and a catalyst for the creative economy in Dubai. We are an institution in our own right; we are a convener of great minds and an entry point to this vibrant cultural ecosystem. 

Our role is also to bring together artists and inspirational and creative thinkers from across the global south (Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania) who are underrepresented in the wider global art world. So not only will you see the largest presence to date of UAE galleries at this year’s event, but we are also partnering with a greater number of the most important and influential organisations from across South Asia, including the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and the Kochi-Muziris Biennal, as part of the fair’s not-for-profit programme, Art Dubai Commissions. It’s an opportunity for us to support artistic production by local and international artists. This year’s programme will include daily performances and food-based experiences exploring themes of community, celebration, hope, and connection. 

We have been listening to our audiences, particularly as the world has adapted and changed since the pandemic. There is a real desire – and not just in the art world – to bring people together, for live experiences and the exchange of ideas across cultures. This year’s thought leadership programme – something we have championed since our foundation will expand this year to include a two-day edition of the Global Art Forum, our flagship talks programme and we will also be hosting the first Dubai edition of Christie’s Art+Tech summit. Our dedicated digital section, Art Dubai Digital, is also expanding in its second iteration, giving a 360-degree look at the digital art ecosystem, from artist collectives to blockchain innovations, DAOs and NFTs. 

For the second year running, we will be linking up with Abu Dhabi’s independent platform supporting emerging artists that provides a year-round programme of learning opportunities to the wider community in collaboration with local, regional and international partners. Art Dubai 421 will present a group exhibition curated by UAE-based artist and researcher Dania Al Tamimi.

Can you share a little about some of the talks and educational opportunities that have been added to the line-up this year?

Our annual event provides a powerful and prominent platform to champion our artists and their art. But beyond the five-day event, Art Dubai has an extensive year-round education and commissioning programme, working in close collaboration with local and regional partners to deliver ambitious cultural programming across the city.

We will again be hosting a series of talks and education programmes during this year’s Art Dubai fair. This will include the most far-reaching children’s programme to date, developed in partnership with A.R.M Holding, which reaches more than 6,000 children in over 90 schools across Dubai. 

The 2023 event also marks the 10th edition of Campus Art Dubai (CAD), Art Dubai’s flagship initiative to develop the region’s future cultural leaders and another core component of our extensive year-round education programme – the focus this year will be on public art. 

There will be a series of high-level ‘Collector and Modern Talks’, presented in partnership with Dubai Collection, the first institutional art collection in the city and for the city, asking such questions as “what does it mean to be a digital art collector today?” and “what does it mean to be an art patron?”.

This year, we’re pleased to be partnering with Christie’s, to bring its first regional Art+Tech summit to the fair. This is the sixth iteration of the summit, which is held in conjunction with Christie’s annual summit in New York. During the one-day conference, we will hear from artists who are incorporating technology in their practices, alongside discussions with global leaders, innovators, artists and visionaries looking at current challenges and future opportunities to collaborate. 

We understand you have some exclusive artwork commissioned for the event under the Art Dubai Commissions platform – can you tell us more about this?

Our fair features perhaps our strongest-ever gallery lineup and our commissioning represent the breadth of discourse that is happening in the region. We also believe that is important to have a performative and live element and have chosen this year to commission 10 artists whose work celebrates this breadth of artistic practices across South Asia. Universal human themes such as hope, community and connection are, arguably, more important than ever. We are working with artists from participating Art Dubai galleries and South Asia’s leading institutions to explore these themes, which will be brought to life with daily performances and food-based experiences. 

One example is Moza Al-Matrooshi, a multimedia conceptual artist based in Sharjah, UAE, who examines traditional cooking and baking pastries in her artwork that centre around storytelling and power in social dynamics. Other featured artists will include Rathin Barman, a visual artist based in Kolkota, Gunjan Kumar, a textile artist from India and Bangladeshi artist Tayeba Begum Lipi who creates paintings, prints, videos and installations articulating themes of female marginality and the female body. The programme is developed in close collaboration with leading institutions that are playing a key role in supporting artists and artistic production in South Asia. Partners include Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation in collaboration with Britto Arts Trust, Ishara Art Foundation, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Kochi-Muziris Biennale and Samdani Art Foundation. 

Can you tell us about the digital art elements at this year’s fair and why it’s important to focus on this?

Innovation has always been a cornerstone of Art Dubai, reflecting both the spirit of our home city and the rapid changes that happen in the creative world as artists are increasingly both adopting and adapting new technologies. It will be the second edition of Art Dubai Digital, which is our annual snapshot of what is happening in the digital art world at the current moment. It’s a place that is breaking down the traditional models in many areas, and the art world is no exception. It’s such a fast-moving and rapidly developing space – we want to reflect this energy and creativity. Art Dubai Digital aims to build bridges between the world of art and technology by exploring how artists are using new, immersive technologies to collapse the boundaries of the traditional art world. 

We will be working with some of the very best names in crypto art including the Lian Foundation, founded by Fiorenzo Manganiello, an expert in blockchain technology, which will showcase a selection of artworks that bridge the gap between physical and digital. It also includes our friends at MORROW collective who will present ‘UAE First Immersion’ featuring new works by artists including Coldie, Colborn Bell, Monaris, Bryan Brinkman, Kirk Finkel and Raphael Torres, some of the leading names in crypto art from the USA who came to Dubai in November for a residency. We also have the Punk6529 Museum of Art, which has one of the largest and most valuable NFT collections in the world, presenting its core project, the Open Metaverse, while artists from Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka explore the theme of disruption in the format of digital videos, images and NFTs. 

What in your opinion is the future of the digital art sector and art in the metaverse? 

A physical meeting point will always be important, but it is incredibly important to embrace the impact that digital and the metaverse are having and will continue to have as the technology is adopted. Art sales are increasingly common online and, whilst artists using new technologies isn’t really new – the way artists are pushing the boundaries of these new technologies is incredibly exciting. That’s why we feel it is important to focus on the digital trend – together these platforms are challenging and pushing forward new models for artistic production and support. As with any sector, there will be elements of trend and fashion that will come and go, but the technology and creativity are here to stay. Institutional models will need to adapt as audiences engage with them in different ways. 

How is this year’s edition helping to support artists in the region?

This year we are celebrating ten years of Campus Art Dubai (CAD), which is our flagship initiative to support the region’s cultural leaders of tomorrow and a core component of our year-round education programme. The 2023 edition features two main strands, the first, CAD 10.0 Professional Development, which will offer placements for artists at Art Dubai and other leading UAE cultural institutions, including Alserkal Avenue and Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai, and 421 in Abu Dhabi. The second element, CAD Public Art, will build sector knowledge and capacity in the developing field of public art commissioning. CAD was the first programme of its kind in the region and over the past decade, we are proud to have expanded the programme to be a leading incubator of talent for artists in the region. 

Art Dubai 2023 will be hosting over 120 participants from more than 40 countries, including artists from across the UAE, including more than 17 Emirati artists, and will be showcased by seven galleries. We are also proud to have a strong Iranian presence this year, and welcome 23 Iranian artists, many of whom are young and/or female.

How would you assess the art scene currently in the UAE and how do you think it has developed in recent years? What more would you like to see done to continue this development?

We have come so far in a little over 15 years. Before our first Art Dubai event in 2007, I doubt that many would have considered the UAE a global art centre. Mirroring the economic rise of the region in recent years, and the UAE government’s commitment to supporting art and culture, the UAE has become a key creative and international cultural hub, with more artists than ever calling Dubai home. It is now firmly established as the link between East and West and is a platform for regional artists to receive international exposure. 

Today, we have a thriving art scene and have seen a large number of collectors from all over the world base themselves in Dubai and international galleries opening spaces in the Emirate. For example, the commercial gallery Perrotin, founded by Emmanuel Perrotin, opened its first space in the Middle East in Dubai in November 2022, adding to its prestigious list of locations in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. International contemporary art gallery, Galleria Continua, is also featuring at Art Dubai this year and opened an exhibition space inside the most the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, and now offers eight spaces in art capitals across the world.  

This year’s art fair features 21 Dubai-based galleries, more than ever before, reflecting the continued growth of Dubai’s artistic ecosystem and the Emirate’s increasing importance as a global creative and cultural hub. 

How do you think Art Dubai is different from other art fairs in the region and globally? 

We believe we play a role that is more than an art fair – we’re an institution in our own right and we want to be the moment that brings all the key players together. As the landscape of international art fairs changes, Art Dubai continues to play a significant role in highlighting and assisting the cultural ecosystems of the global south, and the program this year completely represents this region’s increasing importance, vitality, and vibrancy. A key element of this is showing top-quality art and artists that you simply will not see at any other art fair, and showcasing them first. 

What are your top three highlights at this year’s event that our readers should look out for?

There are so many artists across all genres that there are highlights for everyone. It would be unfair to mention any one, two or three. I would say that our fair is about exploration, discovery and innovation. It can open all minds but opening children’s minds to the wonders of art is a central part of what we do at Art Dubai. Artistic and creative education from an early age is so important and we encourage children of all ages to come and explore the whole programme, from our galleries to our commissioned programme. We also have a lot of fun and exciting workshops and entry is free to children (aged 18 and under) and university students.

On a personal level, what types of artworks are you drawn to? 

I come from a family of art collectors so art was instilled in me from a young age. I am drawn to all art – I find it endlessly fascinating to learn how artists create as they do.

Are there any emerging or established artists you are particularly interested in at the moment?

I travel a lot, which is an important part of my job, but a key part of my role is seeing the great art on offer here in Dubai. I recently saw “Dwelling in the Gap”, Shaikha Al Mazrou’s second solo exhibition at the Lawrie Shabibi gallery in Al Serkal Avenue. She is considered to be among the most dynamic and promising artists of her generation from the UAE and she will be a big draw to this year’s fair. Another fantastic artist to follow is an amazing sculptor called Claudia Comte from France, who is exhibiting at Art Dubai with Spanish Galería Albarrán Bourdais in this year’s Contemporary section. 

What is your vision for Art Dubai in five and ten years? 

As the global art fair landscape continues to evolve and new centres emerge, I believe our model will have increasing relevance – we are a sustainable, innovative and independent institution that foregrounds practices from geographies that have historically been under-represented in the mainstream Western art world. Although there has been progress, there is still a lot to be done in terms of foregrounding these perspectives and giving voice to diverse communities and the artistic centres and movements of the Global South. The notion of what defines the Global South is also shifting, and we will need to change with it so our founding spirit of innovation and adaptability will continue to be important. We are also grounded in our home city of Dubai and in line with its spirit of thinking outside the box we continue to produce cultural initiatives that push boundaries and redefine what an art fair can and should be.  

What is the biggest challenge the event faces today?

In recent years, live events like ours that attract an international audience have seen many challenges, so flexibility, adaptability and nimbleness will continue to be important. Dubai is a rapidly developing and expanding place, where the whole world comes together – this creates a huge opportunity for us. Making sure that art and culture, and creative and critical thinking continue to be at the heart of that will be both essential and a huge challenge – one we are determined to overcome. 

The 2023 edition of Art Dubai will run from 1st to 5th March. Click HERE for more information.

Luxury fragrance house Creed has revealed its latest scent Silver Mountain Water, inspired by the fresh crispness of fresh alpine air.

This fresh and revitalising Eau de Parfum captures the purity of cascading streams and the image of breathtaking mountain landscapes to create a fresh and alluring fragrance.

The unisex Eau de Parfum is composed of natural essences and Hesperides, complemented by a woody base and tea notes. Hints of blackcurrant give depth to the scent while its menthol finish is reminiscent of snow-capped mountains.

The new fragrance is supported by an eye-catching campaign, capturing the crispness of the mountains with a series of surreal imagery. An imaginary landscape of icebergs highlights the key inspiration of this captivating scent.

Silver Mountain Water is now available in 50ml and 100ml bottles at Creed outlets globally.

Eternal Gold, Prada’s debut fine jewellery collection will make the perfect gift for your loved one this Valentine’s Day.

The minimalistic offering is the first 100% certified recycled gold collection by a global luxury brand, featuring sustainable practices from start to finish. Reflecting Prada’s commitment to conscious and responsible practices across every facet of its business, the gold and diamond production chain involved in this collection is verifiable and traceable.

Prada’s recycled gold is drawn only from eligible recycled material sources. Prada has partnered with only those suppliers of precious metals and stones who meet the highest industry standards concerning human rights, labour safety, environmental impact, and business ethics.

The reduction of mining of new gold benefits both environments and human rights, and while traceability of diamond origins is conventionally only possible with stones of 0.5 carats or larger, Prada expands the concept, for the first time, to stones of all sizes. It also extends through the entire value chain, from mining to cutting, setting and polishing – every step of every diamond’s life can be traced.

The records of this process have been logged on the Aura Consortium Blockchain ́s platform and can be accessed by Prada fine jewellery customers who also will be able to verify the authenticity of their pieces.

The collection features pieces for men and women, with the iconic Prada Triangle as the key motif and inspiration. These timeless designs feature geometric shapes, heart motifs, snake bracelets, chain necklaces, and ribbon chokers, all signifying affection and love. The Prada triangle can be seen in some way throughout each piece.

The triangle appears as a clasp closure, earrings and pendants, while its angles shape chain links and hearts, the head of a snaked bracelet. Proportions are reconsidered – pendants are blown up, and chain links are exaggerated to create impact. These jewellery pieces express strength, presence, and passion.

See more of the collection at www.prada.com

The 2023 Grammy Awards brought some serious style moments to the red carpet in LA. We round up some of our favourite looks of the night.

Adele wearing Louis Vuitton

Harry Styles wearing Egon Lab

Cardi B wearing Gaurav Gupta

Anitta wearing Versace

Taylor Swift wearing Roberto Cavalli

Doja Cat wearing Versace

Lizzo Beating wearing Dolce&Gabbana

Megan Fox wearing Zuhair Murad and Machine Gun Kelly wearing Dolce&Gabbana

Jennifer Lopez wearing Gucci

Pharrell wearing Ernst W Baker

Trevor Noah

The Emirates Festival of Literature began in 2008 as a way of bringing together those who are interested and inspired by reading, offering a platform for visitors to access the works and ideas of writers, and offering the authors the opportunity to connect with their audience on a broader scale.

Now, fifteen years later, the festival has become one of the UAE’s most important annual events as it attracts authors and visitors from all around the world, bringing together a community of people who are interested in a host of topics covered by literature. It has also helped to put local talented authors out there on a global platform, celebrating their work and helping to get them international recognition. This year, as the festival celebrates its fifteenth anniversary, we find out more from Isobel Abulhoul, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation.

Tell us about the theme of this year’s Emirates Festival of Literature.

This year we are celebrating our 15th Anniversary, so our theme is ‘Old Friends’, bringing back to Dubai some of the amazing authors who have visited us before, such as David Walliams, Jeffrey Archer and Kate Mosse, amongst many others. We’ve also invited award-winning authors and experts on all sorts of topics who are new to the festival, such as the star of the hit series “Succession”, Brian Cox, bestselling authors Cecilia Ahern and Mohsin Hamid, renowned mathematician Marcus du Sautoy and experts on everything from comics, pop culture and keeping well in body and mind, to current affairs, business and science, so there is something for everyone.

What are some of the highlights that visitors expect to find at the event this year?

We have a magical evening of music, poetry and performance topped off with a Lebanese feast in celebration of Gibran Kahlil Gibran, marking 100 years since the publication of his inspirational book “The Prophet”, and the 140th anniversary of his birth. We also have dinner with celebrity chef Bobby Chinn with a focus on sustainable dining and Anthony Geffen showing us his documentary of the late Queen Elizabeth Second, created for her Diamond Jubilee in June 2022. He will share with us additional unseen footage and insights into a person who was a Queen not just for the UK and Commonwealth, but the world. No festival would be complete without Desert Stanzas, the festival’s much-loved signature event which this year marks the opening night on 1st February. It features poetry renditions and narratives that celebrate friendship, plus a homage to the preservation of the planet and the COP28 story, interpreted through performance.

Kat Farmer

How do you think the event and the foundation as a whole help to encourage the UAE’s literature talent to be recognised on a global scale?

The festival is a wonderful international platform to showcase Emirati talents who share this stage with their peers from around the world. This helps to grow the reputation of writers in the region within the international community and also fosters long-lasting friendships between Emirati authors and international counterparts, which leads to collaboration. In 2020 we initiated the Global Association of Literary Festivals, which is an opportunity to showcase our writers around the world. It opens the opportunity for Emirati authors and poets to be invited to other international Festivals. This year we are hosting 23 delegates, from Canada, the USA, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe.

What in your opinion are some of the biggest achievements of The Emirates Literature Foundation so far?

The Emirates Literature Foundation has an enormous range of initiatives and projects which are building, piece by piece, the literary jigsaw puzzle which completes the cultural landscape here in the Emirates. A few of the achievements, thanks to the amazing team, are the connection established with the network of authors from around the world which has raised the profile of Emirati writers; the many initiatives which have contributed to supporting the burgeoning publishing industry; and our education programme, which has harnessed the enthusiasm of educators for everything that the Foundation is involved in. 

Tell us how the festival has grown since the beginning. 

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature was founded in 2008 to allow readers or those who don’t yet enjoy reading, a chance to meet inspirational writers, poets, and speakers, up close, many of whom can help change their lives for the better. We started with just 60 authors. This year is our biggest and most diverse programme yet, with more than 260 authors representing almost 50 different nationalities. 

Brian Cox

What is your vision for the foundation moving forward?

My vision remains unchanged. It is to help as many people as possible, particularly young people, to fall in love with books and reading. I worry about the younger generation and their disengagement from literature and I believe this will have a negative impact on their opportunities in the future.

What is the biggest challenge you face currently in what you do?

There are not enough hours in the day for me or the team to actually complete our tasks.

Omar Saif Ghobash

What more do you think can be done to support local talent?

The Emirates LitFest Writing Prize, which began in 2013 as the Montegrappa, has resulted in ten writers based in the UAE becoming published internationally and we expect that success to continue. Last year we launched First Chapter, the Elf Seddiqi Fellowship, which gives ten new writers each year the chance to be mentored by international authors, along with a programme of talks from world-class experts in the industry and a field trip to the Gotham Writers Centre in New York. Two of the first cohort have already been signed by international agents before their year is up. The second group of successful applicants will be announced during the festival. Last year we also launched a publishing house, ELF Publishing, with the remit of finding new talent, and telling stories from the region which we can publish, so look out for more successful writers based in the UAE getting their books onto our bookshelves.

How would you assess the UAE’s literacy scene today?

Every day I see growth and expansion and it makes me so happy. 

Why do you think it’s so important for younger generations to read books?

I believe passionately and with scientific research to back me up, that children being read to regularly (bedtime stories) from the earliest ages, and then reading books for pleasure themselves, have a huge advantage in life: increased confidence, vocabulary, empathy, knowledge, critical analysis skills and creativity are just some of the benefits. Books for children should provide both a mirror and a window; so a child should see someone in books who looks like him or her, with the scenery being familiar too, that is the mirror and is relevant. Books should also provide a window on the world so that a child’s understanding of other places, cultures and people is allowed to grow. 

David Walliams

Who is an author that inspires you?

I can’t choose one author but if I think about authors whose work has impacted me as a reader I would have to say Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. You’ll note these are all fiction writers but they all have a hugely important message for the reader over and above the story.

What are three books that you have read recently that were particularly inspiring to you?

“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus, “A Terrible Kindness” by Jo Browning Wroe and 

“Age Proof” by Rose Anne Kenny. 

Who is your favourite author and why?

It’s Ernest Hemmingway. I first read his novels and essays as a teenager and it had a huge impact on my love of literature, which has stayed with me. He has such a recognisable style, I was in awe of how he could paint such vivid pictures in my mind, both of characters and landscape, without using adjectives. 

What is the professional motto that you live by?

Seize the day!

Dior’s new Dior Addict Lip Maximizer is the ultimate product for shine. This pumping lip gloss offers an instant glow.

This year, Peter Philips, Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup has reinvented this cult product with an even more desirable formula of 90 per cent natural-origin ingredients.

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See more of Dior’s new Dior Addict Lip Maximizer in our latest editorial shoot below:

ALEXA WEARS:
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ALEXA WEARS: Dior Forever Glow Veil Dior Forever Skin Correct Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation Dior Lip Maximizer shade 007 Raspberry
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ALEXA WEARS: Dior Forever Velvet Veil Dior Forever Glow Veil Dior Forever Skin Correct Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation Dior Lip Maximizer shade 006 Berry
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ALEXA WEARS:
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ALEXA WEARS: Dior Forever Glow Veil Dior Forever Skin Correct Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation Dior Lip Maximizer shade 007 Raspberry
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All Dior Beauty

ALEXA WEARS:
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Dior Forever Skin Correct
Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation
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The new product is launched alongside a campaign featuring actress Anya Taylor-Joy. Watch the campaign video here.

Omar Al Busaidy is a man of many talents. From a young age, he was interested in poetry and writing, which soon led to a love for public speaking. As an entrepreneur, he had many experiences, both good and bad, and he saw the need to share this with the world.

After presenting many talks and seminars to students or budding entrepreneurs he decided the time was right to put his words down on paper and he published “Just Read It” – a book that describes many of the key elements needed of entrepreneurs but also delves into the mindset that’s required in order to be successful. “Just Read It” became popular both in the UAE and around the world and has helped Omar to gain an integral following. This year he will share some of his messages on an international platform at the Emirates Festival of Literature later this month. Ahead of that, we met with Omar to discuss the success of his book as well as his other ventures and businesses that are in the pipeline. 

Can you share a little about where your passion for writing came from?

When I was young I used to enjoy writing poetry and that’s where I think my passion first came from. I was encouraged by the school principal at the time to write a poem for the yearbook and it’s something I did every year until I graduated from high school. I was inspired by movies and also the books that I was reading in school. After this, I stopped writing for a long time, I was doing a lot of speaking rather than writing, but it came back to me later in life. On the advice of some of those students, I decided to put together what I was saying in a book and that’s where my passion reignited. 

Tell us about your book “Just Read It” – can you share some of the key points and takeaways?

I was very active when I was younger, I was a full-time employee, I was a university student, and I also had a side business. Through many trials of trying to start different things, I had a lot of business ideas that failed or weren’t successful and throughout my career, I was invited many times by different organisations to speak about this. I hosted a session at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and the students enjoyed how I talked about failure and to keep trying, and the Professor of Entrepreneurship asked if I could go back and do it again. So I did and this continued for a while until eventually, along with one of the students, I created a class called Emirati Entrepreneur Class, where I would talk about the attitude of an entrepreneur and the mindset that you need to have in order to actually want to do something. Every class was full – students were even sitting on the floor – but I used to notice how none of them would take notes, so I wondered how they would ever remember what I was saying. I told them ‘if you don’t document the things that I’m saying, you will never remember’ and one of the girls at the front of the class told me that they would prefer to read. She said: ‘why don’t you just write a book?’ And so I did! It wasn’t in the plan but I felt the urge to get people to take the information in and this seemed to be a great way to do it. So I spent the next eight months writing the book and putting down all my thoughts. Honestly, I didn’t know if I was going to get it published, or even what to call the book as it wasn’t necessarily about business, it’s more of a self-help motivational book that you can interpret as you wish. I spoke to a colleague at the time and told her about the book and I told her ‘I just wanted people to read it’ and she said: ‘call it that then!’ And that’s where the name “Just Read It” came from. She was actually the one who encouraged me to get the book published, so I have her to thank for that.

Can you tell us how the book came to life from that point? 

My sister had a friend in publishing and this led me to find a publisher. I spoke to her company and when they saw it they agreed to publish it. The book came out as both an e-book and a hard copy. I was then contacted by a lady who owns a communications company in Dubai who offered to do the PR for the book, and from that moment, I got so much attention around the book and I was invited to speak at book fairs all around the world. “Just Read It” came out during the UAE’s Year of Reading and because of this it was picked up by a lot of schools, Universities and companies who would bulk order. It was fantastic and gave me great exposure. 

What are some of the key messages you wanted to share with the book?

Sometimes I get asked what people can learn from the book and I say ‘nothing’, because everything that’s in the book is either something we already learnt at school, at home, in religion, or life, and all I did was ‘Omarise’ it. If you think about a lot of these types of books or quotes, someone at some point said them and we all say the same things but we just say them differently. I feel that the way I deliver the message is different from what else is out there. 

To go back to your question, one of the things I talk about is getting out of your comfort zone. I examine the difference between taking a risk and taking a calculated risk. I discuss the importance of surrounding yourself with a circle of support. They say ‘your network is your net worth’ and ‘who you surround yourself with is crucial in helping you in where you’re going.’ These are all themes that are important and I do think we need someone to remind us of this because sometimes we deviate from these and lose track of where we’re going. The older I get the more I have realised that one person or one thing could take you completely off track. I also look at the importance of meditation or prayer, being with yourself and reflecting. We don’t spend enough time doing that. I also talk about the importance of networking and communication. Even if you’re an introvert, you have to work on your skills of communication because it’s something that could make or break your life.  

Another story I want to tell you is how a teacher from Iran got in touch with me. She had seen the book somehow and she reached out to me to ask if it would be possible to translate the book into Farsi. I don’t speak Farsi and had no one to translate for me so I told her she could take the content of the book and translate it herself. I didn’t want any royalties, I just want the message to go out. So I gave it to her and she went ahead and did it, and she published the book in Farsi! The design is the same but the language is different and now people in Iran can get my book!

Are there any plans for a follow-up to the book?

That is a great question! A couple of things have happened around this. Firstly, I was invited by the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government to co-author a book called “Agile Government”, which was published two months ago. I wrote about something called the Majlis Diplomacy. Another book I co-authored on called “Innovation to the Core” also just came out. So I’m constantly being asked to do other things. I do want to write my second one and actually, I already have the title, it will be called “Why Jobs Are For Robots and Life Is For People.” This will be a kind of follow-up to “Just Read It”, but it goes deeper into how we need to all be more human rather than this robotic concept of just being in an office and on auto-pilot. If I could demolish all offices, I would do it in a heartbeat! I feel like they are the worst, most toxic environments in the world. There is so much negative energy that takes place in office environments, and when that energy is contained in one place, it’s even worse. If I could work remotely for my whole life I would do it. If you want human connection, meet outside! There’s simply no need for offices. As long as you have your laptop and your internet connection, you can get the job done from anywhere. 

We know you will be taking part in this year’s Emirates Festival of Literature – what can we expect to see from you there and why do you think this platform is important for the UAE?

The UAE is known for many things – the tallest buildings, the best beaches, the fastest cars – but what we are not yet known for and what the leadership of the UAE wants to showcase is the knowledge-based economy that we have. In a sense, highlights how all the money that the government has invested in its people to get a good education, and what they are doing with that knowledge. This is what we need to be talking about. Our diplomacy is extremely important right now when there are so many conflicts and wars taking place around the world. What you’re seeing is that the UAE is coming out as a strong player when it comes to negotiations and conflict resolutions. When you have a platform like Emirates Lit Fest that can showcase the thinkers, the intellectuals, the authors etc. It’s a great platform to remind people that we have these amazing talents and that there is more to the country than what meets the eye. Some great Emirati authors are coming out and it’s a testament to the government’s work on human capital and people development and I think this is a great opportunity. 

I am honoured that I have been invited to speak at the festival. It’s a fantastic line-up and it’s something I have wanted to be involved in for a while, so I’m very excited. I will be involved in a workshop around entrepreneurship. It’s a topic that I’m interested in for many reasons and honestly, making money is one of the last reasons it interests me. Entrepreneurship helps develop your soft skills. When you see a nation that has a lot of entrepreneurs, you start to become more open to different cultures and ideas and this initiates an open mind. I think what we have here in the UAE is the opportunity to negotiate with someone who looks different from you or might live a different life from you and this is why I encourage entrepreneurship. Even if you don’t succeed with your business in the end, the first engagement is what I love about it. 

The UAE has just rolled out a new law that allows Emiratis working in the public sector to take a year off from work to go out and start their own business while still receiving 50 per cent of their salary. This is amazing and it’s encouraging entrepreneurs in the UAE to follow their ideas. And then if they become successful within that year, they can become independent and not have to rely on a public sector job anymore. Of course, I know why people what the stability of a job, but from my experience, once you are no longer in that situation, you could be much happier. I am now working between two continents and my company; Global Possibilities is registered in the United States, the UAE and Malaysia, so I’m already established globally within a year.

Tell us more about Global Possibilities. 

It’s a consulting business, I do commercial affairs and public diplomacy. On the commercial affairs side is that I help companies expand, either from The US or Malaysia to the UAE or vice versa. And with public diplomacy, I advise governments on foreign policy, especially when it comes to peace building and religious tolerance and inter-faith dialogue. I work a lot with groups from different religions and bring them together and we have a very nice situation. All of these faiths have more in common than you would ever imagine. 

What else is in the pipeline for you? 

I have a start-up company that I’m working on with a partner. It is called Kluly. It is an ed-tech platform on which we credentialise micro-learning. For example, for everyone that’s coming to the Emirates Festival of Literature, for each event, they attend they would receive a certificate of attendance. This certificate is in the form of a digital profile which shows them how many sessions they have attended, what types of topics they have attended etc. So we offer the ability to track your micro-learning and the skills you gain. You are then able to share this with your colleagues and it acts as a form of resume, highlighting that you are a life-long learner. We are not talking about skills that take a long time to learn as that would be macro-learning, we are talking about short learning experiences and we will credentialise these sessions, whatever it may be. We have already onboarded over 20 clients and issued over 2,500 certificates in under three months, so we’re growing quite quickly. 

What is something you would still like to do that you haven’t done yet?

I would love to open a coffee shop! I am addicted to coffee, it is my vice and I wish I could have a café with great coffee, good books, and a chilled environment. I know this exists in so many places but I want to have my own concept. I would also want to sell my own delicious brownies! I see it as a place that will incorporate everything I do. 

Who or what inspires you?

I think what inspires me is to have a lasting impact on people’s lives. When I get positive feedback from people who have been impacted by my book or my talks etc. that’s what truly motivates me. Sometimes we feel like we are very small pieces in this big wide world, but when we can influence things from afar, that’s when it is truly amazing. Look at the lady in Iran who translated my book, for example, it was so crazy, I’m still amazed by this. All I want is to be remembered as someone who was a good force in life. I don’t just want to exist, I want to make an impact. 

What is a motto or quote you live by?

‘The only disability in life is a bad attitude’. I am a very positive person, I love positive people and positive energy and every day I wake up and I try to give that positive attitude in everything that I do. 

What is a book you would recommend?

I love “Good To Great” by Jim Collins. What he talks about is how having the right people around you, impacts everything you do.

I would also recommend “Flashes of Thought: Lessons in Life and Leadership from the Man Behind Dubai” by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. It’s a fantastic book and even if I wasn’t from the UAE I would recommend that book.

And finally, I love “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. That book honestly changed my life at a very low time in my life and it was really impactful.  

Dubai Watch Week will return this year for its 6th edition. Taking place from 16th to 20th November 2023 at The Gate, DIFC, the event will return after a hiatus with an immersive programme further cementing its significance across the luxury and horology sectors.

This year’s edition of the Middle East exhibition will focus on craftsmanship, propelling and celebrating innovation and engaging attendees with a rich and compelling programme. Guests can expect an array of entertainment, cultural activities and gastronomic experiences bound to drive audiences’ curiosity further.

“We are thrilled to announce the return of Dubai Watch Week in 2023. The platform is not just a watch show but a global movement, one that continues to build on our legacy across the luxury and horology industry. With evolving mindsets and industry landscapes, our goal for the 6th edition is to enhance the experiential element while focusing on storytelling, as we broaden our audience and further entice the watch community.” commented Hind Seddiqi, Director General, Dubai Watch Week.

Hind Seddiqi, Director General, Dubai Watch Week.

With a focus on versatility and connectivity to highlight the event pillars, a key objective is to maintain Dubai’s position as the regional hub for luxury and horology while highlighting unique talent across the region. A pioneer in the industry on many fronts and winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awards in 2021, the platform will continue to push the boundaries as we unite for a moment in time.

An educational platform, Dubai Watch Week will collaborate closely with partners and participating brands to delve deeper into topical moments and happenings that will enhance our offering. At its core, Dubai Watch Week strives to bridge communities and champion a platform for networking.

For further information on the 6th edition of Dubai Watch Week, please click HERE