While living in New York City in early 2001, Rabia Zargarpur, a native of Dubai, decided to adopt the hijab, or headscarf, into her daily wardrobe. It was then that she was confronted with a dilemma - at least in the eyes of a fashion conscious young woman. Her newly chosen lifestyle left her with nothing stylish to wear.
Having graduated from New York's prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology two years earlier, only to abandon her passion to pursue a career in business administration, Ms Zargarpur, or "Rabia Z" as she is known professionally, discovered her calling.
She started designing and sewing simple tunics and long blouses and marketing them to women who wore the hijab in the US. Realising the potential of her designs, she returned to Dubai to begin selling her clothing in the UAE.
"I realised there are women around the world that have the same issue - they want to dress modestly, follow their faith and yet they don't want to miss out on what's in style and things that are more fashionable," said the designer, 31, who debuted her first collection last year.
A growing number of men and women in the region are taking on the delicate balancing act of transforming modesty into a hip, chic and mainstream concept without violating the basic principles set by Islamic tradition.
With warm weather, tax-free incomes and high levels of consumer spending, designers say their "home" market represents the perfect platform to jump-start any Arab fashion line. The evidence is in the numbers. According to Colliers International, Emirati households represent an average spending power of US$23,000 (Dh84,400) per household per year; Western households average $19,500 a year; other Arabs average $13,500; and Asians average $10,000.
As Dubai and Abu Dhabi emerge as global fashion destinations, designers agree that the evidence of their success is in seeing names such as Calvin Klein and Emilio Pucci strut down the catwalk alongside regional sensations including Rabia Z, Amina Al Jassim and Aisha bin Desmal. It is through their efforts, along with the work of regional governments, that they believe Dubai and Abu Dhabi will soon enhance contributions to the global fashion industry in much the same way as Paris, London and New York.
"We are bringing our culture back to our clothing in a fashionable way, off the rack, ready to wear," said Ms Jassim, from al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. A veteran by Middle East fashion standards, Ms Jassim launched her namesake label in 1984 with jalabayas and abayas that she had designed for herself. Within four years of her debut, Amina Al Jassim had a presence in three Saudi Arabian cities.
While the industry continues to grow at a steady pace, insiders insist that more needs to be done to fuel growth at an international level. Just as the new-wave "fusion" interpretations of sari and shalwar khamis by such designers as Ritu Beri or Hemant Trivedi made Mumbai and New Delhi synonymous with mainstream fashion, local designers are looking forward to the day when a beautiful jalabaya is on display in a store window in Knightsbridge, London, or on Fifth Avenue, New York.
Imports of clothing and fashion-related products across the Middle East were estimated at nearly Dh40.4 billion last year, with imports to the GCC alone estimated at more than Dh20.55bn.
The UAE exports more than Dh12bn worth of textiles and the industry may soon become the largest trading sector after oil. Dubai's textiles, which include fabrics as well as finished clothing, go to more than 50 countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe. Major exporters to Dubai include China, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia.
"This is not just limited to Arab women," said Ms Jassim. "A conservative woman, whether she is Muslim or not, might take one of my long tops, for example, and wear jeans underneath. A more liberal woman can wear it as a short dress. This is something for everyone."
Niche fashion does not come cheap. The most inexpensive items by most of the regional talent averages about Dh1,000, with some priced well above Dh20,000. Many express an interest in launching a High Street-style department store for Arabic fashions, similar to that of the Swedish retailer, H&M, where women can enjoy wearing Middle Eastern designs without spending a fortune.
However, many hurdles stand in the way of this vision. Designers argue that a lack of infrastructure and industry regulations have created a number of issues, especially access to essential tools, such as photographers, models and, vitally, factories capable of producing their work with speed and quality.
"I am my own production factory," explained Ms Jassim, who relies on local tailors in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to bring her designs to life. "If I just had a studio then took my work to a production factory, it would save a lot of time and a lot of money."
Dubai's new Textile City, scheduled to open by the end of this year, is three years behind schedule. The Dh300 million commercial zone, located near International City, is expected to house warehouses, offices and showrooms, where many of the largest merchants and designers are hoping to relocate. Designers hope the new development will offer them the resources they need to mass produce.
However, funding is a major concern not only for new talent but also for long-established fashion houses. Events such as Fashion Week are a major launching point for designers looking to gain exposure and financial backing. Rabia Z, for instance, estimates that she will need an investment of at least Dh2m from overseas buyers before she is able to launch her collections at international events.
Designers agree that one of the biggest challenges facing the regional fashion industry today is the lack of copyright laws or regulations to protect the integrity of their designs. "It's terrible! They ruin your collection," insists Ms Jassim. "It is so hard to keep your work away from phonies and imitation."
"It makes us scared to show our new designs to people, unless they are one of our VIP customers," says Aisha bin Desmal, a Dubai fashion designer who often surprises buyers when they discover she wears a full-face veil - a sharp contrast to some of the eye-catching and even risqué designs that carry her name.
Some of the UAE's designers hope one day to launch an industry association similar to Alta Gamma or New York's Fashion Center, which would work to protect them against copyright violation or contractual infringements with local shops or factories. The association would also offer workshops for the various areas of expertise, and would help to market designers worldwide as a group, rather than as individuals.
In the meantime, these women are forced to rely on events such as Fashion Week in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as online publicity and old-fashioned word of mouth to establish a steady and reliable customer base.
"I think we have a lot of talent in the UAE," says Ms Zargarpur. "Internationally, however, we're not there yet - but soon, inshallah."
vsalama@thenational.ae
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Oppenheimer
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
