Expo 2020 Dubai is over, but its legacy lives on in the way it introduced countries and cultures from around the world to a whole new audience. The event’s countless pavilions and packed roster of events placed a spotlight on history, culture, food and fashion from every corner of the globe.
One such event at the Lebanon pavilion honed in on emerging fashion brands from across the region. Hosted by the Chalhoub Group, The Showcase was a multi-brand fashion show featuring talents from Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
As part of the event, guests were able to explore the collections in a series of videos and in the presentation of key ready-to-wear pieces, before they saw them brought to life on the runway. Reiterating a sense of community, the collections were modelled by Chalhoub Group employees.
“As the region is a fast-evolving fashion ecosystem driven by its young population and its amazing pool of talented designers, Chalhoub Group is committed to accelerating this truly home-grown entrepreneurial culture," said Patrick Chalhoub, group president.
Kawthar Alhoraish
Representing Saudi Arabia in The Showcase was designer Kawthar Alhoraish, founder of Kaf by Kaf. As a trained architect, Alhoraish brings a structured, sculptural approach to her collection of outerwear. She has a knack for playing with volume, as seen in her enveloping Bubble coats, or the oversized weaves of her Complex coats, which are constructed out of quilted leather and available in shades of camel and olive green. On another coat, crystal bees swarm over black velvet, while abayas are covered in mystical creatures, bright florals, Africa-inspired motifs and colourful tassels.
Sara Tamimi
Leaning on 1980s power dressing, fledgling Abu Dhabi label Sara Tamimi is already making waves with its bold silhouettes and fearless colour palette. Ultra-feminine dresses feature strong shoulders, balloon sleeves, elongated collars and pretty pleats, while women’s suits are artfully shaped to flatter the female form. Shiny silk dresses, maxi skirts made from lurex and draped pleated tops present the perfect wardrobe for the regional woman — modest yet strong, and designed “to make girls feel powerful” says Tamimi.
Reemami
Palestine’s Reema Al Banna is committed to ensuring that her fashion label Reemami adopts sustainable and ethical business practises. It has begun incorporating eco-friendly fabrics into its collections, including Global Organic Textile Standard (Gots) certified organic cotton and organic denim.
As part of its mission to become a zero-waste brand, Reemami sources deadstock fabrics and refrains from using fur, feathers or leather in its products. This ethos also shapes the aesthetic of the brand, which focuses on creating staples that are timeless and durable. Pieces are produced in small batches to minimise waste.
Thym
Beirut-born Rebecca Zaatar studied at Lebanon’s Esmod, where she was discovered by Elie Saab. She promptly joined his creative team and worked with him for seven years before branching out and launching her own clothing line, Thym, in 2016.
The label is focuses on catering to the woman of today, who, according to Thym, is “multifaceted, versatile, paradoxical and so complex. She’s a domestic goddess yet a successful businesswoman, square and rigid yet round and soft, simple yet likes to stand out, strong yet delicate, refined yet edgy.” This translates into bold colour-blocked jumpsuits, ruffled dresses, sequin-covered gowns and boxy suits with cut-out detailing.
Yassmin Saleh
Born in Beirut and raised in Abu Dhabi, Yassmin Saleh studied at Milan’s Istituto Marangoni and the Lebanese American University, where she completed a BA in Fashion Design. As the winner of the Jury Prize 2015, Yassmin was selected to pursue an internship at the Elie Saab headquarters in Beirut, and then received the 2017 Prize of Excellency in Craftsmanship for her final year collection, The Dance of the Psyche. She joined forces with her sister Farah to launch her eponymous fashion brand in 2018, which specialises in edgy, highly wearable pieces that include unisex trousers, oversized blazers, corset tops and cut-out maxi dresses.
Zaid Farouki
Arab American designer Zaid Farouki launched his atelier in Dubai, having studied at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, before attending London’s Central Saint Martin, where he completed specialised courses in couture techniques and embroidery.
These are the hallmarks of his creations, which are all handmade using couture techniques, embroidery and hand-printed prints. Encompassing menswear and womenswear, Zaid by Zaid Farouki collections feature a combination of regional motifs and clean, European cuts, and range from sweatshirts featuring the evil eye motif to decadent gowns crafted from embroidered lace.
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
MANDOOB
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
