Brunei royal wedding: Prince Mateen and Anisha Rosnah celebrate bersanding reception


Farah Andrews
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Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah's 10-day wedding celebration has continued this weekend.

The couple celebrated their bersanding (wedding reception) on Sunday, with a lavish ceremony in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. Following the ceremony, the couple were recognised officially as husband and wife. The bersanding took place in Balai Singgahsana Indera Buana, the royal throne hall of Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Brunei.

Prince Mateen, 32, who is the son of the Sultan of Brunei, wore military uniform to officially marry Yang Mulia Anisha, 29, the granddaughter of one of the sultan's special advisers, Pehin Dato Isa.

Prince Abdul Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah walk down the aisle during their wedding reception at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on January 14. AFP
Prince Abdul Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah walk down the aisle during their wedding reception at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on January 14. AFP

The bride wore a tiara over her white veil, and a white gown decorated with a silver diamond motif. The designer of her wedding dress has not yet been revealed.

She carried a small bouquet crafted in precious metal with gem embellishment, and wore a parure of diamond earrings with a statement diamond necklace.

There were reportedly 5,000 guests in attendance, including senior members of the Brunei royal family, as well as a number of international royals and dignitaries. Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr were all photographed at the event.

Following the reception, the couple took part in a procession through the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan, where crowds of thousands lined the streets to cheer for the newlyweds.

Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah wave from their car during the wedding procession in Bandar Seri Begawan on January 14. AFP
Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah wave from their car during the wedding procession in Bandar Seri Begawan on January 14. AFP

The couple stood and sat in the back of an open-top Rolls-Royce waving to onlookers as they drove through the capital.

Hajah Aminah Abd Morsidee, 91 who has seen five royal weddings in her lifetime, said she was "happy to see Prince Mateen marrying the beautiful Anisha".

Schoolteacher Norliha Mohamad Din, 37, said it was a "once-in-a-lifetime moment".

"I have seen Prince Mateen since he was small," she said. "I'm very happy for him. This is one way of showing appreciation to the royal family."

Brunei's royal wedding order of events

Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha with Prince Abdul Mateen during the royal powdering ceremony on January 10. EPA
Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha with Prince Abdul Mateen during the royal powdering ceremony on January 10. EPA

The bersanding took place on the eighth day of the 10-day wedding celebration, which has included a number of traditional cultural and religious ceremonies.

Festivities began on January 7 with the ceremony of the proposal of marriage, the groom's family officially declaring their intention to marry the bride. It was followed the next day by a performance by royal court musicians to formally herald the start of the celebrations.

On Tuesday, the third day, an engagement ceremony included the groom's family bringing symbolic gifts to the bride's residence. It is followed by a powdering ceremony on the fourth day. In this ceremony, members of the groom and bride's families apply powder to the couple's hands.

On Thursday, the fifth day, the bride and groom officially exchanged vows at a religious ceremony.

There are still a number of ceremonies to come, including a royal banquet, which will be held on Monday with guests from around the world expected to attend.

Who is Prince Abdul Mateen?

Previously regarded as one of South-East Asia's most eligible bachelors, Prince Mateen is the fourth son and 10th child of the Sultan of Brunei, and his former wife Puan Hajah Mariam binti Haji Abdul Aziz.

He is sixth in line to the throne, and not expected to be sultan, but has been seen accompanying his father on numerous state trips around the world.

Prince Mateen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in international politics from King’s College London and is currently a helicopter pilot in the Royal Brunei Air Force, where he holds the rank of major. A skilled polo player, he also represented his nation in 2017 and 2019 at the South-East Asian Games.

Yang Mulia Anisha is the granddaughter of one of the sultan's special advisors, Pehin Dato Isa.

The couple have been dating for a few years and have been seen together on numerous occasions, including at the wedding of Prince Mateen’s sister, Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah, early last year.

They announced their engagement in October.

– Agencies contributed to this report

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Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

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US households add $601bn of debt in 2019

American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.

Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.

In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.

The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.

"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.

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Company name: Entrupy 

Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist

Based: New York, New York

Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.  

Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius. 

Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place. 

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Profile of Udrive

Date started: March 2016

Founder: Hasib Khan

Based: Dubai

Employees: 40

Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.

Credit Score explained

What is a credit score?

In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.

Why is it important?

Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.

How is it calculated?

The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.

How can I improve my score?

By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.

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By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.

How much does it cost?

A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

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1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

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Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

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Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

Updated: January 19, 2024, 6:31 AM